Whether you are an entrepreneur or corporate queen, taking time to build your personal brand is crucial to growing your career in today’s marketplace. You may think your reputation is enough to get your foot in the door, and in some cases it is, however alongside your reputation is another “r” word we like to call: Reach. And in order to build a strong brand you’ll need both.
Here are a few simple ways you can start, restart or refresh your personal branding endeavors:
Find and fuel your purpose.
Understanding your talents and values is one thing but taking the time to unpack your “why” is a whole other necessity to building a powerful personal brand. Discovering your purpose can be an incredibly daunting task so we recommend researching your options, and lean into the expertise of professionals who can help you align your purpose with your goals and talents. Your purpose is ever evolving so there’s no worries if you haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly what it is. Consider it a part of your journey, your North Star, to which you’ll drive towards forever.
Define your brand identity.
Similar to how advertisers approach brand marketing, your personal brand should have an identity that is recognizable and tied to you. This can be anything from the signs, symbols and language you use, to the colors you attribute to your brand that distinguish you from another. Hubspot has a free how-to guide to branding to help you get started.
Become the master storyteller of you.
Storytelling creates a memory that can outlive your career. It’s what we use to illustrate our talents, skills and experience in an authentic way. This is especially needed as your reputation and reputation grow. To leave a lasting impression on your audience, choose your word carefully and don’t be afraid to summon a metaphor or two to give some added color to who you are and what you’re about. Telling your story, what shapes you, your talents and values all play a role in securing new opportunity.
Consistency is key.
Identifying and sharing your personal brand takes courage. When you’re finally ready to begin sharing yourself as an expert within your particular marketplace, success will lie within how consistent you are. Avoid the distractions by setting daily, weekly and monthly branding goals that will help you get out there and receive the right kind of visibility that’s consistent with your talents, values and purpose.
Protect your brand.
When you think about successful personal brands, what names come to mind? For us it’s Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Beyonce and the list goes on and on. To be a success means to understand your brand value and worth, then take steps to protect it from any unnecessary reputational risk. That means, assessing new ventures, relationships and platforms where your brand could be negatively scrutinized. This aspect of your personal brand building can be tough but what comes with knowing your boundaries is a sense of peace in that you are walking boldly towards your North Star and not allowing any external factors take advantage of the brand you’ve built. Sure, Rome was not built in a night but one wrong move could crumble your hard work.
There are so many other ways to create a powerful brand. Our recommendation is to do your research, take your time and be courageous about sharing who you are, your work and broader purpose with the world. Besides, there’s only one YOU so leverage it!
