What is a personal brand?
An individual’s personal brand determines how they are perceived by the public. The purpose of personal branding is to build your reputation, to create an image of yourself for the outside world, and to market yourself as an individual. In essence, your personal brand is the story that’s told about you when you’re not around.
By creating a personal brand intentionally, you can tell your story as you want it to be told, establishing yourself as a leader in your field.
Have you Googled yourself?
Wouldn’t it be cool to Google yourself and to see search results that reflect what you want to be known for?
Try it out and see what search results come up. Are you listed in the results, or is it someone else with a similar name? What social media accounts are listed? What photos do you see?
Our top tips to grow your personal brand:
1. Know what you want to be known for
You need to know who you are and what you want to be known for to build up your personal brand. Who or what motivates and inspires you? What are your strengths? What do you enjoy doing and what have others praised about you?
Developing your personal brand is an ever-evolving project. It will change as you develop your career, but ensure your overall theme remains consistent. There is more to your personal brand than what you are now. As you progress, you can use it as a roadmap for people to follow.
2. Follow and interact with experts in your field
If you know what you want to be known for, identify the experts within that specific field and follow what they do, what they share with others, what type of conversations they are having, and then do the same, but in a way that makes you stand out.
Whenever you have a chance to speak with an expert within the field in which you wish to be recognized, ask them questions. Ask them how they got started? What was the journey like for them? How do they see things changing within the field? As you converse with these people, you’ll notice your own ideas begin to flow, ideas that you can put into practice.
3. Choose the right platform to build your personal brand on
Determine who you are trying to reach or who you are trying to attract. Each platform was designed with a different purpose, so you should research where you might find your ideal audience and establish your personal brand there.
Your story should be the same across all platforms but focus on the platform where the majority of your target audience is.
If Google is your go-to platform, create a website that showcases your brand and that provides value and actionable content that you can share across your social media platforms.
4. Continue to network and build a community
Grow your professional circle by networking regularly and connect with others in your industry. The more connections you have, the more value you can add when interacting with their content, which will boost your profile’s reach and help develop your brand.
The creation of a community of like-minded people is another great way to develop your personal brand. These are people who will talk to one another, engage in conversation, and help one another.
Whenever you post or interact with your network, make sure it’s valuable. It should be insightful, engaging, and help to make a difference in their lives.
5. Your personal brand is more than your online presence
In addition to Google and social media platforms, your personal brand is visible at home, during your commute, and when you’re in the workplace.
What you want to be known for comes from how you behave, how you act, and how you interact with people in your everyday life.
Ready to grow your personal brand?
Feel free to message me on Whatsapp or Email me to chat about this. It’s always great connecting with like-minded individuals who are willing to put in the work to grow themselves and their brand.👋
