The How and Why of Building a Personal Brand

Brands are created to connect with a target audience through storytelling. Corporate brands strive to relate to their audience’s values and what they stand for, illustrating what makes them stand out from their competition. This helps an audience connect to the brand, which increases sales and customer loyalty. But you don’t have to be a huge corporation to make branding work. You can essentially take the same steps with your personal brand.

A personal brand aims to tell your story in a unique way that showcases your talents, your values, and your ideals. An effective brand shows who you are and what’s important to you, which can set you apart in an increasingly competitive world. If you’re looking for a new opportunity or to simply increase your marketability in your industry, a personal brand may be what’s missing.

Why Do You Need A Personal Brand?

It can be tough to talk or write about yourself in a way that properly highlights what you have to offer. However, success in your professional life comes from your ability to sell yourself effectively. If you find that you have trouble talking about yourself during a job interview, when meeting with supervisors, or during conferences with clients, you could be selling yourself short. It’s common to get nervous during conversations like these – of course no one wants to come across as full of themselves or too eager. But there is a right way to show off what makes you special. A personal brand can help you accomplish this.

When you’re looking to take the next step in your career, you can be sure that you’ll encounter competition along the way. Branding will help you build credibility in your industry and can make you a well-known name in your field.

6 Tips For Developing Your Personal Brand

The process of creating a personal brand may feel a little intimidating, and it can be tough to know where to start. Luckily, branding can be broken down into a step-by-step process that can help you get where you need to be. You can use social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to connect with like-minded people, share your ideas, and build your network. It can also help to have a personal website where you can blog your ideas to build your credibility even more. Digital spaces are great places to make connections that could help you reach your goals.

However, there’s more to building a personal brand than simply creating social media profiles and a website. Here are a few tips to help you develop your personal brand:

1. Define what you want

Start by thinking about what your end goal is. Defining what you want in specific and actionable terms can help you keep track of your progress and know when you’ve reached your goals. And when you know what you want, you can more easily connect with the right audience and the right network.

2. Think about what sets you apart

What makes you different from your competition? Keep in mind not only your hard skills, but your soft skills. Are you a great communicator? Do you value your skills as a leader? Are you particularly proud of your creativity?

3. Keep it real

Being authentic, transparent, and trustworthy in your communications is an absolutely essential part of having an effective brand. If people see what you say as authentic, they’re more likely to connect with you and trust you. Authenticity is appreciated as a value, because people find it easier to relate to someone who seems like a real person. Personal branding isn’t about turning yourself into someone you’re not. It’s about accentuating your own story and skills and making them work for you.

4. Back it up

No matter what you say about yourself, if you can’t back it up, it’s meaningless. If you say that you’re a great communicator, back it up with stellar content, give talks virtually or in person, and get back to those who reach out to you promptly. If you say something about yourself that you can’t prove, people will see right through your act.

5. Tell your story

No one has a story exactly like yours. It’s one thing that can set your personal brand apart from others. And you can work your own story into your elevator pitch – a short narrative that you can use when introducing yourself to others.

6. Live by your words

In order to make your personal brand work for you, you have to live it inside and out. Do what you say you will, follow through, and remember the values that you hold close. This can boost your authenticity, and people can see that you’re for real.

When it comes down to it, your personal brand should reflect your personality, your values, and be true to who you are. Selling yourself can be scary, but when you’re authentic and focus on what you can bring to the table, you’ll be able to start on the path towards reaching your goals!