In today’s world of work your personal brand has a significant impact on your career. But a lot of people never think about how they present themselves or what their brand says about them. Fewer still do anything proactive to build their personal brand or leverage it to boost and support their careers. So how do you develop your brand to create meaningful dialogues between you and the people you want to influence?
Be real.
Branding is not about positioning yourself as something that you are not. Rather, it’s all about strategically showcasing your authentic self to your audience in a way that truly reflects your core values and beliefs. The best place to start is by taking inventory of your branding assets – your skills, credentials, interests and areas of specialization.
Define your target audience.
You’re not out to attract everyone – just those you want to work with in some way. So craft your brand specifically to attract those people. Think carefully about the segments you want to reach. What are their needs and concerns? What do you have to offer them? Remember that most people are more interested in following other people than they are in following specific companies.
Find your social platforms.
Determine what platforms best align with your interests and sectors and start creating compelling content. Offering free content is one of the most effective ways to build your brand and earn the trust of your target audience. Instead of trying to convince your audience that you can help them, create content that really does help them. They will come to you if you position yourself as an authority in your area.
Collaborate.
Next build as many relationships as you can with other thought leaders within the industry. This will open many doors for you and help grow your social following. Having a personal brand that clearly articulates who you are, what you do, and how you help others makes it easier for others to see value in connecting and collaborating with you.
Use social media analytics.
Branding yourself on social media takes a lot of effort, and you want the results to be worth it. Social media analytics can help you understand whether you are engaging with the right audience and if you are being heard. You’ll be able to discover if you need to work on altering your content to attract the right social media users.
Building your brand is not a static process. Your brand should constantly be evolving. It stays with you as you move from one place to the next, and its effectiveness depends on a solid narrative. So be sure that the story your brand relates to is compelling, draws people to you, and keeps them coming back.