10 Ways To Improve Your Personal Brand
Want to boost your career credibility? Consider this expert advice on strengthening a personal brand.
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What is your personal brand? Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos once said, "Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room." Of course, you'll never be able to control what people say about you behind your back, but there are steps you can take, mostly online, that can enhance their perception of your professional skills.
Unlike a large enterprise, most of us lack a marketing budget to persuade colleagues, clients, and customers to see us as we want to be seen. Networking coach David Fisher, writing on the topic of personal branding for the Business 2 Community blog, opines that most of us are "on the quiet side" when it comes to trumpeting our successes and talents, a too-humble trait that makes personal branding a bit of a challenge. The good news: You can share your career victories without sounding obnoxious. We've put together 10 brand-building tips that won't make you look insufferably boastful to others. Even better, they won't cost a lot of money -- although some will take a lot of time -- to implement.
Where to start? Well, scrutinize your LinkedIn profile: Clarify your goals, add achievements, and fill in any gaps in your employment timeline. You might also want to follow LinkedIn's 12-week plan for improving your personal brand, such as creating goals for the number of profile views and connection requests you receive on the business-oriented social network.
You may be wondering: Why should I bother with any of this? Because it's a great way to advance your career and develop leadership skills. In a 2013 blog post, Forbes contributor Glenn Llopis wrote that managing your personal brand isn't the same as self-promotion. Rather, it's about showing others that you're an admirable role model and mentor, as well as a trusted voice in your profession. "View your personal brand as a trademark, an asset that you must protect while continuously molding and shaping it," he wrote.
You'll need to establish goals for your brand-building mission. LinkedIn recommends setting SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based objectives. This involves jotting down detailed and realistic goals, following through with your plans, and measuring the results of your efforts. For instance, rather than setting a vague objective such as, "I will be recognized as a leader in my field," it's smarter to create a specific goal such as, "I will speak at three or more industry conferences in the next 12 months."
What does your personal brand say about you?
LinkedIn might be the de facto social platform for business networking, but many of us don't take it all that seriously. This is a mistake, as recruiters and employers comb the service to find fresh talent. Take a close look at your LinkedIn profile. Does it provide a comprehensive overview of your accomplishments, skills, and goals? If not, it's fairly easy to fill in the blanks, as LinkedIn's profile builder (see image) can step you through the process. The service's Sales Solution Blog has plenty of tips on bolstering your personal brand, such as posting compelling status updates, and actively participating in online discussions rather than being a passive lurker.
(Source: LinkedIn)
One of the best ways to build your brand is to get your name out there. And one of the best ways to get your name out there is through public speaking. Not for you? Maybe you're afraid you're not smart, insightful, witty, or interesting enough to address a room full of like-minded professionals. That's a common fear, but you must overcome these self-doubts to establish yourself as an expert in your field. To get started, reach out to event organizers via email. You might also want to send them a video pitch to showcase your speaking skills. Persistence is key: Expect to be ignored or rebuffed, at least initially, but don't let rejection prevent you from pitching your proposals again and again.
(Source: Alex de Carvalho, Flickr)
We all know that marketing ourselves isn't easy. After all, it's hard to determine your strengths and weaknesses. That's why you should seek outside counsel when building your personal brand. Specifically, find a recruiter -- but as The Wall Street Journal points out, not just any recruiter. Start by asking colleagues and customers if they know any recruiters who specialize in your area of expertise. Check online job-search resources such as RileyGuide.com and OnlineRecruitersDirectory.com, and search for recruiters' profiles on LinkedIn and other business networking sites. Ask trade and industry groups for recruiter referrals, too.
(Source: Pixabay, Nemo)
A solid LinkedIn profile will help you shine a little more brightly, but it might not set you apart from a qualified cluster of job seekers. One way to establish a stronger professional identity is to blog about your chosen field. This doesn't mean you can't go off-topic every now and then -- tell a joke, review a movie, take a soapbox stand on a mainstream issue -- but never, ever lose sight of your primary goal: To establish yourself as an expert in your field. Before you start blogging, remember this: You must post consistently; otherwise you'll appear disorganized, unfocused, or even flaky. And remember that writing is hard, and writing well on an ongoing basis is even harder. So while blogging can help build a personal brand, it's not for everyone.
(Source: Pixabay, Tumisu)
Your business colleagues might not see you the way you want to be seen. Do you appear confident and competent? Bungling and bashful? Somewhere in between? Take Salary.com's advice and ask friends and trustworthy coworkers to use a few helpful adjectives to describe you. Ask them to summarize your strengths and (gulp) weaknesses. If you don't like what you hear, consider it a lesson-learning opportunity to make changes to bolster your personal brand.
(Source: Pixabay)
Many personal branding mavens suggest publishing a book -- ideally one pertaining to your area of expertise -- to establish career cred. Writing a tome is hard work, really hard work, and it requires extreme discipline to see a likely unprofitable project through to completion. Go the self-publishing route; you won't need to spend months or years pitching your brilliant manuscript to publishers. Then use your personal website or blog, as well as speaking engagements, to promote your book. Being a published author might also help you land a few more speaking gigs, which in turn will provide additional marketing opportunities for your book and personal brand.
(Source: Amazon)
If you're not sold on the value of writing a book, here's an easier brand builder: Complete your Twitter and Facebook profiles. A potential employer's or client's first impression of you might be via your social media presence, particularly if your blog posts and online articles include your Twitter handle. Keep things brief: Your Twitter bio, for instance, has a 160-character limit and can include a header and profile photo, as well as a link to your personal website.
(Source: Twitter)
When you get accolades, it's perfectly OK to share the news with the world. Many of us were raised to believe we shouldn't brag about our accomplishments, and it's true that people who boast too much (e.g., Donald Trump) are viewed as egotistical jerks. Networking coach David Fisher, writing on personal branding for Business 2 Community, says a savvy way to share your career successes is to first ask others about theirs. He suggests asking, "What have been your best successes lately?" This gives people a chance to brag a bit. Then it's your turn!
(Source: One Way Stock, Flickr)
Ready for a new job or career? Your current online identity shows who you are today, professionally speaking, not who you want to be. You must take these essential rebranding steps to reinvent yourself, says the Harvard Business Review. Some examples include developing a new personal website; making sure all of your online contacts are up-to-date; and contacting clients and colleagues via phone or email to tell them of your new career path. It's best to avoid blast emails, which are impersonal and often ignored by recipients. Another tip: Don't tell people you're bored with your current job and need a change; rather, point out how your work and life experience will bring value to your new aspirations.
(Source: Pixabay)
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