Who needs a personal brand?
As a small business owner, it’s very often the case that YOU are the brand. Your reputation, appearance, personality and history contribute as much to your business and credibility as the perceived value of your product or service does.
Entrepreneurs, executives and individuals can also benefit from branding, by consciously identifying and communicating their uniqueness to others. Sure, we’re almost always communicating it – but are we doing it consciously?
Are you making choices at all times that are in alignment with the highest vision of Who You Intend to Be? Or do you get lost in the moment, flipping off the school bus driver or getting drunk at the Christmas party?
What is personal branding?
Building a brand for ourselves is about establishing, communicating and being an authentic version of ourselves, our highest vision for ourselves. It’s about striving to be, on a daily basis, the way we are on our best day. In the words of my dear friend, Mike, it’s "trying to be more Christlike," in whatever ways we understand that to mean.
Local personal branding
On a local level, getting involved in your community is an ideal way to communicate your personal brand. Do you volunteer at the Humane Society, run for the school board or pick up litter on weekends?
Monday, 30-odd friends and I graduated from the Faulkner County Leadership Institute, a year-long program that identifies, connects and educates current and potential leaders in the community. More than just a bullet point for your resume, the Institute makes it easy to peek into the inner workings of our county, and state, and hard to hide your real self from other participants (especially when they’ve lifted you over a 20-foot wall).
Here’s me (L) with Dana (C) and Dionne (R) at graduation.
Personal branding on the Internet
Much of what people learn about us in the digital age comes from the Internet. That’s why I recommend following the seven steps listed here to manage your online identity.
Get strategic. Not only is your MySpace page available to potential clients, employers and lenders, but the handy-dandy Wayback Machine can show people versions of your site that you may have thought were deleted and gone for good.
You don’t have to deny yourself anything you want to do, or pretend to be something you’re not, but you do have to live with the consequences, including unintended ones. So, before you post comments online, or take part in any other activity, consider whether this is in integrity with Whom You Want to Be.
Learn more about personal branding
Developing a personal brand can improve your career, increase your effectiveness and help to you achieve more in both your personal and professional life. I’ve worked with talented people to help them get better jobs, higher salaries and more clients. If you’d like to tap into the power of branding with a supportive, expert marketing partner, you can contact me by clicking on the link to the left.
If you just want to learn more about this amazing technique, take a look at this book.
Related posts:
