The Personal Brand Defined
Personal brand has been defined as, “…a widely-recognized and largely uniform perception or impression of an individual based on their experience, expertise, competencies, actions and/or achievements within a community, industry, or the marketplace at large.” (https://personalbrand.com). Personal brand is all about how someone is perceived, and about how that perception is communicated to a widespread audience. It can be seen as a technique to market individuals—and often their entire careers—as brands, in much the same way as products are marketed. In short, it is a practice of self-promotion.
In the words of Sean Gresh, a faculty member at Northeastern University, “Personal branding is one’s story.” (https://www.northeaster.edu). Establishing that story can serve as a major asset in promoting an individual’s career. Having a strong personal brand can make a job candidate significantly more attractive to a prospective employer. When consciously cultivated, a personal brand goes a long way toward establishing one’s favorable reputation in the world, affirming the qualities of professionalism, talent, credibility and trustworthiness.
What to Consider when Creating a Personal Brand
The creation and development of a personal brand might appear to be a daunting undertaking. That’s why it’s important to come up with a strategy that employs several key considerations. First of all, a person needs to do some intense introspective work in order to determine what personal aspects to focus on promoting. Personal brands can expand and change, as careers evolve over time, but it’s important to specify exactly what one wants to be known for, from the start. Another major consideration is to identify one’s audience, determining what populations or industries to specifically target, and how to uniquely present oneself to them.
Perhaps the most important consideration in the development of a person brand is authenticity. People, in general, tend to see through—and ultimately distrust—anyone who projects an air of phoniness. In the words of advertising expert, William Harris, “Be genuine. It will make it much easier to manage your personal brand on a daily basis.” (https://www.forbes.com). It is also important to maintain a consistent image. This means being careful to keep the focus on the key aspects one wants to communicate, often implemented by the repetition of a certain catchphrase or image, which then becomes associated with a specific person in the minds of an audience. An effective ploy that comes to mind is Linda Ellerbee’s “And so it goes,” spoken at the end of all her broadcasts.
Implementing a Personal Brand
Once an individual has prepared and developed a personal brand, the next step is to get it out in the world. Professional connections can be expanded through diligent networking. Establishing a consistent presence on social networks is crucial, of course, and a person’s story needs to remain the same across different platforms, although certain aspects can be emphasized for different audiences. But it can also be beneficial to put oneself out in the world, in person. This might include attending a variety of networking events in neighboring communities, and then widening the circle. Getting endorsements from colleagues is also effective, enabling other, perhaps more established professionals to vouch for one’s credibility. This might entail doing research to identify experts in the field, not only for endorsements, but also to learn from their own examples of personal branding.
Research can also be useful in order to discover specific areas and audiences that might not be widely addressed by others. According to author, speaker, and workplace expert, Adam Smiley Poswolsky, “Carve a niche, and then carve a niche within your niche. The best personal brands are very specific.” (https://www.forbes.com). The cultivation of a personal brand is an endeavor that can last a lifetime. Ultimately, it is important to always remember that a personal brand becomes the person it represents. In order to maximize its positive impact, people must live their brands, being careful to project attitudes such as optimism, helpfulness and personal integrity to the public at all times.