Watch personal branding expert Billy Dixon talk about the importance of developing your own personal brand:
Why should you build your personal brand?
The term branding has long been relegated to companies, but today almost every individual has a personal brand. Building a recognisable personal brand opens professional opportunities.
It can lead to:
- A better job
- Better contacts and networks
- Industry recognition
Here are someways to start building your personal brand:
1. Understand Yourself
When a company identifies their brand personality, they didn’t just create it on the fly. It’s a strategic, well-thought out decision pieced together to be truly representative of who they want to be. Your own brand should work the exact same way.
Jot down a few adjectives that describe the way you’d like to be perceived by others. Do you want to be seen as polished and professional? Quirky and creative? Friendly and approachable? Corporate and serious? Focus on how you want to be viewed by others. This will guide all of the decisions you make in regards to personal branding.
Additionally, you should also take time to think about your target market—or who you want your brand to resonate with. Customers of your business? Industry peers and professionals? Potential employers? Ironing out these details ahead of time will make the rest of the process that much easier.
2. Market Yourself
Ask any well-known company, and they’ll quickly explain that a brand really means nothing if you don’t market it. It’s not a “build it and they will come” situation. In order to establish a well-known identity, you need to take initiative and promote it.
Just like a company markets their product or service, it’s up to you to market yourself in order to truly build a positive (and recognisable!) personal brand for yourself.
So, set up a personal website or portfolio that showcases your accomplishments and your work. Conduct a social media audit to ensure you’re upholding your brand online. Create business cards. Get professional headshots taken. Pull together the pieces of the puzzle that will accurately portray your identity and message in the world.
3. Offer Distinct Value
People don't typically interact with a brand unless we’re getting something from it. And, in a professional setting, this rule also holds true for people. We want to extract value from the people we engage with—whether it’s a new beneficial relationship, access to new skills or expertise, or even a career opportunity.
This concept is important to keep in mind when building your own personal brand. In order to establish a positive professional identity, you should plan to offer a distinct value for others.
Create strong content for your own blog or website, or contribute thoughtful articles to an industry relevant publication. Say yes to networking engagements or other opportunities to share your knowledge. Lend a hand with a nonprofit or an organisation that could benefit from your skills and experience. The more value you can provide, the stronger your brand will be.
4. Network
There’s an important reason you’re working so hard on building your personal brand - to give people the best sense of who you are. In the end, a brand means nothing without an audience to receive and interpret it.
Please see our sections on Networking and LinkedIn.
Networking is extra important when fostering your own brand. Attend networking events, conferences, seminars, get-togethers, and meetings in order to shake hands with other professionals.
Rehearse your elevator pitch ahead of time, and put your best foot forward when interacting with others so you leave a positive impression on everyone you meet. Remember, the same marketing principle holds true: Word-of-mouth is really the best form of promotion. And the only way to achieve it is by meeting plenty of your peers.
5. Reinvent
Brands aren’t stagnant. They need to constantly be tweaked, reevaluated, and improved. So don’t plan to establish your own personal brand and then allow it to collect cobwebs. You must adapt and change in order to continuously refresh your messaging and personality. Remember to constantly evaluate your brand and make any necessary tweaks, adjustments, and improvements. Much like your own evolution, branding is a fluid process, leaving room for continuous growth and change.