This guide outlines what a personal brand is and the keys to creating a personal brand with longevity.
Out of nowhere COVID-19 has hit and it’s hit hard. The silver lining to something like this, is that you have the chance to reflect on what you need to do to make it in the online world. The digital world is getting noisier and noisier, which means it’s more important for you to find a way to stand out from the crowd. It’s also crucial that you create something around you that’s going to last. This is where your personal brand comes in, and now is the best time to start building it.
Before we talk about creating a personal brand, let us remind you what personal branding is. Basically, it is nothing more than a process of development and strategic management of a personal brand, which involves factors such as self-knowledge, skills, identity, reputation and marketing strategies.
The personal brand is the set of attributes and attitudes that characterize you as an individual. In other words, your personal brand is your essence, what makes you unique as a human being and what sets you apart from others.
According to Mebster (2016) there are three dimensions of the personal brand:
Invisible Dimension: It is the inner part that is made up of the foundational aspects of your identity, but also of your skills, values and knowledge, including also the spiritual part.
Visible Dimension: This is observable and consists of the aesthetic aspects associated with the brand. From his clothing and style, to his physiognomy, the way he expresses himself. Everything counts here, from the haircut to the accessories you wear! And if makeup is important, behavioral and etiquette aspects are also taken into account.
Network Dimension: Bearing in mind that the Personal Brand needs other people to interact with, this sphere encompasses the associations it creates and the way others assess its identity. So, everything counts here! From the type of work you do, the type of colleagues you have or even the restaurants you frequent!
It is essential to realize when creating a personal brand that all of these associations provide information about you. Houston University Professor Brené Brown in the book “The Gifts of Imperfection” says that: “Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we should be and assuming who we are.”
Following this perspective, being authentic is being true to yourself in creating a personal brand, taking the risk of showing yourself to the world as you really are and not as you think you should be! Thus, an authentic personal brand is one that results from the search for your identity and purpose in life. S er a real person has to do with self – knowledge, clarity, acceptance of their way of life, living in peace with it.
It is worth remembering that the foundation of creating a personal brand is authenticity. This means that it must be developed around your life purpose, and must reflect your true character, your dreams, your uniqueness and passions. An authentic brand, rather than being based on an image created and polished to look like what it is not, is based on individual essence and truth.
Creating a personal brand that lasts
A robust personal brand will see you through the tough times in business. The good news is that it’s not hard to build one. It takes bravery and consistency to show up as yourself. All you need to do is follow the following steps and you’ll create a powerful safety net for you and your business.
Step 1. Get brave
Everything that you build online is about helping people to get to know you. A solid personal brand is something that enables people to get to know you before they even come into contact with you. To do this, you are going to need to show your face. Creating a personal brand means you are going to need to share your stories and your experiences. You need to let people in.
Many people fear that they’re not qualified enough yet or that they don’t know enough. They allow their mindset to get in the way. Focus on your strengths and the experience that you do have.
2. Know your audience
I know you likely want to help everyone and let’s be honest, you probably can. Your brand and marketing is going to have less power if try to do this, though. The more you hone your audience when creating a personal brand, the faster they will respond to you.
Start with thinking of who you want to work with. What are their problems? What are their troubles and stressors? What are their goals, dreams and desires? You need to know your audience intimately if you want them to feel like you understand them.
3. The power of positioning
Positioning is the art of creating the perception and reputation that you are an expert in your industry. You need to work on this when creating a personal brand if you want your brand to be sustainable. To do this, you need to create content. You need to write blogs, write articles, film videos and write posts online, that share your knowledge and your opinions about things in your industry. You could even write a book if you wanted.
For instance, if you’re a publisher, you can help your audience understand the stages that are necessary for writing a book, from concept to sales. Think of the four main stages that are necessary for someone to work through and start sharing what they are.
4. Choose your platforms
Many make the mistake of trying to be on platforms, all the time. This can be exhausting when creating a personal brand. Instead, choose two main platforms that you can commit to being present on daily. Know which ones your audience are most likely to be on and choose those.
For instance, if you are a graphic designer for solo business owners, you would choose Facebook and Instagram. If you’re an accountant, you’d choose LinkedIn and Facebook. Note: Facebook is a must with more than 2.4 billion active monthly users on the platform. Your audience are on there. Choose the other platform based on where your audience is most likely to be.
5. Be you
Because the online world is so noisy, people are very quick to detect any BS, in particular, they are highly attuned to when someone is being inauthentic and trying to be someone they’re not.
Use your personality to your advantage when creating a personal brand. If you are chatty, be chatty online with your content and your audience. If you’re more serious, take heart that you can be this way online and know that your audience will love you for that.
Conclusion
A well cultivated personal brand will withstand the tests of time. Most of all, you just need to be brave enough to be you from the onset and be consistent with what you put out there.
