Personal Branding - Start Here

Personal BRANDING

When it comes to personal branding, it all starts from within. Seriously. No one is going to hand you the road map. No one is coming to do it for you. It’s all right in front of you. We just need to draw it out. First, take a moment to get clear on why you want to define and elevate your personal brand. Consider the following questions: • What is the problem that I want to solve? • Who do I want to help or influence? • Why does it matter? • How do I see myself elevating this perspective? • What has shaped this perspective? • What influence do I already have? • Why am I the right person for this idea, mission, vision, etc.? • How would others describe me? • If I had a book, what would the title be? Although each question will require thoughtful consideration, please be sure to listen carefully and trust what your gut is saying to you. (Don’t overthink it). IDEA: We’ve found that asking questions in a one-on-one interview helps draw out the best answers. Perhaps you ask a friend or colleague to partner and do this exercise with you? Bonus: It’s also a great conversation starter. Next, clarify your differentiators by further exploring your interests and preferences. This is the part where the light bulb goes off for everyone — and ‘clarity’ begins to wash over our thoughts. It’s really fun. Start by generating a short list of three or four different ‘figures’ or brands that are a combination of: • Celebrities, influencers, or brands that you know and love. • Direct competitors in your industry. • Colleagues or companies that you look up to/think do great work. • Someone or something that you know in real life. - NOTE: They do not have to be in your industry. One by one, examine a) what you like about their brand and b) what you would do differently. Be sure to examine their social media, SEO, website, content, and anything else that’s available about them. NOTE: For “b,” what you would do differently — the differentiation is often nuanced. If we used Oprah as an example, we can easily observe that it is not in the plan to have a talk show — but rather, be clear that you’d like to influence your community through local events or a blog, etc. and that you like the way Oprah delivers the message. This simple exercise will start to draw out your ‘brand positioning’ — what you would like your brand to look and feel like. Not just visually and aesthetically, but from a voice, tone, and messaging perspective. And finally, commit to action. Here and now. There has to be follow through. Examples of this can be one LinkedIn post per week, one networking event per week, one blog per week, or one past or present contact check-in per week. In order to get yourself out there, others have to know what you are all about. Gary Vaynerchuck says to “Don’t talk about it, be about it.” We have plenty of Personal Branding tools, visit us online, sign up for a complimentary strategy session. TamaraEdwards.co