Building a personal brand is important for people who desire significant professional and personal development. From attracting customers and future employees, obtaining good clients and promotions, to finding a significant other, a strong personal brand can improve one’s life in numerous ways.
Most successful people make a conscious effort to create, preserve, and enhance their brands. As such, here are some techniques to help you develop your own brand:
1. Identify Your Values
Your value isn’t based on who you work for or your position at a job. It’s based on what you’re able to bring to the table. What is it that you do extremely well and who does it best serve?
Identify the things that truly matter to you; whether it’s family, the environment, friends, create a list of 3-5 values that mean most to you. This is going to help you define your business, as well as help define your niche market and targeted audience.
Create a value proposition that speaks to what you do and who you best help. If you aren’t specific about the kind of work you do or would like to do, people won’t know to come to you for it.
2. Create a Vision and Develop Your Story
Determine the most rewarding things you have ever done. What would your ideal career be? Work backwards from your ideal job to where you are today, and note the possible steps in between.
Your vision also depends on your story. Where did you come from? How did you get here? You story can instill familiarity and trust amongst current and potential customers.
3. Create an Online Presence
In order to be successful in today’s world, you must have an all around online marketing strategy and presence.
Create a platform where people can see what you do. Create a website, create social media profiles – social usernames and URLs that fit with your personal brand is extremely important. Don’t forget the power of video. Use video on your website, add it to your YouTube page, show off your brand on Tik Tok, etc. Video gives you a chance to explain your brand’s uniqueness.
Don’t hesitate to promote your accomplishments as they give you credibility. People can’t connect with you if they don’t know where they find you. Having a platform opens the door to more opportunities.
4. Communicate Well and Connect With Others
Every email or post you create and send contributes to your ever evolving brand. When customers ask you questions, or send you a message, how long does it take for you to respond? Develop a strategy for how you communicate to customers and prospects, and be consistent!
Connect with groups or individuals that you have connected with, whether that be from work or school, and find peers in your industry! Your personal brand can be strengthened by your connections. There are groups that exist online and offline that you can be a part of!
5. Never Stop Learning
If you want to be viewed as an expert you must know your industry and remain up-to-date, so that you can make smart points and comments on a regular basis.
You have opportunities to learn in hands-on environments with online courses, colleagues, mentors, conferences (bonus: you meet a ton of people at conferences), continue to research your industry, and attend those offsite work events. Are you taking advantage of these opportunities to keep being among the best in your industry?
If you need to, set up a savings fund for conference tickets, books and other resources that further your education. Some companies even have a budget that they allocate for their employees. Find out if yours does. Showing that you have a desire to stay up-to-date in your industry shows a level of commitment that simply cannot go unnoticed.
Want more? Sign up!