What is a personal brand?
As the saying goes, “Everyone is unique in their own special way”, we all have at least one uncommon quality within us. Uncovering these unique qualities gives us the potential needed to stand out in a crowd and make our own place. Now, this is the very basic idea of what a personal brand is – it is a “sign” that is created around you as an individual.
If you are just starting to think about your personal brand, the one thing you must always keep in mind is that people are going to remember you by your brand. It’s more than just a colorful logo or a bunch of business cards. It is the approach you use to present yourself online and offline in front of your consumers.
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A personal brand – is it for everyone?
In simpler terms, “yes, a personal brand is for everyone. Although there is an assumption that personal branding is specifically for entrepreneurs and business owners, it is not the actual case. Personal branding is the process of creating a lasting impression in the mind of others about yourself, and so it is the ultimate weapon that will ensure your victory in the unseen battle with your competitors.
If you are a competitive person who desires a strong impactful image in the marketplace, then you can always take steps toward building a personal brand.
Getting Started with Self-Branding
First of all, identify your unique traits – think and figure out that one thing at which you surpass everyone else. Do not for a second think that you don’t possess such a quality, because you do – everyone does. Be optimistic and think of something that you never get tired of doing – that is most probably your biggest strength. Once you have figured out your unique strength, the next step is to be thorough in it. Become the ace in that particular field.
Do not limit yourself to just learning, but confidently share your expertise with others. This will reassure your audience that you actually know your subject. As a result, you will get the exposure that you need to brand yourself.
Thanks to today’s advanced technology, there are several platforms that you can use to create and maintain your personal brand. For instance, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Slack, and LinkedIn can be used to establish your brand name effectively.
Know Yourself and Your Audience
Social media is an open online source available to anyone. Therefore, is used by several thousand influential personalities to create and maintain their brand name. So, what you should remember when using these platforms is not to lose yourself in them – do not try to imitate or copy. Come up with your own unique method to captivate your audience. It is also much more sensible to maintain a perfect balance between your personal and business-related life when building your personal branding online.
After proper self-disclosure, you need to think about your targeted audience. Because as it goes without saying, knowing the market sector which you wish to attract is a key point in setting your professional goals. For instance, knowing your targeted audience in and out will definitely help you create materials that will surely skyrocket in the marketplace.
Selling is Not the Priority
If you succeed in self-branding yourself as a true and trustworthy person to deal with, then that means you have made your renowned place in the market. However, a personal brand is not solely about selling. Referring back to the definition of what a personal brand is – it’s making yourself approachable and available to your consumers.
The marketers David McNally and Karl Speak give a definition for the personal brand, “Your brand is a perception or emotion, maintained by somebody other than you, that describes the total experience of having a relationship with you” (Be Your Own Brand - 1999). This definition itself shows how important it is to have a good rapport with your client base. When approaching your consumers, it is essential that you come out as a human first instead of a business person.
Stepping up the Game in the Offline World
Personal branding online is easy and effective, yet it isn’t limited to the online world. The way you carry yourself when you step into the real world is as important as the way you present yourself online. That is exactly why you should always be true to yourself when building a personal brand online. You might put on an act over there, but the moment you step into the real world, it’s all going to come crashing back at you. Owing to the fact that your true self will always come out in the real world – do not leave the space for your peers or clients to label you as a ‘fake’.
Remember that the impression you give off in the real world is several times more lasting than what you do online. And so, make sure you maintain a positive and realistic personality throughout the entire process of self-branding.
Do Not Vary
The bond between your personal brand and the consumer or the audience needs to be as steady as possible. It is a norm that consumers get familiar with a specific brand once they have come across it multiple times. So, if you change the overall image of your brand all of a sudden it is definitely going to affect your brand build drastically. And that is why you need to ensure that you give off the same vibe throughout all the platforms which you use for your brand building.
Having said that, you can always rebrand yourself carefully in case you plan to seek new opportunities. For that, you can gradually make changes to your personal brand so that you stay synced with the over-time changes that happen in the market. However, the point is to be ‘careful’, or else you will end up ruining the brand name that you worked so hard to build.
Proudly Say “My Personal Brand”
Building a personal brand is not something you can achieve overnight – it takes time, effort, and most importantly patience. You just need to work on your unique personality features and make use of that one quality that defines you as an individual. Along the way, keep in mind that this whole process requires you to be authentic and transparent to yourself as well as others.
Most certainly, the opportunities for self-branded persons will keep surfacing. So, it is time to take up the challenge and proudly show everyone who you truly are.
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