Your Personal Brand is your reputation.
Your Personal Brand is the way how the public sees you and talks about you.
Everyone already has a Personal Brand. Do you know what people say about your work? What adjectives do they use to describe you? Are they positive or critical? What does Google say about you?
Personal Branding is the active management of your image - how you want to distinguish yourself from the crowd. It means to work strategically and intentionally to position yourself in your industry, your career and also in the virtual space as the Expert and Leader in your field.
So how do you actually go about building a Personal Brand? Here are 7 steps you need to focus on:
1) UNDERSTAND WHY YO ARE BUILDING A PERSONAL BRAND
In some way or another we are all remembered for something that sets us apart, whether positively or negatively. Our personality stands out within our families, in our academic history and, together with our highest competences and results, will be decisive in our professional success.
So, being clear about what you're trying to achieve with your brand will help you map out the steps to get there.
What do you really want? Choose 1, 2 or 3:
I am a professional/ entrepreneur and just started my business. I have no on-line presence.
I am not an authority yet in my field/ industry. People don't know me well, I am trying to establish my name and position on-line my business.
I'm an authority already in my field/ industry. I influence lots of people organically and I need to drive more sales.
If you checked the first, the second or the third, this article is crucial to you.
2) MANAGE HOW YOU WANT TO BE PERCEIVED
Take control of your P.I.E.
P.I.E. stands for Performance, Image and Exposure. If you want a successful PERSONAL BRAND all of your three P.I.E. need to work in your favor. Please, answer the following questions.
PERFORMANCE How is the quality of your delivery in your work?
Image: what other people are thinking of you?
Photos: Do you have quality professional lifestyle images to portray who you really are?
Social Media engagement: Are you able to connect with your audience?
Associations: who are the people, the institutions and the causes you are associated with?
Influence level: Do you influence people ?
EXPOSURE: making sure that people know who you are and what you stand for:
How does it look your digital presence?
How clear you are on your in person communication and personal marketing?
Do you have your business clearly printed to impact and impress in person connections?
Does your website reflect your business identity and purpose?
Are you able to be found on google precisely?
Are you answering your inquiries on your Direct messages, voice mail, text messages ?
Are you attracting your Ideal Client?
3) WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR?
Find your brand story and create your brand framework
What will make you stand out against the competition?
Successful brands create a narrative, something that positions them as unique, and creates an emotional connection with the customers. Good storytelling is all about forging an emotional connection.
The colors, the logo, the name and the tagline all follow from the central message. They all come together to form the brand story.
A brand story tells the motivation for starting your business, and why you get up and do what you do every day, why customers should care, and why they should trust you. The brand story builds connections and it builds trust.
It is important that you develop a deep understanding of your brand personality and personal brand identity.
Creating a personal brand framework will guide all that you do, bringing your online and offline personal brand in line with your best self. A personal brand framework, or story, consists of a number of key elements:
BRAND PURPOSEWhat is your why?
CORE VALUESWhat do you want to stand for? What do you value the most of all in your personal and professional life?
Brand Benefits and reasons to believe: a brand needs to be clear about the functional and emotional benefits it delivers to its customers. Do you know how to truly benefit your customers?
TANGIBLE BRANDING ELEMENTS: brand name, logo, colors and fonts. Does your brand look irresistible? What sets your Personal Brand apart from others?
USP - Unique Selling Point: Your personal branding should clearly demonstrate what makes you different and put your USP front and center.
4) GOOGLE YOU UP & LOOK AT YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR
Assess your personal brand as it stands today
Now that you created the story that you want to tell, let's take a look at the story that currently being told today.
What does Google Say about you?
What story are you telling on social media?
Ask your colleagues and friends, associates and former clients how they describe you.
Take a honestly look at yourself. What message does your overall look send to the world?
This is a critical step when you will start updating your social media bios, your profile pictures and even look for a stylist to create an uniform message of your personal brand from in person to online presence.
5) CONTENT MARKETING
Share your brand with the world
Now that you know how you look to the world today, you can begin bringing your new story to life.
Remember that it is what and also how to say your story. Be sure to create an appealing look and feel and use a consistent brand voice on any platform you are active on. Along with your words and actions that's what is going to convey your personality and create a complete image of who you are.
Share your story on the following channels:
Website
Linkedin + Social Media
6) BE ACTIVE
Build your Personal Brand presence
To make real connections you need to be actively engaging with real people.
Create relevant content
Sharing and commenting on other people's content that is consistent with your personal brand values and messages.
Blog posts, social media posts all help you show up higher in search rankings.
Good and old networking:
7) PURSUE A PERSONAL BRAND STRATEGY
Whatever content you create and share, be sure to do so with intention. Because each one of them sends and adds a piece to the puzzle that is your personal brand. Your personal brand strategy is the bigger piece of the brand you want to build.