Your personal brand communicates how well people can rely on you and how you will deliver. It exudes what you stand for, what you excel at and what you have to offer. While your brand is shaped by other people’s perception, you are responsible for effectively and consistently communicating your values.
Here’s 5 Ways to Jumpstart Your Personal Brand:
1. Be Yourself
The most valuable part of your personal brand is you. No one else can fill that role. Don’t pretend to be what you’re not. There’s a reason people are drawn to you and what you have to offer. Your story and experiences shape you and the brand that people will fall in love with. Find out what engages your audience and hone those skills.
- Can you clearly express your values and skills?
- Are you confident in expressing your views and opinions?
- Do you have a clear idea of your professional goals?
[Tweet “It’s not a personal brand unless it’s personal to who you are.”]
So much of building a successful brand relies on you understanding yourself. This is why purpose and branding are in complete alignment. If you don’t know who you are through your purpose, you can’t create a brand that is authentic.
When you first start to build your brand, you’ll most likely seek inspiration from other blogs, websites, and social media accounts. While it’s okay it’s okay to be inspired, make sure you’re not imitating anyone. Pick out parts that inspire you from multiple people and brands and add your own twist and personality to it.
2. Appearance and presentation matters
As you start building your reputation, 100% of the time people are going to see a visual representation of your brand before they read or listen to anything you have to say. That first impression matters.
Imagine your favorite food. Now imagine being handed that food on a paper plate at lukewarm temperature. Imagine your favorite food again. Now imagine your food at just the right temperature served to you on a silver platter. How do you want your meal presented to you? Whether we want to admit it or not, appearance and presentation play a large role in our decision making. You are judged on appearance so be sure you present your best and most appropriate self. Plus – regardless of your audience, you deserve to be the best version of yourself! Be powerful in your self-presentation. This includes in person AND online.
What is the first impression that you make with your overall appearance?
- Are you and/or your presentation put together?
- It it consistent?
- Does it reflect your personality?
- Is it sloppy in any aspect?
- Is there a way it could be more polished?
[Tweet “A message is best received with a polished presentation.”]
3. Know your target audience
This is one of the first things I get clear on when working with my students or clients. For some reason it’s the hardest for them to answer. The worst answer you can give is, “everybody is my target audience.” Just like in your personal life you can’t please everyone, you can’t (nor should you attempt to) in your business. Defining a target audience doesn’t mean you’re limiting the amount of people who you can serve, it’s finding the people who are willing to hear or buy what you have to offer.
Knowing your audience ensures you’re only sharing content and offering products that’s relevant to them, which builds trust and credibility in your brand. Understanding who they are means understanding what they desire which means understanding what they will buy from you.
[Tweet “A niche audience doesn’t mean your options are limited, it means they’re targeted.”]
4. Stay on top of social technology
Social media platforms have arguably changed the game regarding personal branding. They give strangers a chance to see the information you provide that may turn them into long-term clients, customers or readers. There’s been plenty times that people I’ve never met before say they look up to me, simply based off of what they see on my social media. It’s a reminder that you never know who is watching you and looking up to you. When managing your social accounts, you want to be sure the information you share portrays you in a positive light. Keep your information engaging, interesting and up-to-date. Follow the trends, share your values, and find out new and upcoming social media sites that you can utilize. Catching onto the next big social site can speak a lot about your personal brand. It tells people that you’re constantly on top of your game.
>>> Read: 3 Reasons Periscope is the BEST Platform To Build Your Personal Brand <<<
>>> Read: 3 Ways To Boost Your Social Media Popularity <<<
5. Remember: It’s not all about digital
While utilizing your social media properly is an important part of personal branding, it’s important to remember that it’s not the only facet of building a personal brand. What’s more personal than being face-to-face? Attend relevant networking events, become a guest speaker, or host a mixer. Being a great public speaker is important to your personal brand and quickly positions you as an authority figure. You build trust when people can literally see you discuss your expertise, instead of simply sharing content online. Use your influence from in person connections to draw people to your online content.
>>> Read: How To Introduce Yourself At A Networking Event <<<
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