“A brand is the sum of all feelings, thoughts and recognitions – positive and negative –that people in the target audience associate with a company, a product or service.” – Steve McNamara, AdCracker.Com
Just like products and services, branding applies to human beings too. Personal branding allows individuals to differentiate themselves by consistently articulating and leveraging their unique value proposition. In these days when so many people are scrambling for the few available jobs, when there are fewer slots to be occupied at the top in any organization, when there are many entrepreneurs out there offering about the same services; more than ever before, the time to have a personal brand is now!
It is almost sounding like a cliché when you mention ‘the brand called YOU’. Why is it important to build your brand? Whether you are bothered about personal branding or not, people that you interact with are already putting you in boxes and putting a label on you based on their experience and perception of you. So would you rather define who you are and what you stand for or would you allow someone else do it for you?
Personal Branding is not about self- promotion; it is about self-differentiation. So the question is – how do you differentiate yourself from the clutter?
- Gain insight about yourself: Where are you now and what do you want to stand for? What values are you able to add? What strengths do you have that can be leveraged upon and what are those areas that you need to develop on?
- Define your brand value: Your job title should not determine your brand. Often times, people are unwilling to go beyond their job description or title. Your experiences are not limited to the designation you have assigned; there is more to it, including those little extra that you pick up along the way. Define yourself by the value that you have to offer.
- Be true and authentic. Being a replica of someone else only makes you unreal and fake. There can only be one version of you. Being yourself makes you believable and relevant.
- Deliver on your brand promises. To differentiate yourself, you must walk the talk. If you take pride in being result-oriented, it must show through in everything that you do. Your brand must always deliver on its promise, otherwise your stakeholders will not be able to trust you. Brands are born out of experience and trust.
- Make your messages consistent. Branding is about staying true to your messages. You cannot claim to be one thing now and in six months, you are propagating a different message. While this does not say that you may not reinvent yourself when required, it simply implies that even in the process of reinvention, you do not deviate from your core.
Brands are a sum total of perception and personal branding involves a deliberate and consistent effort to achieve. What touchpoints do you deploy in building your brand? Keep a date next week!