I’ve been editor of this blog for six years and across the years I’ve seen my fair share of naysayers saying “there’s no such thing as personal brands”. Funny, it’s those same people who say that who are often working hard building their online reputation, investing in promotions and content marketing to boost their “image” and their presence.
Perhaps they tell others this to make sure that they get the head start they need.
Build your brand. Your reputation and the way people describe you and introduce you to others is your brand. And, that’s valuable. People to this day still do business with people they know, like and trust.
Developing your personal brand is an ongoing process. Regardless of the profession, there are certain methods and practices that each of us apply in order to improve visibility, develop network relationships, and ultimately attain our goals.
Developing your brand
When it comes to developing a brand, what do you consider yourself? How do people introduce you? What do you want to be known for? As an entrepreneur, it is up to you to reach your audience and create a valuable relationship with them.
As most entrepreneurs recognize, delivering quality and others genuinely speaking positively on your behalf is the best way to get attention. What does your audience want to hear? Do you speak clearly? Are you talking to your audience? You don’t want to deliver a message that goes over their heads.
Understanding your purpose
What is it that you want to do with your brand? This pertains to specifics because in general the answer would be to become successful. So, it is up to you to find specific goals that you want your brand to achieve. After all, you won’t be able to get there if you don’t know where it is you’re going in the first place. Once you understand your goals; it is crucial to develop a plan to achieve them. We start by determining the destination, then deciding on a path, followed shortly by the journey there.
Meeting the right people
Are you using networks (both online and personal) the right way to make the best contacts? Online, you need to focus on developing relationships with your connections rather than just working towards larger view numbers. As Gary Vaynerchuk says, build depth not width.
The more people know about you and are willing to endorse your brand, the more likely they are going to share you and your brand through word of mouth. All things considered; recommendations are perhaps the factor that leads to the greatest number of connections.
Individuals who recommend you online or in person are perhaps your most valuable assets to building your brand. Not only are they your most faithful contacts or clients, they are the individuals who will openly share you and your accomplishments/service/products with their own networks.
