Beginners guide to creating a killer personal brand 

What is a personal brand?

We all have a personal brand but only a few people manage their brand to full effect.

It’s a question I get asked regularly and it reminds of a woman I used to work with.  While she was extremely talented and effective in her high pressured role she was best known in the office as a chain smoker and therefore always smelling of tobacco, always grumpy and stressed with a penchant for wearing really unusual patterned socks. Unfortunately for her, that was her brand! As good as she was at her job, her external brand was letting her down.

Why does it matter?

It may seem that personal branding is a new buzz word or something that’s only been around for a short while but I can assure you this is something that celebrities and senior executives have been using to their advantage for a long time.

By creating a clear and consistent personal brand you can ensure that colleagues, clients and potential customers or employers can identify you in a crowded market and understand the value you offer.

A strong personal brand tells you the difference between Adele and Kim Kardashian, Donald Trump and Angela Merkel.

First impressions

We all know how important first impressions are and given many people google or search someone on social media before formally meeting them, your personal brand becomes even more important.

How you walk, speak, dress, write, present, your network. and of course your online presence both personally and professionally can make or break your brand and impact your business or career.

Like traditional branding, there are a few really important principles that need to be followed when creating a powerful personal brand.

Knowing your Customer Value Proposition is step one in creating a strong brand 

Who are you?  What do you offer? What makes you unique?

Principles of an effective personal brand

Authenticity
You must be you! There is no point in pretending to everyone that you are a fitness fanatic and a nature lover when your weekends involve nightclubs and Sundays spent in bed recovering from hangovers.

Consistency
Commit to your brand. To ensure an effective personal brand it must reflect consistently in all your interactions face to face and online.

Some great examples of this consistency are Megan Hess and Pip Edwards creator of PE Nation. They embody their brand. I agree that not everyone’s life lends itself to this sort of picture-perfect branding however, it is a great example of effective personal branding.

Tip: I suggest you find people in your niche and see what they are doing well and create a plan.

Attention
In today’s world, you need to be creating attention for your self, your business, your brand through great content and strong networks.  Get out there and get known.

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What are you doing today to improve your personal brand? Share in the comments section below