Developing and nurturing a personal brand has become crucial in today’s world. Below are five tips to help you showcase who you are to the world.


Unlike generations before us, the majority of us will not only change jobs several times during our working lives, we are also likely to change careers at least once as well. As a result, and noting that competition is the job market is generally high, it is becoming increasingly important for individuals to distinguish themselves. That effort does not necessarily have to be limited to the confines of one’s job description or one’s organisation. Instead an individual could be seek to distinguish his- or herself within a wider context – the industry; the country; the region; or even globally.

An excellent way of setting yourself apart from the herd is by developing your personal brand. Though most of us might associate a personal brand with bloggers, YouTubers and reality TV stars, the world has shifted. In this highly commoditised and information-driven world, where more and more people – across all sectors and walks of life – are vying for attention, it is easy to be overlooked.  Below are five steps you can take when developing your personal brand.

1. Think of yourself as a brand

First, it is important to start to think of yourself as a brand, and what you would want others to associate with you when they hear your name.  Further, with that change in mindset, some of the decisions and choices you make may also change to be better aligned with the brand t=you are trying to nurture.

2.  Have a plan

For the whole effort to have long lasting effect and the impact you envisage, it is also crucial to understand that you have a plan and a some strategies you intend to implement. However, and in order to get to that point, you ought to be prepared to answer to following basic questions, which will eventually become inputs into your plan and strategy:

  • Who are you?
  • What your strengths, and how can they be more fully emphasised?  
  • What are your weaknesses, are can they be minimised?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • What are the goals for your brand? What are you hoping to achieve?

3.  Find ways to produce value

When building a personal brand, typically, one of the main goals is to be recognised as an expert in specific field. In order to be seen as an authority in whatever area you choose, seeds need to be sown, by finding ways of providing valuable information to others – and also being seen to provide value. Examples that can be considered that provide a means of demonstrating thought leadership or domain expertise, include speaking engagements, writing articles, and participating in interviews.

4.  Build your networks

Finally, it is crucial to take every opportunity to build and nurture your own network of contacts, some of whom may eventually become your clients (if relevant to you and your brand), or equally important may act as connectors to other people you are eager to meet. LinkedIn is an excellent resource for that, but you can also seek to engage individuals of interest on other social network platforms.

5.  Build your online presence

In today’s world, people are suspicious if you do not have an comprehensive online presence. For example, if you are a professional or work in the corporate world, it almost goes without saying that you ought to have a detailed profile on LinkedIn. For other areas of work that might be considered more creative, a Facebook page would be recommended. Further, do consider being active on some social networks – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, to name a few – and/or even developing your own website as your own platform to begin to share your thoughts and ideas.

 

Image credit:  Anne Worner (flickr)

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