Personal branding is much more than just creating a catchy slogan and slapping it on a tote bag, the article The Ultimate Guide To Personal Branding To Win will help put it into perspective too. It’s about building an image that people can trust and turning that image into something transformative. It’s about being innovative and evolving with the times. If you’re looking to create a personal brand that stands out from the rest, keep these tips in mind.
Personal branding is the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a larger impact.[1]
The process of personal branding involves finding your uniqueness, building a reputation on the things you want to be known for, and then allowing yourself to be known for them. Ultimately, the goal is to create something that conveys a message and that can be monetized.[2] Wikipedia
From experience of over 10 years in personal branding I have realised that defining your personal brand, whilst it may be there and have been there all the time, it is necessary to focus your efforts to achieve what you wish in your professional life. It also helps you in your private life too as it repels people who you do not wish to be around. Although these are some benefits, you can also get it totally wrong and it can damage your career and in fact your life and the corporation your work for. So take your time and begin by creating a vision for your life. Your personal brand must support that vision.
If you do not have a plan for your life or a vision then I recommend you read this article: Ultimate Guide To Goal Setting To Ensure 100 % Success. It certainly is ok to put your life goals together after your personal brand although that will mean you may need to adjust it later on to be more in line with those goals.
In my own life positioning myself has made a massive difference to my success and in fact, to my life, it has become far more rewarding as I have managed to focus on the things that I love to do the most and get paid for them, like writing this blog and recording a podcast.
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Your personal appearance and personal opinion should support the authentic you
Before we dig deeper into this important topic I would like to clear up any myths around your personal appearance, your personal opinion and your personal life are all connected to your brand, although they don’t have to be and how your personal life affects your personal relationships and your personal freedom is another story…and one that takes careful thought and planning. Especially around how to show off a person’s body and also their personal assets like cars and other personal possessions.
Let me be clear my personal opinion of building out your image without having a clear focus for a particular person is a bad idea, it can certainly damage your personal relationships if you aren’t authentic too.
You must be very careful that any personal remark you make is within that brand. So always air on the side of caution when stating your personal opinion, when showing off personal relationships and in fact associating with any particular person that may not be able to support your growth.
Personal relationships and personal contact don’t have to be part of your visible self. Like I said act on the side of caution, especially with personal appearances that may not be supportive of your personal assets.
What is your personal branding?
Your personal branding is what you want it to be. What do you want to be known for? What is your message? What can you offer the world and how does it make a change in people’s lives? These are all questions to ask yourself before you build your personal brand.
Having a purpose certainly helps when building your personal brand. Passion is a must because you’ve got to be able to sell yourself and your purpose. What makes you unique? What can you do better than anyone else? What skills and knowledge do you possess that other people don’t have and what should they know about?
Personal branding is important because it gives the first impression, shapes the way people think of you, influences their opinions, and ultimately affects how they treat you. It sets the tone for future interactions, allows for opportunities to arise that might not otherwise appear, and also shows others who you are as an individual person (rather than as part of a company or team). If done correctly everyone wants to work with someone that others respect.
How do You Personally Brand Yourself?
The most effective personal brands have all been absolutely authentic. Without authenticity personal branding is just a joke. Yes, a joke! How can you build a brand that is not real! 100% real! What you put out there is what you get back. If you’re not yourself then how could it be personal? How can someone else understand you and connect with that brand if it’s not real?
Of course being professional, marketable, and influential are all things to consider when developing your personal brand but they have to come from a place of truth.
What is the truth about who you are as an individual person? What value do you bring? What kind of change would people see in their lives if they could work with or learn from you? What can’t other people offer that only you can give them? These questions may seem rhetorical but knowing the answers will help guide and define your personal brand development.
What skill sets should I showcase? This is another question to ask yourself and should I have a personal website? How will I craft personal messages when people contact me?
Personal branding examples
There are examples of personal branding everywhere – from Oprah Winfrey to Obama, to ‘that girl’ who started the viral video with “one weird trick”. Here are some examples:
– Oprah Winfrey is regarded as one of the most influential women in America today. Over time, she has become more than just a TV host and actress and evolved into a highly profitable media mogul. What makes her brand so powerful is that she was able to take her show from local network affiliate to national syndication overnight by weaving stories about ordinary people’s lives and being her authentic self, showing up as an example of a powerful woman and paying it forward.
– Nelson Mandella was also a powerful personal brand, he came out of prison and became a hugely powerful leader for oppression and fighting apartait. There was so much that he did in his life and his caring nature and authenticity shined through massively.
– In every industry there are many examples of personal brands that are exceptional, these people just keep showing up, they show up no matter what and they stay one step ahead of the market, the current affairs and industry affairs. There are also others who have huge influence although they may not be as visible they can still carry huge weight.
What is an example of personal branding?
What does it mean to be a personal brand yourself?
Firstly as I will mention in this article in more detail, it doesn’t matter what industry you are in if you stop and take a look around you there are personal brands that stand out from the crowd everywhere. These people have acted as their own press agencies and their own brands have managed to stand out so people take notice of them.
What are examples of personal brands? What can you gain from a personal brand?
– Obama’s entire 2008 presidential campaign was designed around the idea that, at its core, he is just a very regular guy. The purpose was not to show him as being better than other people but rather just to convey the message that everyone has redeeming value and potential. Many of his speeches were about giving people hope and making them believe they could be part of something greater than themselves.
What are the types of personal branding?
What are the characteristics of personal branding? What makes a person’s brand successful or unsuccessful? What benefits can you get from building your own personal brands? What does it take to build your personal brand successfully?
How do you create a personal brand?
Creating a personal brand is not immediate, it is something that is built over time and incorporates authenticity, and historically you inherit your brand based upon your past actions and it is a legacy that you leave the world.
What are some steps that you can take to begin the process of creating a personal brand for yourself?
Firstly work out how to explain what you actually do in words that other people understand. Being able to articulate your unique value proposition is essential, as well as understanding who your target market is. What are their struggles and aspirations? What do they want that only you can provide?
From here you need to start crafting your personal story, what makes you special and why should people care? What are the defining moments of your life that give something unique to the world?
As a part of your wording and how to explain who you are and why you are epic I would recommend covering these elements:
What do you do?
What gives you authority and credibility?
Why are you different and or better than anyone else?
In addition, it is also good to have a few keywords that sum up your personality and values system, these are only really used to brief an agency or a content writer or photographer for your tone of voice.
Once you have your wording in place I would then recommend finding a great photographer who can highlight your best side. What you have now created is the foundation for your CV or Resume and of course your personal website too.
is your personal style? What do people compliment you on the most? What are some of your favourite things to do?
After that, you want to start developing a social media presence. What platforms suit you and your personality type best? What type of content will you share on these channels and how often will you post?
You also may decide that you want to have a personal website which is a great idea to showcase who you are and to begin generating some traffic.
We have many blogs here about personal branding I would recommend you took a look around and used the search bar to learn more and then if you decide you would like some help please let us know.