Whether we are aware or not you have a personal brand. It is formed from how you are perceived and your reputation. It can and does influence others on your ability and capability, even before they have met you. Do you know what your personal brand is and should you even care?
In the business world company brands are hugely important. Corporates invest enormous amounts of time effort and money enhancing the way customers perceive them. Strong brands like Apple, Amazon, Coca-Cola and Google are easily distinguishable and a huge benefit is that customers willingly pay extra for their products and services. A good example of this was when Mark Zukerburg was offered $1 billion dollars for the Facebook brand in 2006. At the time, the company was only 2 years old and was not profitable. It is the same for people. Individuals with a good strong personal brand are more desirable and can command more pay in the workplace.
I’ve been fascinated with personal branding since first learning about it at university back in the 1990’s. It is the art of defining and promoting your unique identity to distinguish yourself. Your personal brand reflects who you truly are, should align with your values, skills, and goals and be authentic. It reflects your unique qualities, expertise, personality and is made up from what you do and who you are.
What You Do
The tangible parts of form a huge portion of your personal brand and identity. Think about your appearance, how you choose to dress, where you choose to work, where you shop, the work you have completed evidencing your skills, your online presence, who you have in your friendship group, who you choose to connect and network with. These are all outward signs to others demonstrating who you are.
Who You Are
The intangible parts of your personal brand are aspects that influence how others perceive you. This includes your reputation, the level of confidence people have in you, how genuine or authentic you are, how consistent you are with your messaging and behaviour, how you communicate and how influential you are.
Developing a strong personal brand communicates a clear message to your audience, establishes credibility and distinguishes you in your field. It should be adaptable and evolve as you grow personally and professionally.
In today’s society we are surrounded by many notable examples of where a strong personal brand is beneficial, these include:
Social Media Influences – Personal branding defines their niche, audience and partnerships and is at the core of their success. They have a distinct identity that resonates with followers and attracts brand collaborators.
Workplace Leaders – I am sure most of us have seen leaders in the workplace who we would love to work with. These are the ones with a great personal brand. They convey their leadership style, values and vision to build culture and foster confidence to attract talent.
Public Speakers – With a strong personal brand public speakers establish authority to attract speaking engagements and engage with their audience on their expertise and message. A great example of this is Ricky Gervais, who’s personal brand has seen him hosting the golden globes no less than five times, leaving celebrities squirming in their seats with his pointed jokes.
Although there is no secret recipe to understanding and creating your own personal brand, consistency is key and therefore it is helpful to regularly take a pause to reflect on this. I often do this and ask myself; What outward perception am I giving to others on a day-to-day basis? Am I being true to myself? Does that action adhere to my personal values and goals?
Have you considered what your personal brand is? Do you take time out to actively work on this? Have you got any great hints and tips on personal branding you could share? Please join in the conversation by commenting below.
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