How To Go From Zero To Hero Through Personal Branding
This is the story of how personal branding turned me from an English language teacher with zero career prospects and low income, into a Content Marketer writing for the Huffington Post and getting approached by employers on Linkedin all the time.
I live in a country with an unemployment rate of 21% (double that for ages 25–36).
Let me just give you some additional stats:
- Part-time employment minimum wage is around 250 euros.
- Full-time employment minimum wage is around 580 euros.
Young people have a very difficult time finding a decent job that pays the bills in Greece.
And I’m talking about educated people with good degrees (not that it matters anymore in today’s digital era).
The problem? They don’t know how to brand themselves.
However (and I’m not trying to brag or be provocative here), I have a good job, given the state the country is in, good prospects for the future, and companies approaching me often to help them with their content marketing.
How do I do that in a country that’s slowly but steadily turning into a third-world territory?
Good ole’ fashioned personal branding.
Let’s face it, the opportunities to brand yourself on the Internet today are limitless.
Here are my favorite ones:
1. Linkedin
And I’m not just talking about having a profile passively lying in the dust waiting to be found. I’m talking about an active presence with frequent posting activity, showcasing thought-leadership and expertise in your niche.
Additionaly, I should also note that every single section of a profile contributes to a great Linkedin presence.
From your profile and background photo, to your experience description for every single position, recommendations, volunteering, endorsements etc.
However, the most tiring and time-costly mistake I see on many profiles is this…
Not understanding what the other person does immediately after landing on their profile.
Take for example my personal Linkedin profile:
Right after you get to it, it becomes pretty obvious what my area of expertise is within 5 seconds.
That’s because of two main elements:
- My headline, which summarizes what value I bring to the table through niche-specific keywords.
- My summary, which starts with a simple Hi, and gets straight to the point.
The summary is the part that most people get wrong actually.
I have seen summaries starting with random quotes that confuse the viewer and get to the point of what the person does only halfway through a 300-word text.
Outline what your areas of expertise are.
And god, avoid the cliche of “experienced x specialist with a proven track record of working in the y industry”.
It’s so ’90s and shows lack of character.
Write in a conversational tone and tell the reader what you specialize in from the 1st sentence. Include the unique skills or mix of skills you have that set you apart, preferrably in a layout with bullets.
Remember that the summary is not just about describing what you did in all your different roles. It’s more of how would you pitch yourself to a potential employer.
2. Guest Posting
I write on two publications. The first one is the biggest Greek media site for Start-ups and entrepreneurship called “Epixeiro”, and the second one is the Greek edition of Huffington post.
Guest posting on well-known sites is a huge add-on when it comes to building your personal brand. You get the prestige and credibility that comes with writing for big players that a lot of people resort to to get the information they need.
Guest posting also increases your employability chances by A LOT. If well-known sites trusted you enough to put your content forward on your subject of expertise, then chances are many employers will do too.
That’s what has worked for me so far.
So, trust me when I say that personal branding works. It’s the thing that gets employers offering you jobs instead of the other way around.
Which one do you prefer?
What’s your take on personal branding and what has been working for you so far? I’d appreciate one or many 👏 as well as your input in the comments section below.
I’m all about social, so if you liked this article you can also follow me on Twitter and Linkedin.
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