Your personal brand is a way of promoting yourself through a combination of skills, personality, and experience. It’s the impression you make that gives off and how you carry yourself at work, the work you accomplish, and it includes your online presence. It’s a way of marketing yourself and your career as a brand to communicate your value and identity to employers or clients. In today’s world, personal brands are essential in beating your competition. It is a way to stand out in a pile of resumes and show a business what an asset you are, potentially before you even meet.
Why you should have one
Personal brands show self-awareness and confidence. They can give you control and power in presenting yourself to your peers and your employers. Curating your work and connections can also help establish yourself as an expert in the field. In addition, taking your personal brand seriously online will increase your exposure, which is highly valued by companies as it can increase their exposure as well. Lastly, sitting down to create your personal brand will have you evaluating where you are now and where you want to be. It can help you establish goals and create a path for execution.
Tips For Creating Your Personal Brand
Figure Yourself Out
Your personal brand needs to accurately portray what you bring to the table. Be reflective. What are your strengths? Weaknesses? Niche? How do you best excel? What are your goals? Consult with coworkers or friends and family. A personal brand is a resume brought to life. Once you nail down the qualities and work you see best aligns with you, it will be easier to ‘brand’ them.
Decide What You Want to Be Known For
Take what you’ve learned and reflected on and choose the qualities you want to be known for. Consider where you are, but don’t be afraid to aspire to be better. When creating your brand, it’s important to know where you’re going and for others to learn this. That way, they can help you find opportunities that will help you get there.
Narrow Your Audience
Who do you want to reach? If you’re looking to be validated as an expert, it could be industry leaders. If you’re looking to switch jobs, it could be recruiters. If you’re looking at freelancing, it could be clients. Narrowing down your audience will help decide what platform or events are best to start in building your brand.
Network
Research and understand where your audience is, both in real life and online. This will help you reach and connect with them. Use LinkedIn and figure out relevant people to talk to. Attend webinars within your industry and ask questions, join Facebook groups, and don’t be afraid to ask professionals for informational interviews. Individuals with more experience than you will be able to give advice and feedback on how they built their own personal brands within your field.
Establish and Grow Your Online Presence
Now more important than ever, grow your online presence. This could mean creating a website, revamping your Linkedin, or creating a business Instagram account. Follow experts, repost articles, and become a thought leader. It’s guaranteed that co-workers, employers, recruiters, and even friends and family will browse your online professional presence. It’s crucial to your personal brand to have this tailored to what you want it to be.
Personal branding takes consistency and a willingness to begin. Over time, your brand online will exemplify your brand in real life. With careful consideration and thought, you will be on your way to having a personal brand in no time, just keep at it and set aside time weekly to devote to it.
