Build Your Personal Brand. Just Do It!

Having a well defined personal brand is important, no matter where you are in your career. It’s something you have complete control over, and will differentiate you from the rest of those in your space. It’s your story, and only you have the experience to tell it.

Having excellent branding isn’t just for companies; it’s for you, too.

What Is A Personal Brand?

“Personal branding” is a term thrown around a lot on sites like Linkedin. But, what does it really mean?

You are your own company, your own brand. You have a unique set of values and skills that define you, and advertise what you have to offer. By sharing your story across platforms like a blog, or social media, you show potential partnerships, clients, and employers what it is you bring to the table. The more effectively you’re able to translate who are you, the more successful you’ll be.

When you establish your personal brand, you carve out a well suited space for yourself.

How To Build Your Personal Brand

You want to create a personal brand that will not only attract a specific targeted audience, but will be a standout against your competition. It might sound easy enough, and it can be.

With your branding, your goal is to establish authority in your space. And trust. To do that, consider the following information on creating your personal brand:

Who are you?

Grab a pen and notebook, or open a fresh document. Create a list of your skills and experiences. What are your likes and dislikes? What type of work ignites your flame, and what snuffs it out. How would others describe you? Lastly, what type of work do you want to focus on? All this information can be formatted into a well thought out bio you can use on your social profiles and your websites About page.

What do you want to be known for?

It’s human nature to want to be acknowledged and appreciated. What is it that you want to be acknowledged and appreciated for, both in work and in life? What vision do you have for yourself and your personal brand?

Who are you going after/your audience?

Do you have an idea of which industry you’re best suited for? Or, if you’re going after contract/freelance work, who are you targeting? Are you trying to get noticed by recruiters? CEO’s? Thought leaders? Once you have that piece nailed down, you’ll find it’s easier to create how you’ll need to tell your story.

Who is already doing well in a similar space?

Brands need to do competitive analysis, and your personal brand is no different. Find out who your competition is, and what it is that they’re doing.

Also, lean on those considered to be industry experts. Connect with them, learn from what they are doing because many are always teaching how they’ve achieved success.

Network

At the end of the day, a lot of your career opportunities will come from your network. Which means, you must build one. Both online and in person. Linkedin is a great place to network, as are local in person networking events. Make sure to have business cards ready to hand out. You can get some made that are moderately priced through sites like Moo cards or Vistaprint.

Make arrangements to meet people for coffee, or schedule phone calls. Stats show that over 85% of jobs come through someone met due to networking.

Be online

In today’s internet climate, if you’re not online already, you’ve missed a lot of opportunities. Have profiles on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook. Anywhere your industry is, you need to be. And, not just have a stagnant account, you will need to take a little time, every single day, and work it. Share relevant 3rd party content, as well as your own. Tag people in your posts. And make sure to strike up conversations in the comment sections.

Word of advice: have a personal website with an About Us/Me page, Services/Resume, and an email capture or a way to be contacted.

Revisit and refine as you grow

Over time, you’ll add new skills and experiences. Make sure to keep all your information up to date.

Nurture your personal brand, and watch as opportunities grow!