Edited by Martha Evans and Pictures by Tom Guyton-Day
Credit: Eugene Zhyvchik
If you're on this article, then you're convinced that personal branding is the way to put your name out there and beat your competition no matter which field you are in.
But the question now becomes: how does one do it properly?
Personal branding is important for anyone who wants to advance in their career. It helps you build authenticity, trust, credibility, and connections.
Although, the difference between the saturated branding yourself and the genuine being yourself might give you the edge. Just, choose, wisely.
Personal branding is important for anyone who wants to advance in their career. It helps you build authenticity, trust, credibility, and connections.
Although, the difference between the saturated branding yourself and the genuine being yourself might give you the edge. Just, choose, wisely.
BEING
Credit: Mateus Campo Felipe
A personal brand tells the world about who you are as a human being personally and professionally.
A personal brand is about authenticity. And it comes only from your mind, your heart, and what you believe to be true at the centre of your personal and professional self. That’s why it’s unique – because it begins exclusively with you.
Through living your values, you will be seen as somebody who's clear about what matters, and you'll inspire people's confidence and trust in you and your brand.
Start by writing down three words that describe you and your personality. Now ask a close friend how they'd describe you. People see us differently from what we think, often without us realising it. It is terrifying but be brave and ask others what they think of you. You'll be surprised!!
Next, think of your reputation. What do you want now and where do you want to be? Ask yourself how you can navigate your actions and steer towards what your reputation can be.
And finally, what do you want your legacy to be? What do you want to stand for? And what would be on your gravestone?
Gandhi once said, "Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny."
Finally, consider your audience. Ask yourself, where do they live? What are their values? And how can you match your beliefs with theirs?
If your personal brand has a strong direction, you will always be sailing on course toward your target market.
But, never forget that if you don't believe in yourself or what you are selling, how can anyone else?
BRANDING
Credit: Austin Distel
Branding yourself keeps you current in your field, opens doors for you, and creates a lasting impression on potential and existing clients. By developing your brand, you’ll have control over the initial perception people have of you.
What is it that you want to be known for?
A successful brand can go a long way with self-promotion, conveying loyalty, and offering consistency in the quality of the services you provide.
The first step is to switch the way you think about social media. Social media is no longer about posting photos of delicious food or fancy vacations; it has a wider objective to show off your true skills across multiple platforms that are consumed on a daily basis by many audiences worldwide.
Next, you need to define your expertise. Simply outline your experience on a piece of paper and use that as a roadmap for you to reflect it in the digital world! This is crucial as it allows you to find out exactly what your core abilities are.
Even if you have zero experience, if you understand exactly what you want to do, you can educate yourself through the thousands of available learning sources we have now. Just don't forget to share your progress. The number of people that are going to be interested in what you share will amaze you!
Establish a presence everywhere. But everywhere!!!
Even the platforms that you hate or don't know how to use, you have to be on them, and learn how to use them! You’re being googled by friends, colleagues, and potential customers, so make sure your branded content is what people find when they google your name. Build a basic online presence through your website or blog if you need.
Just make sure people can get in touch with you in their medium of choice.
Claim your name before someone else does. While search engines will pick up on your social media pages, having your domain will produce a more finite result.
After that, you need to engage and connect with others. The good old Networking. Networking is one of the best ways to become known in the industry. By forming relationships with people in your audience, you can grow your business and your brand long-term. Don't build a one-way channel that spits out information only. Create an engaging community around you, where you'd reach out to others and engage with their content in a meaningful way. Simple steps like, liking their post and leaving a comment that not only attracts more eyeballs but also gets you identified as an active person who provides value.
Get feedback —at work, at home, anywhere. The best way to measure your brand is the reputation others hold of you. Notice how they introduce you to others. Ask them what your top brand attributes and core strengths are.
Your unique brand message differentiates the best you have to offer, gives a good indication of what you’re like to work with, and shows how you make things happen.
What is it that you want to be known for?
A successful brand can go a long way with self-promotion, conveying loyalty, and offering consistency in the quality of the services you provide.
The first step is to switch the way you think about social media. Social media is no longer about posting photos of delicious food or fancy vacations; it has a wider objective to show off your true skills across multiple platforms that are consumed on a daily basis by many audiences worldwide.
Next, you need to define your expertise. Simply outline your experience on a piece of paper and use that as a roadmap for you to reflect it in the digital world! This is crucial as it allows you to find out exactly what your core abilities are.
Even if you have zero experience, if you understand exactly what you want to do, you can educate yourself through the thousands of available learning sources we have now. Just don't forget to share your progress. The number of people that are going to be interested in what you share will amaze you!
Establish a presence everywhere. But everywhere!!!
Even the platforms that you hate or don't know how to use, you have to be on them, and learn how to use them! You’re being googled by friends, colleagues, and potential customers, so make sure your branded content is what people find when they google your name. Build a basic online presence through your website or blog if you need.
Just make sure people can get in touch with you in their medium of choice.
Claim your name before someone else does. While search engines will pick up on your social media pages, having your domain will produce a more finite result.
After that, you need to engage and connect with others. The good old Networking. Networking is one of the best ways to become known in the industry. By forming relationships with people in your audience, you can grow your business and your brand long-term. Don't build a one-way channel that spits out information only. Create an engaging community around you, where you'd reach out to others and engage with their content in a meaningful way. Simple steps like, liking their post and leaving a comment that not only attracts more eyeballs but also gets you identified as an active person who provides value.
Get feedback —at work, at home, anywhere. The best way to measure your brand is the reputation others hold of you. Notice how they introduce you to others. Ask them what your top brand attributes and core strengths are.
Your unique brand message differentiates the best you have to offer, gives a good indication of what you’re like to work with, and shows how you make things happen.
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