An author’s online brand is their reputation as a person and as an individual. It’s not just about your social media presence, but the content you create and how you interact with people who share similar interests. Clean ERSJ says, you don’t have to be a superstar to start building your personal brand, but it helps if you know what it takes to build and sustain an online identity that people will remember and appreciate.
An author’s online brand is their reputation as a person and as an individual. It’s not just about your social media presence, but the content you create and how you interact with people who share similar interests. You don’t have to be a superstar to start building your personal brand, but it helps if you know what it takes to build and sustain an online identity that people will remember and appreciate.
Achieve real results
The top rated answers on StackOverflow aren’t the most popular among their peers – they’re the contributors who provide high-value answers that users can use to achieve real results. Back in 2006, Joel Spolsky wrote an article about why one of these users was “worth a million dollars” . It explains the importance of having the right balance between spending too much time answering questions and getting new questions answered.
It’s all part of having a good online presence as a software engineer, especially on StackOverflow where you can build a significant reputation. You can develop a better understanding of how to interact with people on sites like StackOverflow by using the 10 x 10 x 2 formula from Robert Greene’s The Art of Seduction .
Attract people’s attention
The first step is to attract people’s attention by being interesting. Next, you have to engage them by being responsive. Finally, you have won them over by being invited. It’s a three-step process that can be used to build an online presence as a software engineer.
In the case of StackOverflow, there’s a fourth part to the equation: reputation. In other words, you have to earn it before people will take notice and follow your answers or recommendations. You’ll need at least 100 reputation points or more before your opinions start having any real weight on the site.
If you want to build an effective online brand as a software engineer, you’ll need to use all four elements using the 10 x 10 x 2 formula . Don’t get too hung up on the exact details, but knowing how to use these elements will help you become a better writer and contributor.
Here’s an example:
If you get 100 reputation points by answering the same questions over and over again, you don’t have a brand. But if you answer questions in a way that makes people want to learn more about your subject, they’ll ask you for follow-up answers in the future. You’ll reach new levels of personal brand awareness when people choose to mention your contributions in their own answers.
Obviously, there’s more to building an effective software engineer brand than merely answering questions on StackOverflow . It’s important to learn how to write about your subject in a way that gets others genuinely interested. But you can’t do it all on your own. You’ll need tips and tricks from the best software engineer writers on the Internet, which is why I’m providing you with a guide today.
Developing an online brand as a software engineer
One of my favorite ways to get ideas for new content is by reading other people’s “best of” lists , like one that The Daily WTF put together . Here are some of my favorite books that will help you get started developing an online brand as a software engineer:
You don’t have to read them cover-to-cover; I’ve also included some excerpts below for those who want to learn more. If you’d like a more detailed guide on building a professional online brand as a software engineer, you should check out my book, The Engineer’s Guide to your Online Brand .
You can read excerpts from each of the books below. If you end up using any of them to develop your personal brand as a software engineer, I’d love to hear from you. Just leave a comment at the bottom of this page and be sure to share it with your social media followers.
How to Market Yourself as an Engineer
In How to Market Yourself as an Engineer , Robert Wysocki shares common mistakes that people make when promoting themselves in their industry. He lays out 5 basic principles to help you build your digital brand.
Here are some of the highlights:
1. Be Consistent
2. Be Personal
The best way to develop a personal brand online is by gaining an audience before you start promoting yourself, and that means providing high-quality, interesting content that can attract attention. This doesn’t mean that you should only write about your industry; the goal is to provide valuable information for everyone who has a passion for technology. If you’re not sure where to begin, consider building a blog and publishing articles about topics that interest you, regardless of whether or not they’ll help others in your field or profession.
