A couple weeks ago, CBS Sunday Morning (an important part of my weekend routine) profiled film critic Roger Ebert. By now many are familiar with Ebert’s struggles with cancer, which eventually resulted in the loss of his speaking voice.
But Ebert hasn’t allowed these challenges to slow him down or effect his influential personal brand, which has evolved to incorporate new media that he uses prolifically to give new voice to his brand online. You can check out his blog here or follow Mr. Ebert on Twitter.
As I outlined last week, it’s not enough to simply plant a flag in the social space and let it stand. You have to have a strategy. More importantly, you need a strategy that fits your personal (or business) brand.
Ebert knows this. That’s why he views his blog as the hub of his personal brand. From there, he uses media like Twitter as an inbound marketing tool driving traffic back to the hub. He carefully crafts this click-driving content in engaging thoughtful ways that any headline-writing marketer can appreciate. Frequently he notes a celebrity’s birthday, then offers a link through to a review of a relevant film on his blog. Here’s one from last week marking Charles Bronson’s birthday.
In addition to demonstrating the triumph of the human spirit, Ebert’s life is also a pitch perfect case study on building a personal brand based on thought leadership. What’s holding you back?
Thumbs up to Roger Ebert — a personal hero, an inspiration, and a prolific personal brand in the new media space.
You can view the full story from CBS Sunday Morning below.
Who’s a favorite personal brand of yours?
