Unleash your Brand Power… But get ready to work!
We are walking brands! Incredibly, a lot of people still disregard this fact.
Just think about it. Your clothes, your behavior, what you say, how you say it, your posture and what you project speak volumes about who and what you are. When it comes to building a personal brand, the golden rule is to be authentic to who you truly are.
Don’t believe me? Seriously, go and Google it.
Still there? Okay, so, what exactly is a personal brand?
As stated by Dan Schawbel, author of, Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future, “A personal brand is what you stand for and what makes you special. It’s composed of values, a mission, and a positioning statement that depict what you do and who your audience is.”
Plus, a few days ago I came across the following quote:
“Your smile is your logo. Your personality your business card. How you leave others feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark.”
People are so worried about trying to paint a picture of who they wish they were and/or trying to copy other people, instead of expressing what it is they know best. This is transverse to all realms, but especially aspiring creatives and influencers forget what makes a personal brand, personal, is having audience members that are able to relate to you, your experiences, and what it is you stand for.
A brand is what you do. Trademark is how others feel about what you do!
Still not clear enough? For example, when Gary Vee was building his now wildly successful brand, he used social media to build a following online and build value in his own name in the same way us marketers have used the media to value in brands for decades. Now, anyone can go on the internet and create their own content and build a brand.
Hold your horses! I know it looks easy, and that you’re already all pumped up, but it’s not just, “ready, aim, fire!” because when it comes to personal branding, I still see many working backwards with, “fire, ready, aim.”
Don’t forget that you still need commitment and hard-work because this quick hack of using social media and modern tech to build up your brand isn’t enough. It just isn’t.
You need to build your reputation and then harness its potential. Of course, people tend to get so excited, that they forget to do their homework before taking action. But stay calm. I want you to succeed. Therefore, to avoid stumbles, here are some essential steps I have for getting your brand out there:
1- Create your game plan
2- Be authentic
3- Make relevant content
4- In fact, create as much content as possible
5- Be consistent
6- Engage and connect with your audience
8- Stay relevant and mindful of your personal brand
It’s not a lot. Just treat your brand as a bank account; the more you invest in it, higher the balance. With perseverance, genuine enthusiasm and consistency, you will reach your goals.
My last piece of advice for you, is don’t be afraid. Just be yourself and create content around the things you love and use the internet to find work you love. Don’t forget, you are already a brand, but once you become visible, the work never stops.
