Do you inspire and captivate your social media community?

Are your conversations dynamic, engaging and diverse?

In order to stand out online, you must earn the attention of your audience. And you must do it in a short amount of time.

According to Sally Hogshead, author of “Fascinate,” you have nine seconds to command attention.

However, in a recent study by the National Center for Biotechnology, it seems to be even less than that.

It was found that the average attention span of consumers is a mere eight seconds.

That is four seconds less than it was in the year 2000, and one second less than a goldfish.

Yep, that’s right. A goldfish.

Based on that, it would appear that our attention span is actually devolving. A frightening thought, especially for business and marketing professionals eager to gain the eye of today’s fast-paced consumer.

So how can you “win the moment” (one of my favorite Sally’isms) and be unforgettable?

I was excited to join David Oldenberg and Christine Degraff on the “Online Money Show” to discuss this exact topic.

Below are a few key takeaways on how to build a stellar personal brand, use social media to expand your reach, and define your unique shine.

What exactly is that?

It’s that delicious goodness that only you possess. It’s a shine that leaves an irresistible and wholly indelible mark on everyone you meet.

Being Unforgettable on Social Media

  1. Develop a Consistent Look, Feel, and Message

“If you don’t define yourself online…someone else will.”

Defining and consistently sharing your unique message in a way that is both relevant and valuable to your target audience is crucial.

Not only does it create differentiation, but it allows you to share your special skills and talents in a language that speaks directly to your audience.

This means that you develop your online message, voice, look, and feel and then deliver it consistently and without fail. From your website design to social media channels, ensure that each one is synonymous with who you are offline.

Someone who has done an excellent job in building a sensational personal brand is Marie Forleo. Marie’s spunk and feisty personality are seen in her website, social properties, adorable wardrobe (because no girl is complete without one) conversations, content, and even her body language.

It’s all there, consistent from one end of her brand to the next.

Success in personal branding is blending everything in a way that leaves no doubt in the mind of a consumer who you are, no matter which social or online property they land on.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, small business owner, trainer, speaker, or writer, controlling the perception in and around your personal brand is not something you should take lightly.

To better understand what differentiates you from the competition, answer a few questions.

Keys to Differentiation

• What do I love to do every day?
• If I could only do one thing every day, what would it be?
• What are my greatest strengths/weaknesses?
• What do I do better than anyone else?
• What separates me from the competition?
• What pain, need or concern can I solve for my potential client(s)?

  2. Build Out a Captivating Social Profile that Converts

Social media profiles are an enormous opportunity to present your story and message in a real and relatable way.

They also speak directly to the search engines, so do your homework and know how potential clients are searching for you when online.

Peg Fitzpatrick, does an excellent job utilizing every bit of the “about” space offered by Google+. Want to rock your social media profiles and bio? I asked Peg for a few tips to get you started.

“Google+ provides you with the most real estate of any social media profile. Be creative and let people know who you are with some smart text, then add links to your blog and other places that you write, followed by links to all your other social media profile.”

As you can see, Peg follows her own advice.

Her bio is full of details that not only make her relatable, accessible, and authentic, but also tell a story to search engines and humans alike.

A few additional ways to Optimize Your Profile:

• Drop the pretense and have a little fun. Write your summary in an authentic way that allows people to understand what you do, what you have to offer and what you are passionate about. Conversations happen when you share interesting facts and tidbits that pull back the veil on who you truly are.
• A professional profile image – Your profile image should be considered a key element to your personal brand. For this reason, it is extremely important that you create consistency from one network to the next by using the same high-quality professional headshot.
• Use relevant keywords in a conversational and organic way. Understand what terms people are searching for when researching your business, niche, product, or service. Work those in to your profile in a way that is conversational and easily scannable. Google is eager to help you tell your story, but without your keywords you could create a situation where consumers have to hunt and peck to find you.
• Get local – As you craft your summary, remember to add your industry specific keywords as well as your location based keywords including city and state.
• Don’t forget your call to action! Never leave the next step or follow-up action to chance. Do you want people to click-through to your website, your latest product or your book? Tell them! Share details that answer the “what’s in it for me question” and a link so the next step is effortless.

   3. Find Your “One Thing” and Spread it Like Wildfire

In the 1991 movie City Slickers, Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) is facing a cross-roads. He’s thirty-nine, fearing a mid-life crisis, and eager to find meaning in his life.

Curly, a gruff cowboy played by Jack Palance, shares a few words of wisdom with Mitch that are as relevant to life as they are to business.

Curly: “Do you know what the secret of life is? One thing, just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean $%@!” Watch it here:

Just as Curly forced Mitch to figure out his “one thing,” I’m going to encourage you to do the same. What is the one thing that pushes you forward in your business, drives you on a daily basis, and gets you up and out of bed?

If you can figure out your “one thing,” everything else will fall into place.

When you are living and working within your sweet spot, that place that challenges, excites and inspires you, anything and everything is possible.

Find that one thing and then live it, breathe it, and shout it from the rooftops – every single day!

View the show in its entirety here: