Personal Branding = The Magic of You
What comes up when you Google your name? What are you known for? Does your job define you, or is there more to what you do for a living?
A personal brand can be likened to a corporate brand—it is what you stand for and the principles you embrace.
Building a solid personal brand might seem like a huge task, but it is worth every effort you make. If you are invested in making a name for yourself, here is a guide to help you figure out how to achieve that goal.
Related: 6 Branding Trends in 2021
Master the 10 Pillars of Personal Branding
1. Have A Focus
Many people try to achieve everything by acting as a jack-of-all-trades and ending up unfocused. The greatest personal brands are precise. Pick a niche and then carve a sub-niche out of the broader one.
Keep your patterns, actions, and messages consistent with the field you select to become more memorable within your target audience.
The narrower your brand is, the easier it will be for people to remember who you are. It will also help you to beat your competition because not many people perfect a given area.
You will manage your brand easily because you don’t have to pretend. If you want an original brand with a relatable concept, use the Brandroot company name generator.
2. Be Authentic
The easiest way to build a solid personal brand is to be genuine. Natalie Coyne, a digital marketer and branding specialist, believes that people can detect deceptive acts.
If your brand is a copycat, your audience will disregard your presence. Whether you engage your audience on social media or offline, your content should relate to your beliefs and who you are. You will manage your brand easily because you don’t have to pretend.
3. Consistency is Key
Being consistent compares to having a narrow focus. You are likely to be recognized and appreciated for one niche if you constantly work on it.
Ensure you demonstrate your consistency across your modes of communication and in how you dress. Don’t underestimate the negative effect that minor inconsistencies can have on your brand.
People should demonstrate consistency in either their visual representation or in their personality. Stick to whatever you pick from the beginning to create strong familiarity among your audience.
4. Tell a Story
If your brand does not convey a message, you may not have much influence. The most effective way of building a name for yourself is to have a proper narrative because single character monologues no longer do the trick.
To avoid losing a considerable chunk of your potential audience, create a story about your brand that the audience can relate to.
You can achieve this by recording a video clip of your story and uploading it to your account for your audience to view.
Videos are practical tools for communicating personal stories online because they help create a connection with your viewers.
5. Hone Your Networking Skills
There is no way you can build a leading personal brand without forging solid ties within your network. Usually, the process starts with weak links that you can strengthen quickly by fostering positive communication skills.
Digital marketing is an effective tool for creating solid ties fast. However, remember that humans thrive on face-to-face communication. A slight shaking of the hands, intimacy and human touch will go a long way in improving your branding experience. Share a meal or drinks when you can. Purposeful networking should involve putting other people first.
Related: How to Raise Your Professional Profile
6. Prepare to Fail
Failure is never comfortable, and everyone always wants to avoid it, which is human nature. However, to create a unique personal brand, you should be prepared to fail.
Experts advise young people to try out new waters while they can because they learn a lot from experience. After all, you will be more disappointed for not trying than for failing.
You always create a leading personal brand after failing a few times because failure pushes you out of your comfort zone. The best brands come about after repeated trial and error and not instant perfection.
7. Follow Your Brand
Although you may have to separate your personal life from the brand you create to increase its effectiveness, you cannot go too far. In the beginning, it is easier for you to associate closely with your brand.
That way, you will be in more control and achieve the desired outcome quickly. Your brand should be a part of you everywhere you go. It manifests and amplifies your beliefs.
In this regard, your brand ceases to be about a series of job roles like finance, creating, and marketing but instead focuses on principles like leadership and mentorship.
8. Leave a Positive Impact
After building your brand over a long period, consider growing your community. Your influence on those around you and the community will determine your progression, irrespective of your niche.
People and organizations want to work with empathetic professionals. So, you may want to position yourself as an industry leader. Maintaining a positive attitude and helping others achieve their dreams will advance your brand positively.
9. Allow Other People to Tell Your Story
The best way to enhance positive public relations is by word of mouth, especially if you want to build a social-related brand. When making videos, consider co-hosting with other professionals in your field. Not only will the other people vouch for you, but their presence will make you relatable. Ensure that, when you leave the room, people speak positively of your work and personality.
10. Work on Your Legacy
After creating a personal brand with a strong reputation and community behind it, consider the legacy you will leave. What are the actions and keywords you want to be known for? Building a personal brand is better than developing a business. The best exit strategy is a good legacy.
Creating and maintaining a personal brand requires a lifetime commitment. Some of the biggest names you know had to evolve at some point when the circumstances required them to. As an expert in the field, one should acknowledge that there aren’t any hard-and-fast rules for building a brand.
However, the guidelines above will make the process easier for you. Beginners and experts who are rebranding have a lot of work to do, but the results will make all that effort worthwhile.
