Have you heard about Polyvore? It’s a social networking site where people can look for brands and products and create their own collections called sets. Once you’ve created a set, you can share it with your friends and the whole Polyvore community. People can comment on your set, and you can also comment on other people’s sets. Other things you can do in the site include asking questions or advice, and creating and joining groups.
What’s unique about the site is the fact that when a picture from a person’s collage or set is clicked, you are immediately directed to the website that carries it. Fashion and other related brands have seen a huge increase in their traffic from Polyvore.
But with regards to personal brands, is there a good reason to create an account in Polyvore? Can it really help you with your branding campaign?
Of course.
Showcase you personality and style
One of the things you can easily showcase through Polyvore is your personality and style. As you create a collage or a
collection of the things you like to show your audience, they can quickly see what matters to you and what you represent.
Through the site, you can quickly create a professional and magazine-like spread that you can post on your blog or share through other social networking platforms. The great thing about Polyvore is that creating sets is so simple.
If you’re a stylist or fashion designer, for example, you can use Polyvore to create a dazzling portfolio. If you’re a blogger that blogs about showbiz news, then you can also utilize Polyvore to show the celebrity you’re talking about and their current fashion statement. And even if your brand may not be related to fashion or style, Polyvore is still a useful branding tool to help you connect and engage with your audience.
How exactly can you stand out using Polyvore?
Here are 6 tips:
1. Be unique
With so many accounts and sets created every single day, your own collection of images can easily be lost among the crowd. What can help you stand out is by being unique and showing that off through the collages you create. Show what you love and what inspires you. Don’t just copy other people’s ideas about what to post. Make sure that your sets stand out by showing your unique style and personality.
2. Be interactive
The thing about social media is how it builds relationships among people through connections and interactions. So don’t be an island – make sure to comment on other people’s sets, like them, set them as your favorites. By doing this, the person whose collection you commented on will be curious enough to check yours out as well, and it could easily lead to a conversation between the two of you.
3. Ask questions
Asking questions is another excellent way to build your brand and stand out. Of course, it’s important to make sure that your questions are relevant to the discussions going on and to the site itself. It would be weird, for example, to suddenly ask a question about a computer program when the site is all about fashion and style.
4. Answer questions
Another way to utilize the site for your personal branding is to answer questions posted by people. Giving style advice can really help you stand out and position yourself as an expert. It also shows off your personality in a good way. The great thing about answering questions in Polyvore is the fact that you can include products and brands in your answer, which is a great way to help the person visualize what you want to portray.
5. Create or join groups
Join groups that you find relevant to your personal brand and connect with the other members. This can help you build more meaningful relationships with similar people who have the same interests as you.
You can also create your own group and invite people whom you think may be interested in joining.
6. Host contests (virtual gatherings)
It’s a great way to showcase your interest along with attracting many people who would not only be good connections – you could learn from them, too. Host your own and get your contacts in Polyvore to join. Also, remind your friends to share the contest with others so they can join as well. Make stunning sets to help you promote your contest.
It also positions you as a “hub”, some
one in the know, and a person that people want to connect with and enjoy interacting with.
Polyvore is all about standing out, creating your own style, and democratizing fashion. It gives every person the ability to create their own unique set so that they can be noticed. So make sure your personal brand stands out in Polyvore.
Author:
Maria Elena Duron, is managing editor of the Personal Branding Blog, CEO (chief engagement officer) of buzz2bucks.com – a word of mouth marketing firm. She helps create connection, credibility, community and cha-ching through mobile marketing and social commerce around your brand. She is co-founder of #brandchat – a weekly Twitter chat focused on every aspect of branding.
