Why do you need a personal brand?

A personal what?

I hate to break it to you, but you’ve already got a personal brand. A cohesive personal brand is more important than ever – and having a strong personal brand can help you in both your career and personal life. Personal branding applies to everyone, and if you are on social media spaces like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, you already have a personal brand. Do you like what your brand says about you? Would a potential employer? What about a possible date or friend?

What is a personal brand?

A personal brand is how you represent yourself online and in-person. Have you spent any time thinking about how your name appears online? If you do a Google search on your name, what happens? If you don’t find anything, that is a sure sign your brand is weak. Or even worse, maybe there is some not so flattering stuff out there! Having a strong personal brand can help you stand out from the crowd, especially if you are job searching. Showing that you are a thought leader is one way to accelerate your branding. That could be through blog posts, LinkedIn posts, and posts on other social media.

Why is personal branding important?

Your brand shows what you’ve got to offer the world – what value do you bring to the table? Your knowledge, experience, and authenticity are what make you stand out to potential employers and others who might be looking you up online.

Five tips for personal branding success

1.    Be yourself! Your authentic self is who people want to see. Think about what differentiates you from the crowd. What makes you unique? You can amplify your brand using what you already have – be that an extroverted personality or a detail-oriented nature, showcase your natural strengths.

2.    Claim your name, claim your name. Beyonce jokes aside, get your name on every social platform even if you don’t plan to use them right now. You don’t want to join TikTok down the road and find some other person has taken your name.

3.    Provide value. Answer peoples questions, create blog posts or LinkedIn posts, promote other colleagues in your industry, share valuable content, and engage authentically.

4.    Post regularly. Don’t be a lurker. Go ahead and post about that cool project you’re working, or the excellent book you are reading. Share behind the scenes details and let people know what is going on with your work and life.

5.    Be clear and consistent. One of the things I like to do for my clients is to create a brand board for them – this is helpful for business owners but also job seekers as well. The colors, fonts, and inspirational images help you develop a personal style and individual brand and enable you to create a consistent look and feel across your social media.

Ready to work on your brand?

I’ve got packages for job seekers and businesses who are need help creating or solidifying their brand. Let’s connect!