In the world of personal branding, each of us becomes the architect of our image and the story we share with those around us. In today’s digital age, where the world is shifting towards individuality and authenticity, personal branding becomes a crucial component of success, both in professional and personal life.
But why should we dedicate time and attention to developing our personal brand? Think of personal branding as a bridge between your authenticity and the world around you. It is the process of defining and expressing what makes you unique while creating a connection with your target audience. Whether you are an entrepreneur, professional, artist, or simply an individual looking to make a lasting impression, personal branding is a key element that shapes how others perceive you.
In this blog, we unveil the world of personal branding, why it is important, how to successfully embark on creating a strong personal brand, and much more. Connect with your uniqueness and discover how to radiate brilliance with your personal brand in a world that increasingly values what makes us special.
What is Personal Branding?
Personal branding is the conscious and deliberate process of shaping and promoting an individual’s unique identity to create a positive impression and recognition among the target audience. This concept encompasses a combination of personal values, skills, experiences, and authenticity, building a coherent narrative that reflects the person’s character and professional potential.
However, this is a definition that many tend to forget when discussing or engaging with this topic. Most people somehow transform into a product and believe that the same rules applied to building the brand of a famous perfume can be applied to them. This cannot be a good strategy, which is why in this blog, we offer a different approach to personal branding.
What is a Personal Brand?
First, let’s dispel any doubts and define what a personal brand IS NOT. It is not a color palette, a logo, how you speak, or how you dress. While all these elements play a crucial role in personal branding and can contribute to its development, at the end of the day, a personal brand is more about reputation than anything else.
It is essential to understand how people feel and what they think about us. That’s what personal branding is all about. Hence, it is personal because it represents who an individual is – values, life philosophy, business philosophy, and much more. It is an authentic portrayal of YOU, explaining what makes you unique and how you stand out from others.
What are the Benefits of a Strong Personal Brand, and Why is it Important?
A personal brand is like your superpower. Throughout history, those who built a strong reputation had more opportunities for higher social status, luxury, and better social connections. While this dynamic is not drastically different today, a strong personal brand brings additional advantages, such as optimal positioning in the industry, collaboration opportunities with the right clients, monetization of personal brand, and more.
To emphasize the importance of a personal brand, consider this: when you have a strong personal brand, what you gain based on that is not the only crucial factor. Moreover, a personal brand can help the right people (those who need your service) find you. It can also assist close friends, the community, and colleagues.
Concrete Steps to Build Your Personal Brand
Step 1: Your Life Story
Dedicate some time to exploring the ups and downs, life lessons, and challenges that have shaped the person you are today. It is your responsibility to find key moments and start sharing them with the audience in a way that will change their perspective and inspire them to take action.
During the research and self-reflection process, consider the following:
- Your origin story, including family and family history,
- Trigger events or what led you to take specific actions,
- Mentors you’ve collaborated with throughout your life, as their knowledge has shaped you,
- Community – acknowledge those who have been by your side,
- Friends, allies, those you agree with, and even those you disagree with and why,
- What defines and sets you apart, such as certain phrases, sayings, your wardrobe, and unique details?
Step 2: Your Values
Most of us have a set of core values that we follow. These values may have been instilled by parents or developed through experiences and mistakes. It could be honesty, respect, individualism, or freedom. Knowing and communicating your values through words, actions, and content allows like-minded individuals to find you. Your values send a message.
Your values are a valuable part of developing your brand that can be explained in two words. It is a clear representation of who you are and what you do. When choosing words, ensure that the combination is unique to you. If they describe a general area or can apply to anyone, it is not a personal brand.
Here’s a little help: start by creating a list of 50 words that can describe you. Then, have fun combining them. By creating your unique combination, you position yourself as a leader, and leaders stand out.
Step 3: Your Gift
What you do best with the least effort represents your gift—what you are on this planet for. What you offer to the world must be part of your personal brand. Your gift is a natural talent, although you will need to work on perfecting it. However, this comes more naturally than anything else.
For example, David Ogilvy, the renowned advertiser, built his brand and reputation through his gift for words. Although he did other jobs such as cooking and farming, thanks to copywriting, he broke into the advertising world and created one of the most respected names in the industry.
Your gift could be design, singing, storytelling, cooking, fixing old cars, beautifying women with makeup, or something entirely different. Once you identify your talent, you have to share what you excel at with people in a way that can be beneficial to them.
Step 4: Attention
To gain a reputation, or build a personal brand, people must know about you. As attention is mostly digital today, it is crucial to present yourself on social media. This is the easiest way to reach your target audience, so here are a few tips on how to best present yourself online:
- Professional Photos – Show people who you are and remain in their memory as a professionally pleasant person.
- Optimize Your Slogan – Craft a sentence or two explaining what you do, including the “two-word brand” explanation we mentioned earlier.
- Choose Themes – Decide on three main pillars or topics to cover on your social media.
- Platform Focus – Initially, focus is vital, so don’t spread yourself too thin. If you understand and love Instagram (study its algorithm), and your target audience is there, then be the best on this platform. Choose different formats—carousels, reel videos, photos, sound…
- Be Creative – The essence of building a personal brand on social media is stepping out of your comfort zone. Therefore, do something different from what you’ve done before. Study what others in the industry are doing and draw inspiration from them, but do not copy.
Remember These Key Points About Personal Branding
Three crucial aspects will further assist you in building a strong personal brand. The first is consistency. It does not mean that if you use different colors or occasionally include other topics in your content – beyond the main ones – you are inconsistent. Consistency is more about consistently appearing and expressing authenticity.
Speaking of authenticity, it is the key when it comes to personal branding. If you try to be like others and imitate them, your target audience won’t see anything that sets you apart from the competition.
Lastly, what impression do you want to leave about yourself? You are not building a personal brand for yourself but to introduce yourself to others. Therefore, it is crucial to think about this and let it be the topic we leave you with at the end of the blog, encouraging you to thoroughly and thoughtfully contemplate it.
