Build your own brand

You are the owner of a personal brand, whether you know it or not. Your personal brand is demonstrated if I searched for you on Google and found nothing about you on the first page of results. Your personal brand also extends to any outdated LinkedIn profile or haphazard social media posts I come across.

A personal brand is often associated with boasting, self-promotion, and self-indulgence. However, it's actually much more significant than that. Your reputation is at stake. To put it another way, it's how other people see you, whether they be your friends, coworkers, or the broader public. It's also what others think of you when they hear your name and what they say about you when you're not around. Whether we like it or not, each and every one of us has a personal brand in our connected world. This is due to the fact that every time we contact with someone, whether in person or virtually (i.e., through posts, uploads, or comments), we are building a narrative about our reputation. Your name is already well-known.

To put it another way, do you want to be the one writing and directing this story? Or would you prefer that algorithms or chance handle it for you? Most people, I believe, would concur that they desire to be in charge. And this implies that in order to maintain control over our brand, we must make some very deliberate decisions. Allow me to guide you through five essential stages for creating a powerful personal brand that you will like.

You must first identify your objective. First, let's address a fundamental query: What do you hope your personal brand will enable you to achieve? Do you need your brand to represent a new skill set because you want to change careers or enter a new industry? Perhaps you want everyone to know about all the incredible things you've done in your career in order to gain a promotion at your current job. Alternatively, you can be starting a new company and want to center your brand around the goods or services you provide. To ensure that you're working toward a precise result, put your goal in writing and make it specific.

The next step is to decide exactly what you want to become well-known for. Stated differently, what professional description do you want people to give you? Respond to the query, "So what do you do?" first. I'm not simply referring to your work title, either. Do you teach social and emotional learning as a focal point? Alternatively, you can be a dependable project manager who consistently completes tasks on schedule. Alternatively, you might be an artist who creates exquisite ceramic pots using organic materials. To make your work more tangible and memorable, you should delve deeper into the what, how, and why of it. Just be careful to avoid creating misunderstanding by starting with something unambiguous. I once tutored someone who identified as a "death midwife," for instance, a term that nobody could comprehend. But suddenly, when she began identifying herself as a grief counselor who assists families in grieving, everyone understood. If you can't think of anything, consider how you can differentiate yourself in your field. What distinguishes you from the others? Have you developed any particular skills or areas of specialization over your career? What area of expertise do you have over others? Make a list when you sit down, and you may be surprised by how much you already know.

Let's now consider the group of people you wish to introduce your personal brand to. In actuality, you are not the focus of your personal brand. It all comes down to the individuals you wish to impart your knowledge, abilities, and value to. The people who can most benefit from your special talents and skills and the objective of your personal brand should be the basis for who you choose to focus on. So give these two questions some thought: Who stands to benefit the most from what you have to offer, and in what specific way do you envision yourself being of assistance to them? This is where everything begins to fit together.

Together, we will distill all of your responses into a mission statement that encapsulates your identity, goals, purpose, and the positive impact you can have on people's lives. Consider the teacher as an example. "My name is Alma, and I work as a social and emotional learning specialist in the third grade. In order to help students flourish and have a positive impact on a more compassionate society, I work with them to educate them how to cultivate empathy and compassion." Take the project manager, please. "My name is Jennifer and I work for a sustainable fashion firm as a project manager. I create, coordinate, and oversee creative marketing programs that engage consumers and foster brand loyalty with teams from many departments." Based on where you are in your career, your mission statement will look very different. However you want to define your objective, put it in writing and post it somewhere visible. You can use it to guide your decisions about what to say about yourself to the communities you wish to share it with and how to introduce yourself to new people.

Together, let's begin establishing your internet presence. You should consider creating a personal website and social media accounts as your primary personal branding assets. A personal website gives you complete control over your online reputation, which is why it's so crucial. Compared to a CV or LinkedIn page, it provides the greatest flexibility for communicating your brand and worth to others in a far more profound way. People want to work with people they know, like, and trust. Your personal website gives you the chance to tell more about your profession and life story, as well as more about your personality through images. In turn, this will set you apart from competitors in your field. Sharing your personal brand with the people you want to interact with through social media is another fantastic idea.

I would advise against using every platform, though. Select one that fits both your objectives and the areas where the majority of your audience is active. Instagram is a fantastic platform for artists and creatives. LinkedIn is the place to be if you work in a more corporate setting. When you post, make sure to assist other people. Post thought-provoking articles that are pertinent to your field, like or comment on posts made by others you follow, and share thoughts or ideas that can help colleagues. The secret is to always interact in a way that benefits other people and strengthens your personal brand. I understand that all of this may seem a little daunting, but try to view the branding process as a chance for personal development.

This is your opportunity to delve further into your true self and your desired future self. Consequently, this will provide you the insight you require to determine how you may have the biggest influence on the globe.