Sometimes the simplest things make the biggest impact. Whether you are a small business owner, or an employee of a large corporation, consistently shaping and building your personal brand is vital to career longevity and success. You do not need a complicated master plan to grow your good reputation though. There are small, easy ways to strengthen your brand with the resources you likely already have at the ready.
Take a look at 10 everyday ways to build your personal brand:
- Carry business cards. Digital networking is great but there is something about a physical piece of paper that is almost a novelty today. Handing out a business card is an easy way to leave a lasting impression without asking anything of the receiver in return.
- Join in-person networks. Handshakes and in-person conversations simply cannot be duplicated remotely. Join local business groups and industry-specific ones and then show up to scheduled events.
- Go to conferences. Your employer may already send you to conferences, and if that is the case, take full advantage of them to build your own reputation. If you are self-employed, find room in your budget for at least one or two conferences every year to cast a wide branding net and learn a few things too.
- Put videos on your website. Or do something equally personable. Photos are nice but a video, even a short one, tells viewers so much more about you.
- Blog. Find out if there are any constraints with your job when it comes to blogging about your career and industry. If a personal blog is out of the picture, ask to be a contributor on your company’s blog. Even if you only post once per month, your blog roll will build up quickly and you will have examples of your expertise at the ready.
- Post to social media. And do it consistently. Make sure you have separate business and personal accounts in order to keep your brand identity strong.
- Talk to people in line. Instead of looking down at your smartphone while waiting at the store or for a cup of coffee, strike up a conversation with the person next to you. If the timing feels right, hand that person a business card.
- Volunteer. Finding even a small window of time to dedicate to a cause you believe in not only improves your personal brand – it increases your own awareness and satisfaction with life. Choose a cause that aligns with your own belief system and the values you hope to portray in your career climb.
- Partner. You likely already know and admire other professionals in your field or geographical location so take advantage of those relationships to mutually build each other up. The benefits of partnering can include setting up referral programs, cross-linking on each other’s sites and working together on community outreach.
- Enjoy life. Positivity is contagious – and the opposite is also true. If your career appears to be a burden, you’ll lose traction with the very people you want to bring in to your circle. Find the bright side of every endeavor and watch your personal stock rise.
