Given the popularity of social sites, networking platforms, bloggers, online publications and the ease of a quick Google search, a personal brand can be more powerful today than ever before. Anyone with internet access can easily get a sense of your brand by scoping out your online presence. This begs the question: What would that look like to a potential employer, investor or client?
“The question is no longer IF you have a personal brand, but if you choose to guide and cultivate the brand or to let it be defined on your behalf,” Shama Hyder wrote. Your online personas can be curated — and they should be — because if left unattended, you risk letting others define your personal brand rather than defining it yourself.
With a few tested approaches to personal branding, you can own your brand and better guide how you are perceived. Here are some thoughts on shaping your brand and turning it into a powerful tool that delivers personal and professional benefits in the long-term.
Figure Out Who You Are And What Sets You Apart
While it’s tempting to create an aspirational version of yourself when constructing a personal brand, you need to display your authentic self to the public.
Humility and trustworthiness are two qualities that people pick up on and value greatly. “Some professionals suggest going about building a personal brand by shaping and molding what others see, but this is exhausting to maintain in the long run,” writes Thomas Smale for Entrepreneur. Don’t put yourself in a position where you’re simply “playing” to the crowd and being someone you’re not.
That said, don’t sell yourself short. Begin by figuring out what exactly you bring to the table. Carefully think through your accomplishments like you would a client’s, and use it as your elevator pitch. If you don’t know why your point-of-view matters, then others won’t either.
To help develop this stance, ask yourself questions like, “What have I done that defines my career or education?” and “What are my important accomplishments thus far?” After that, figure out the kind of tone you want to take. As Kat Boogard writes: “Do you want to be seen as polished and professional? Quirky and creative? Friendly and approachable? Corporate and serious?”
Focus on how you want to shape your brand. By thinking through a few core descriptors, you can better guide the decisions you make in regards to personal branding.
Illuminate Your Social Self
Once you have an idea of what you want your personal brand to look like, start developing your voice to support it on social platforms. We use different platforms for different reasons; the key is to use and maintain each platform for its specific role. We don’t need to be professionals on all our channels (you might post about your kids on Facebook or tweet about a tasty meal), but be sure that both privacy settings and accessibility are working for you and your goals.
I do advise making sure all your professional social profiles look sharp. As meticulous and painful as it may be, I suggest thinking through your bios and uploading photos that best display who you are. Sometimes these are the first (and lasting) impressions we give to the public. Update your social sites frequently so you don’t leave stale information where it’s visible, and post updates consistently.
Engage with others on social, too. Don’t fall into the trap of letting your social profiles turn into a one-way channel. It’s important to interact and put yourself out there to engage in dialogue, establish a clear stance and gain more followers.
If You Want To Do PR, Start Small And Work Your Way Up
A personal brand doesn’t require PR, and it’s not always an option or necessary. Even for an individual, PR is time-intensive, and not everyone has the bandwidth for it. But if you are able to tap into PR, it’s an incredibly powerful tool to build authority.
If you’re going to use PR to build your brand, no opportunity is too small to turn down in the beginning. With speaking engagements, your first events will likely be small ones. As Smale writes, “Start small, and keep building. You may not land high-quality speaking engagements off the bat, but if you keep swinging, you'll build your following and get invited to speak at bigger, more notable events and conferences.”
The media also presents great opportunities for adding your voice to the conversation. Providing background and content to reporters or granting press interviews can establish you as a steadfast authority in your field. Whether you’re just helping them with research or giving them a direct quote, reporters need sources to write stories, and providing your opinions and expertise will help your voice gain value.
Write And Share Your Own Opinions
Thought leadership pieces are equally valuable. Jayson Deymers writes for Inc., “If you can become a trusted source of information through your content, over time you'll become collectively known as the expert [in] your specific field.”
Writing an original article and pitching it to an editor instead of waiting for reporters to reach out to you is one of the best ways to jumpstart personal branding. Having your name attached to a strong story demonstrates that you are a trusted authority and frames you as someone noteworthy to reach out to for comment or a speaking opportunity.
Content outlets like Medium and LinkedIn are also fantastic sources to speak directly to readers. Popular Medium and LinkedIn writers have thousands of followers and their pages become a destination in their own right.
A well-cultivated personal brand can be your best asset, but building an image demands a proactive and dedicated approach. Take care of your online presence; you can’t just throw an Instagram filter on it and hope for the best. Following these steps, you can begin to make a name for yourself that will bolster opportunities both for you and your business.
