You need to improve your personal branding when you show yourself online. It’s a vital link to your career success and long-term well-being.
You probably already have a brand. It may be a full-blown website and social media strategy. On the other hand, you may be just a constant communicator with coworkers while working from home.
In any case, think about how you appear to others online and what you can do to improve your personal branding in 2022. How about appearing on a podcast?
1. Find ways to provide brand value and establish trust.
A personal brand is about cutting through the clutter to generate trust and value in your audience’s life.
When you aren’t around, people talk about you. What do you want people to think about when they hear your name?
Maybe you want others to say certain things about you. Do you want to be viewed as an expert in a particular field or general? Once you know how you want to be regarded, you can start planning your brand. But you can still be human.
Authenticity is crucial in the digital era. Whether you work for or run a company, a solid personal brand may pay huge dividends.
A brand may exist without being an entrepreneur ego trip. Many “intrapreneurs” develop strong brands.
For example, Rani Mani is an Adobe employee who has built a personal brand on corporate trust, empathy, and compassion. This aligns with her job as Adobe’s Head of Employee Advocacy. It brings her trust and confidence. (And a better salary.)
2. Assign yourself to one of two roles.
Assign yourself to one of two roles. These are the two C’s of personal branding and give a framework for daily activities. Therefore, consider this as one of those magazine personality tests. It’s time to discover yours.
You are a Creator if you primarily connect with your audience via unique material that fits their requirements.
- That is, your job concentrates on your ideas, thoughts, and original creations.
- Plainly said, you’re consistently producing.
- Someone who produces and distributes innovative recipes is one example.
As a Connector, you help others by bridging the gap between their needs and those who can meet them.
- To engage your audience, you must provide information, tools, and material that suits their requirements.
- You aid your audience by guiding them through the maze of internet information to discover what they need. Therefore, they gather and select material consistent with their mission and provide value to their audience’s lives.
- Connectors are more focused on one-on-one interactions and connecting people to the right resources.
- Podcasts are generally curated, with presenters inviting guests who benefit their listeners.
- Building a brand as a successful connector entails making connections and maintaining touch often.
- Great connections are like salespeople who anticipate their customers’ needs and reach out to them.
Which one best describes you? However, a blend of these two is also fantastic. Use these two identities to better understand your audience.
3. Consistently find your cadence.
Then find out how to distribute quality material regularly. Don’t simply post for the sake of posting; bring value to the discourse.
Above all, be constant in your sharing. While you should deliberate what you offer, it is more important to maintain a constant online rhythm.
Finding a tempo that fits your lifestyle is key to staying consistent.
Be practical and stick to what works for you. However, this takes discipline, and you can’t depend on inspiration or motivation.
Creating a rhythm gives your audience something to depend on, keeping you in front of mind. Make a habit of it.
There is no personal brand without consistency.
4. Tell a consistent brand story across platforms.
Keep your brand consistent from email to Instagram.
Try to use the same login on all platforms. Therefore, consistency across platforms strengthens your brand and provides you extra stuff to share. Share your blog posts on social media.
Similarly, if you publish it on one site, find out how to distribute it on others. Adjust your digital body language as appropriate.
Working from home has its own set of issues, namely digital body language or how you present yourself online. Therefore, digital body language includes how you communicate on Slack, reply to emails, and whether or not you use the video camera during conference calls. Consider:
- Are you punctual in virtual meetings?
- Do you usually watch videos?
- Do you have informal discussions with your coworkers through messages or phone calls?
It’s crucial to remember that most organizations now allow employees to work from home.
5. Write killer emails.
Email is now more critical than ever. However, email is unavoidable in personal branding even if you detest it. Everyone uses it, so why not make use of it?
Make your emails simple to read. Begin by bolding your main ideas or takeaways. Therefore, mention dates when discussing prior occurrences or impending deadlines.
If you must compose a lengthy email, create a structure using simple headers.
Last but not least, be explicit in your requests.
However, avoid superfluous explanations and conversational morsels. Get to the point.
6. Rewrite your brand story.
People are reinventing themselves, entering into new sectors, or changing occupations.
Maybe you’ve lately moved jobs? We used to speak about how a personal brand needs a compelling story. Still valid now, but with a twist.
A good story may help you transition across industries and careers.
Dorie Clark’s experience remains constant despite various career and sector transitions. Journalist, educator, producer of Grammy Award-winning music, author, and businesswoman, she has done it all. She updates her brand data every three months. Therefore, it all comes together because she is “passionate about helping people take charge of their professional life and make a difference in the world,” as she has done for herself.
Above all, an excellent personal brand should be pervasive and dynamic. How will you improve your personal branding in 2022?
