I’m sad that today is the last day of March because that means Brand Month is over! Y’all know how much I love to talk about branding! Never fear, this is not the last post I will ever write about the subject. It is my day job, natch. Anyway, I plan to talk about the process of writing in April which is another favorite topic so onward and upward! Before I switch topics, I want to wrap up Brand Month by talking about the importance of having personal brand.
Well-known Personal Brands
Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Elon Musk, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jeni Britton, Les Wexner…all of these people have a personal brand. Just like in a business brand, their identity is driven by the perceptions of the public. Oprah is one of the most well-known and respected women in the world. She has a strong personal brand that is built on her authenticity, her generosity, and her commitment to helping others. Elon Musk’s personal brand is changing as public perception changes. It used to be that of a visionary, a risk-taker, and a disrupter. He is known for his ambitious goals and his willingness to take on big challenges. He has recently been criticized for his work practices, his public statements, and his business dealings. Some people have also accused him of being arrogant and narcissistic. Regardless, Musk had a very strong personal brand that makes him one of the most recognizable people on the planet.
What is a Personal Brand?
A personal brand is the public-facing collection of your experiences, skills, and talents that make you unique. It’s what you bring to the table that no one else can. When you develop a strong personal brand, you can use it to connect with people, build relationships, and achieve your goals.
Your personal brand is how you present yourself to the world. It should help you stand out from the crowd. It should emphasize your strengths, build trust, and highlight the commitment and focus you bring to your career and industry. When you create and nurture your personal brand, employers or clients can see you are the person they are looking for.
Why Your Online Personal Brand is Important
In today’s digital age, it is more important than ever to build and manage your personal brand online. The internet and social media have made it possible for people (read: potential employers or clients) to learn about you from all over the world. Make sure that your online presence is positive and reflects who you are now (not the you in college drinking in a dive bar!) Who, me?!?!?!
The most important thing is to be authentic and consistent with your online personal brand. Be yourself and let your personality shine through. When you are authentic, people will be more likely to connect with you and trust you.
Steps to Building a Personal Brand
These steps will help you identify and focus a strong personal brand so that you can build business relationships that are authentic and beneficial.
- Figure out what you want to be known for. What is your niche? What are you passionate about? What are you good at? What do you want to achieve at work or in business? Once you know what you want to be known for, you can start to develop your personal brand around those things and target like-minded people.
- Do your research. Research other people in your industry and see what they’re doing to build their personal brands. What are they doing well? What could they be doing better?
- Create a personal brand statement. This is a your elevator speech, a short statement that summarizes what you do and what you stand for. It should be clear, concise, and memorable.
- Develop a personal brand strategy. This is a plan for how you’re going to build your personal brand both online and offline. It should include your goals, your target audience, and your tactics. This is very much like a business brand marketing strategy.
- Create your online profiles. This is where you’ll share your personal brand with the world. The very least you should do is create and optimize a LinkedIn profile. You can also create a website or blog, use other social media channels, or write guest posts for other websites.
- Start building your brand. Attend industry webinars and online classes, connect with people on social media, and join online networking groups. Offline, attend industry events and network with other professionals, who then will connect with you online. The more visible you are, the more people will know about your personal brand.
This is a different methodology than I used when I started thinking about my personal brand. It’s a little more high-level. It’s a good place to start. If you really want to dig deep and create a very personal brand like I did, here’s the link to that blog.
Tips to Building Your Personal Brand
- Know your audience. Just like in any brand strategy, your target audience should be at the center of any messaging you create. Your personal brand should appeal to the people you want to engage with.
- Be authentic. Your target audience will know if you are being insincere. Be yourself and let your personality shine through. When you’re authentic, people will be more likely to connect with you and trust you.
- Be consistent. Don’t stray from your brand, ever! One disconnect can cause confusion and distrust. See Elon Musk.
- Be patient. It takes time to develop a strong personal brand. Don’t expect to become an overnight success. Just keep working at it and eventually you will see results.
When you have a strong personal brand, people will know who you are, what you do, and what you stand for. This can help you to attract new opportunities, build relationships with potential clients or employers, and make a positive impact on the world. You’ll be known and understood by the profile you’ve build for yourself. Be like Oprah, not Elon!
