Who’s that candidate?
An exploration of professional-personal branding
While I’ve consciously branded businesses and products before, it wasn’t until last year at Deakin Uni, that I began to consider my own professional-personal brand. Last year, I created the YouTube and Soundcloud channels - “Always Learning” with Lexi Keeton.
Only one year later however, I’m revamping my branding to suit not just the content, but the image I want to put forward for the next phase of my professional career.
The rise of the video resume
The more digital our professional environments become, the more important it is to add a personal touch to your digital presence through video. Future employers or network contacts can get a sense of who you are as well as what you’ve done, and in my own experience has been the reason I hired someone.
To prepare for my own video, I researched the branding and video production conventions of my favourite YouTubers such as MKBHD, Ali Abdaal and Louise Henry - which led to a few changes of my PPB:
Keep it simple.
Branding version 1 - 2020
While my original colours and design elements were fun, there were just too many. My favs use a simple colour background and feature maximum 3 colours at the most across their socials.
Decide how to be perceived by your audience.
I’d like to come across as organised, knowledgeable in my field and creatively professional, which hopefully a simpler design formula will achieve. I reduced the business of colours and shapes and found one similar design to act as a logo, still using circles, and hopefully communicating the feeling of connecting the dots, as I like to take an interdisciplinary approach to my work.
Branding version 2 - Always Learning - 2021
Branding version 2 - Colour Palette 2021
Use video strategies that suit your industry
My background in documentary filmmaking ensures I fully understand the Rule of Thirds and to not use jump-cuts. Yet the YouTubers I most respect don’t use former and do use the latter! Upon reflection, it’s understandable - as the medium in which we consume video changes, the appropriate production conventions may also change.
As my intended audience are professional contacts, I’ve chosen to place myself in the centre of the image just as I would be positioned if communicating virtually from my home office. My office background shows evidence of my thinking and planning, to convey that I’m knowledgeable in my field. I chose a filtered daytime lighting source, with ring-light fill to provide a bright and natural feeling.
Lessons learned - what to do next time
Several weeks ago, I created a test video on Twitter and posted it out. I kept it to less than two minutes and it probably only took about 30 minutes to create and edit once I had prepared the setup. I instantly had lots of engagement and felt comfortable with adding the video to my LinkedIn profile as well. However, this video, which took much longer to plan content, record and edit - I’m not as happy with the final product.
In my YouTube video, I included overlay tiles to signpost topics for the viewer but I’m not sure that they added much value. Something to try next time would be to keep the video even shorter, and more succinct. People don’t spend much time on a video before clicking away, so I need to rope them in with my passion and let the connection keep their interest, instead of overlays.