Three keys to developing a personal brand
The Internet has unleashed a trend called ‘Personal Branding’. Branding identifies and differentiates you, your business, and your products and services so you stand out from the crowd, get noticed, and get hired.
Personal branding may be the most powerful tool for success in your self-marketing toolkit.It involves identifying your key strengths and expertise, identifying the real needs you can fill for your ideal customers, and then consistently communicating your message in many different ways.
You can identify, package, and market who you are to build a personal brand that drives business growth, influence, and revenue.
Here are three key things you need to develop a strong personal brand:
1. A clear and unique strength, talent, or experience.
Get clarity on your personal strengths, talents, values, and core area of expertise. Understand how you best connect with people. Consider what your target audience needs and wants, and then identify the value and experience you can offer to meet those needs and wants. Communicate in a way that reaches the hearts and minds of your target audience and connects with their core values and deepest desires.
2. An ability to clearly articulate that uniqueness.
The personal branding process is about being aware of your strengths and talents, and then letting everyone know about your gifts, talents, and experience. It’s about giving a clear impression of who you are, what you value, what you’re committed to and how you can be counted on to act. It’s about having clear, key marketing messages to convey in all your communications with prospects and customers.
Your brand statement should provide a clear and concise overview of your unique set of strengths and say why you can do it better than anyone else. You must be able to clearly and unequivocally establish why you are different from others and what services you offer that make you unique and put you ahead of your competition.
3. The persistence to consistently communicate your brand across many channels.
Consistency is one of the keys to building a strong personal brand. Be mindful of being consistent in every interaction you have, both in what you say and how you respond.
Your brand is developed over time by all the associations made, expectations met, messages communicated and services provided. A great way to deliver a consistent message is through an email newsletter that you send regularly to customers and prospects. You can write articles in your area of expertise so that over time people will come to know and trust you. They will know what you stand for, how knowledgeable you are, and how you work with clients.
Establishing a professional brand is absolutely critical long-term sustainable business growth. In a crowded market, if you don’t stand out, then you’re invisible. Branding your products and services will give you an edge over your competition and enhance your value to your target market.
Personal branding will differentiate you, your business, and your products and services so you stand out from the crowd, get noticed, and get hired.
The market is waiting for you to make your mark on it. What are you waiting for?
Personal brand it’s about knowing what you have to offer your market and what makes you different from others so that you can stand out and be recognized and remembered. It is having a reputation for offering a product, program, or service that provides extreme value to your target market.
Complete your answers to the following to gain clarity on the unique aspects of your professional brand:
1. My top three personal strengths:
2. My top three talents:
3. My main area of expertise:
4. What my target audience needs and wants:
5. The value and experience I can offer to meet those needs and wants:
6. What I can do better than anyone:
7. What services do I offer that differentiate me and place me ahead of my competition:
Developing a brand identity is like putting together a puzzle. With a little thought and creativity, all the pieces will eventually fall into place.