The word “brand” evokes images of popular products like Nike or Coke. But it’s not unusual now for ordinary people to create their own brand. This is personal branding. A lot of people don’t consider it important, but it is crucial to success. It can help you land that job or catch a prospect’s attention.
What is Personal Branding? Amazon’s Jeff Bezos reportedly tried to explain this phenomenon. He said it is “what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
It’s so much more than that though. Personal branding is the act of creating a public persona. It’s done for the benefit of your business or personal endeavors. It’s a means to reach your target audience. Your personal brand communicates to others your beliefs, values, and purpose.
Consider the public image of certain celebrities. Oprah Winfrey is all about celebrating the goodness in people. Design maven Martha Stewart championed the art of living well.
Why is Personal Branding Important?
Creating a personal brand might seem excessive or even downright arrogant to some. But having your own can be a stepping stone to success.
A personal brand will define your purpose and passion. It will also help you relate and connect to other people. Your audience will trust you because you embody a particular trait that they have or look for. Statistics show there’s a big chance consumers will choose brands with personal value.
A personal brand will impact your vision. The way you speak, look, and carry yourself in public is part of your brand. Are you a free spirit who belongs to the world or a quiet, dependable leader who gets things done?
Having a brand will also help you manage your digital footprint better. You’ll be more organized and consistent with what you post. The best reputation management companies even have clients remove certain posts and photos. They do this if the posts or comments don’t represent the image they’re trying to convey.
How to Create a Personal Brand
A personal brand is open to everyone. It’s a big factor in the success of every blogger and influencer. Entrepreneurs, freelancers, and businessmen/women can enjoy it too. It can also do the same for you. Here’s how to create a personal brand:
Establish Who You Are
You can’t create your brand if you don’t know who you are. Your brand is a part of the real you. It’s built upon your beliefs, values, skills, and passions. To determine who you are, ask yourself –
- What are my values?
- What am I passionate about?
- What are my core skills?
- What can I offer people?
Once you find out the answers, you’ll understand what’s important to you and what you want to do about it.
Decide on Your Goals
The next thing you should do is determine what you want to achieve. Do you want to earn millions? Help the environment? Celebrate a specific group of people? Consider what you want to become known for and the message you want to convey.
Determine Your Audience
If there’s one thing you should understand, it’s that you can’t serve everybody. You should focus on a group that will be able to relate to your message and vision instead. They’ll also be the ones who will need what you have to offer. They will be your target audience.
It’s easy to identify your audience. You must think about who will need your expertise. Take into account your skills and the services you want to provide. It will also help if you create a persona or a representation of your market.
Make a Unique Value Proposition
A unique value proposition (UVP) is a power statement that sums up what your brand is all about. It can look something like this –
“I help (target audience) to (reach X) so they can (result). “
Your UVP doesn’t have to mention your brand. But it should focus on how you want to help. You can even give it a distinct name for easy recall. Make sure your value statement is short and memorable.
Work on Your Website
Think of your website as your base of operations. This is where people will go to learn about you and what you do. It’s why it has to become optimized to represent your brand. First impressions matter here. Your site’s visitors should be able to tell immediately how you can help them. If not, they might leave to look for another brand.
So how can your website answer what is your personal branding? You can do this with a logo designed by a professional. A good logo shows that you’re serious about your brand. Your website should also highlight your value or selling proposition. It’s what will capture their attention and make them want to learn more about you. Make sure it’s placed somewhere prominent.
Design an Effective Content Strategy
Build your brand with the right content. Everything Is designed to fit your brand. This includes your blog and social media posts, podcasts, and emails. Make sure you share content on a regular basis. For instance, upload one blog post per week or several posts on Facebook daily. Your content should also have value. This means you should share information that’s relevant to your brand. A good Orlando SEO services company can help make sure never to run out of content.
Did you find the post informative? Then you’ll also enjoy reading about what to do if your site traffic declines.
One More Thing
You can build a better brand with Tulumi Digital Marketing. We are a digital marketing agency in Orlando. We specialize in website development, content marketing, and online reputation management. Our marketing experts can help push your brand further and secure more leads. You can call us at +1 (800) 481-1720 or email us at hello@tulumi.com.