What Kind of Brand Are You Building?

Personal branding is always a hot topic of conversation for me and I’m not just talking about how nice your IG account looks or how professional your LinkedIn headshot is. I’m talking about the full “360” experience people get and most importantly feel when they interact with you, your business and the people in your business. 

That's the first point: If you own a business, the people in it massively affect your personal brand and by extension, your revenue, reputation and results. Your personal brand span is wide. With the right wings, your personal brand can either make you soar and fly high or nose dive after a potential client has the first interaction with you or your business.

The problem? Even after all the personal brand talk that’s out there, I still see a huge number of people and businesses not quite grasping what branding is all about or the impact it can have — positive and negative. Sure, I’ve dropped the personal branding ball from time to time. This might look like a delay in replying to messages, missing the mark with some outreach and sales messages I’ve sent, not following up, and moving or having to cancel meetings. These all have huge impacts on my Personal Brand. I’m aware of these shortfalls, and aim to avoid and rectify them as much as I can. 

Ok, personal branding balls-up confession over! Let’s cut to the chase and define a Personal Brand.

It’s the process of creating an identity for yourself as an individual or business. It feeds and forms only part of the reputation you have. Why? Your reputation is based on what people think of you, and let’s be fair, we don’t always click with everyone and can’t always read people’s minds. 

Put simply, your personal brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. How people feel about you, your work, the services you provide and what it’s like to deal with you are all part of your personal brand. 

Building a personal brand is intentional, and because of that it is in your control. It’s what you’re putting out there in the world. It’s how you want people to see you and what you want to be known for. You have control over the narrative but you do need to develop a well-defined and consistent look, message, and presence online and offline. You might be the best at what you do but if dealing with you is a painful experience that will outweigh your work. If you want to build a personal brand that sees your career and your business smash through ceilings, you want to be seen as a trustworthy expert in your field who is also a person people want to work with.

Simple steps to build your personal brand.

Step 1: Build a rock-solid foundation

This may not be quick or simple, but it is worth the time and effort you invest in it. Here’s what to do: First, get clear on what your superpowers are, what makes you unique and great at what you do. Second, answer these questions: Why are you doing what you do? What’s your motivation? What are your innate strengths that, coupled with your skills, makes you the best person for the job/service you’re offering? And lastly, outline about some of your achievements. These reflect the value you bring with your superpowers.

Thinking through these questions is the best way to start building your personal brand story and let the world see who you are and why you have the know, like and trust factor. It’s deeper than just you’re an “Expert - Insert Job Title.”

By the way, your personal brand is just as important if you’re in a role in a company as it is if you’re running a business or freelancing. It will land you that promotion and attract the right attention for your dream company as much as your dream clients. 

Step 2: Bring your personal brand story to life 

I don’t mean corporate robot talk, full of bingo buzzwords and a bland reiteration of your resume. This is you sharing the version of you and the story you want the world to know!

While I used the word “version”, I do advocate for authenticity. Sometimes, adding in what we’ve learnt, how we’ve grown and the odd hiccup along the way shows we’re human and help us connect with other people. I did this earlier in the blog, where I admitted the mistakes I’ve made in my brand-building journey! 

Step 3: Get your message out to market

This doesn’t have to be the world (unless you’re running for PM!), but more specifically, the audience/clients/customers you want to talk to and attract.

The best way you get your message out depends on your personality and industry. You might focus on one platform, or you might spread your comms across a few select platforms. If you don’t want to be on any platform, that is fine but I caution you that having no online presence or a very basic, no-frills presence can hinder business and career growth.   

Even if you’re not job hunting or even if you have a successful business, little to no online presence can impact future growth opportunities. It’s nice to have options! You want your profile to be up-to-date and appealing, so that you can be found by clients, talent or dream companies, whether it’s now or in the future. Trade secret: Recruiters search for ideal candidates way before they go to market with a job ad! 

My point? If you skip step one, step two is harder to do and step three is kinda pointless as you’re putting the wrong message out there attracting the wrong people with it.

Although your personal brand is way more than your LinkedIn profile, IG account or the About section on your website, the reality is that people are checking you out, before and after hearing your name or when you reach out to them. Give them something that builds a better first impression and then back that up when you meet them.

Putting it all together 

When you start to position your personal brand and how you want to be known and be seen in the industry, you’ll be in a great spot to step into that brand, build on your strengths and feel more confident in what you have to offer. Also, this process can also shed some light on what you might need to change or develop to position yourself differently.

So this personal brand work works on all levels.

Want help developing your personal brand? Check out this program.
Got questions? Let's chat