Branding a business is very common, but today it has become important on a personal level as well. Personal branding, is a process of establishing a distinct brand of you as an individual. It is becoming essential because people tend to trust individuals more than companies. Personal branding allows you to build an identity for you through the use of social media.
Personal branding opens a lot of career opportunities, and helps you in getting a better job, building good contacts and clients for your company, provides industry recognition, and much more. If you are looking for a dream job, and have already made a personal branding of you; then the potential boss can match your personal brand with something that he needs in his company.
It can also help you with the sales process in your current company. You are looking for potential clients for your company. Through personal branding, reach out and ask them to get associated with your company’s business. The client may get associated with your company by trusting you as an individual.
How do you brand yourself? Similar to business? Well, Yes. You can do it like a business branding. However, the difference is you don’t need a tag line or an ad campaign for you. You just need to put your skills, talents, achievements, interests, ethos and values altogether into a specific brand that is recognized. In order to build you as a brand, below are the steps that you need to start with:
Your own domain: Start out by taking up a domain on your name, such as, www.yourname.com. You can easily check the availability of the domain on any hosting website. If, you can’t find the same, get a little creative with your name. Choose a simple domain name so that it will be easy for people to remember and search you.
Your own website: A domain is only not enough. You need to fill it with your relevant information. So, build up a website and add your picture, a biodata, your contact details and links to your other social profiles (i.e. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter). This way, people can know you and get in touch with you in their medium of choice.
Define your area of expertise: Think about what you want to be known for. Don’t choose a general field like sales, customer service or human resource. Instead, you identify your strengths, core competencies and area of interest before you develop your personal brand statement. This will help people to know you in a better way and decide on how they can use you in their business.
Start your own blog: Once you decide on your area of expertise, the next step is to build your reputation. Content writing is the best means to build a brand image online. It’s best to start writing your own blogs on a daily basis. So that, if people research anything about the skills or expertise, they require, your name appears in front of them.
Get your social media profile: According to Jayson DeMers, Founder & CEO, AudienceBloom, “If content is the fuel for your personal brand, social media profile is the engine”. Get your social profile on various social websites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Make sure that the social profiles are in line with your personal brand standards.
Develop case studies: Work with your past or present contacts and co-workers to develop case studies. People love to read real stories more than speculation. It will give you an opportunity to determine your expertise while connecting with new people.
Trolling the forums: Select the blogs, forum and articles that are related to your skills and industry and enroll as a member. Start reading these content, post replies, offer ideas, ask questions and interact with other members. The more you indulge yourself on these platforms, the more people know you. Also, post your website link on these forums to ease your availability on search engines.
Networking: The best way to build you as a successful and recognizable brand is networking. Interact with other experts in your field and industry who have many connections, engage with individuals having the same skills as yours, and any other person who can spread the word about your skills. Visit professional networking events, seminars or parties and meet with other experts to build your network.
Simply put, a personal brand is like a building. Once you have the layout and foundation, you’ll be in a good position to achieve better results. However, personal branding can’t be done in a day or two. It’s a time taking process and need your efforts, patience and attention. Transforming yourself from just a simple resume to a brand is something that is unique and delivers superb benefits in the end.
Branding is an integral part of Digital Marketing. For more information, check Shaw Academy’s Digital Marketing online program. To know more about Shaw Academy, read about them on Wikipedia.