Personal branding isn’t reserved for all-star athletes, celebrities and reality TV stars trying to make a quick buck. You don’t need an empire to differentiate yourself, you just need to get a little creative.
The fact of the matter is, people like doing business with people, not companies. So let’s take a page out of marketing’s book and start thinking of different ways to develop your personal brand.
Five ways to build your personal brand:
- Put yourself out there. If you want to get noticed, you need to put yourself out there. If you want to keep your personal and work-related networks separate, I respect that, but don’t let it stop you from being active. Get involved! Add your Twitter handle or LinkedIn profile everywhere. You could also maintain a mailing list full of people that you think would love your brand. You can send them emails about new products, special offers, and even brand information too. To ensure that the right individuals are getting your emails on time, you could take assistance from external agencies similar to simplelists, which offers email management services. Coming back to the topic of putting yourself out there, you should consider being active on social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Also, share interests and expertise and follow other thought leaders and influencers. Twitter lists and hashtags are great places to find people. Check out this one Meridian put together featuring a handful of HR and learning pros! The Huffington Post also put together a list of 100 business, leadership and technology people you should be following on Twitter, too.
- Show some personality. People like doing business with people, not companies because they are authentic and relatable. You can be equally passionate about training and development, puppies and guacamole, trust me. Making yourself relatable goes a long way. Think about your interests and sprinkle them throughout your brand. You can do this by adding a little pizazz to your bio or updating your LinkedIn headline to something that better suits you. You could also better get your message out there through videos, as they are a form of media that is becoming increasingly popular today. A Charlotte video production company can help you with everything you may need, to showcase your personal brand to the world.
- Start writing. Writing, the big scary elephant in the room. It comes more naturally to some than others, but in my experience the payoff is huge. From LinkedIn’s publishing platform to free content management systems like WordPress, there are tons of resources at your disposal. You can even build your own website in order to have all that you publish in one place. For that, all you might have to do is Buy a domain name of your preference and host the website on a relevant platform. In case this sounds complicated, you can also enlist the help of a professional who can help you with the same. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Start small, map out your interests, commit to a publishing strategy and calendar, and, voila, you’ll be a blogging pro! If you don’t want to go at it on your own, talk to someone in your marketing department. I guarantee there is someone who would do cartwheels for new blog content.
- Network. A constant staple on any list is networking and let’s face it, it’s there for good reason. Don’t just broadcast, network. Interact with people who are trying to connect with you. Support and collaborate with friends, peers and colleagues on and offline. Get in touch with industry influencers, analysts, and thought leaders at conferences, events, and tradeshows. Consequently, you will gain a deeper understanding of branding and networking. In spite of learning branding, there are times when you do not get the sales numbers you expected. It is in such situations where a well-crafted marketing plan (such as scorpion hvac marketing strategy for an HVAC service provider) can be helpful in increasing sales and customer base.
- Never stop learning. Benjamin Franklin nailed it when he said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Take advantage of any learning opportunities. Look at them as a way to refine and sharpen your skillset and expand your interests. If you’re an engineer and you want to take a course on public speaking, go for it! If you are a marketer looking to learn about coding, no one is stopping you! Learning doesn’t always need to happen in a formal setting. There are tons of resources – from Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) to your internal learning management system – available to you.
Branding isn’t just for an organization. I encourage you to think about your personal brand and what you can do start marketing yourself!
Posted in Learning & Development