8 Tips For Building Your Personal Brand in 2018
It's been a while since my last post but I am back! With new treats and tricks to prepare you for the next few months. Between the Branding eCourse and managing other brands, I've been extremely busy these past few months. Now I'm focused on preparing my own brand for what's to come in 2018 and I'm going to help you prepare for the New Year as well.
The better your brand as a business owner and/or entrepreneur, the more it helps your company."
By now you've been following this blog for some time now and you total understand that branding is such a crucial component of success. Think of some of the largest companies in the world from Nike’s “swoosh” to Apple’s icon, everyone is familiar with the brands they created. Today, building your personal brand is just as important as building your company’s brand. In fact, it might even be more important. Consumers want to hear the story behind the founders, designers, artists - the failures, struggles and the success. This means putting yourself out there and marketing yourself in addition to your business.
I have a client who's company is launching a new division next week and it was made possible, in part, to their personal brand they have built. The contacts they have developed over the years with larger brands, agencies and influencers all happened because of their personal brands. Here are eight tips to help you build up a strong personal brand next year!
1.) Be visible and accessible - We all had to get over this hump! But getting out and make yourself visible and accessible has more benefits than you think. Attend industry conferences, even if it’s just to network and socialize. Hold live video Q&A sessions on social media and interact with your followers. The more visible and accessible you make yourself, the stronger your personal brand.
2.) Show the real you on social media - With so many false representations on social media, this can be the most crucial key, focus on showing the real you! Don’t use social media as a 100 percent marketing channel. It’s fine to throw an offer out there or promote your company occasionally, but focus on showing who you are. If you come across as a robot or unauthentic you will push people away. Consumers love to see the other side, what you do on the weekends, where you eat, what your hobbies and interests are, etc. This makes you appear more human, which attracts more people to you.
3.) Understand your business inside, out - Your business is only as good as the people running it, yourself included. It’s important that you understand your industry inside and out common sense. But, this also means staying up to date on latest trends, breaking news and your competition.
4.) Practice 2-way networking - A lot of people network the wrong way. They focus on their own needs and personal benefit, completely ignoring those needs and wants of the other person. Focus on 2-way beneficial networking, making sure to give the other person an opportunity to benefit from the relationship as well. This approach will help you secure more connections and opportunities, which will all contribute to strengthening your personal brand.
5.) Maintain a detail contact book - As your personal brand grows, so will your list of contacts. It’s important that you keep a detailed list of all your contacts. Who the person is, where you connected, potential opportunities and how you can help them are all things to keep track of. While it can be a great resource to search when you need something, it can also be referenced when you have an opportunity. Your relationships will become much stronger and beneficial when you approach a contact with an opportunity that helps them without asking for anything in return.
6.) Become a trusted source of revenant information - You know your personal brand is strong when you become a source of information. Strive to be the person media outlets and journalists contact when they need expert advice or information on a popular topic or breaking news. Start by sharing news and information that you feel is useful on social media and send it to your email list.
7.) Develop a strong value position - Every major company has a value proposition and you should too. What makes you, as a person, attractive to potential customers or clients? What is it that makes you special? What should someone work with you? Once you have this established, make sure your audience knows what it is... why not even share it in the comment box below with other readers!
8.) Give back - Aside from feeling good and giving you personal satisfaction, giving back can help you build your personal brand. Whether it’s donating money to a charity or volunteering your time to a cause that’s important to you, this type of deed can benefit your personal brand. You can highlight your charitable deeds on your website and even issue press releases to attract positive attention. People remember selfless acts! When building out brands we are also building a voice, let's make a difference in 2018.
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