Why you need a personal brand and how to build one
Most people know what a brand is. A brand can be best described as a company’s reputation, how they position themselves in the market, what they do, and what they stand for. The typical elements of a brand are what we call branding; logo, fonts, colours, tone of voice, mission statement, USP, brand messaging, and the like. These make up a brand.
A personal brand isn't quite that simple. Of course, how you act online, what you post and what you do are important, but they’re not the full picture. Jeff Bezos is quoted as saying “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room”.
A personal brand is everything that makes you, you. It is the combination of experience you have, the skills you possess, your achievements, your failures, how you talk to others and so much more. Your personal brand is your personality. It is you.
Many people think that building a personal brand isn’t a productive use of time and that they’d rather use their time to hone their skills further rather than create their own brand. But in the modern, connected world having a quality personal brand can be the difference between getting the job and missing out.
Here are a few tips on how to start building your personal brand:
Choose a platform
Your first step in creating a personal brand is to decide on the platform you’re going to use. It all depends on what you’re aiming for, if you want to go down the more professional route then LinkedIn is the obvious answer. But if you wanted to show your creativity, you could think a bit outside of the box and use a platform like YouTube, Instagram or even SoundCloud. It all depends on who you’re aiming your brand at and what opportunities you want to go for.
Network with others in the industry
Networking is critical in most professions now, and since the rise of LinkedIn, it's never been easier. Social media gives you the opportunity to meet new people, learn from them and share your knowledge all at the tap of a button. Find people in your industry, find people doing the job you want. Engage with their content and start a conversation. If you do that, you’ve opened a door that will help you immensely in your career.
Consistency is key
Consistency is critical to the success of your personal brand. If you’re going for a multi-platform approach, make sure that the usernames are the same (or at least very close), and make sure that the logo, header and language you use are the same across the board. This makes it easier for your audience to find you across your social media channels and keeps your content recognisable. Consistency also shows that you are professional and reputable.
Create a portfolio
A CV is obviously a necessary part of any job application, but for creative professionals and people in specialist industries, a portfolio is an excellent way to show off the work you have done and really prove your skills. It's all fine and well handing a piece of paper with your employment history on it, but when you can give them a digital portfolio that allows them to see your work, why wouldn't you?
Be passionate
A personal brand is about showing yourself off, whilst talking about your interests at the same time. Make sure that you’re authentic. Don’t just get a generic quote about ‘motivation’ from Google, be yourself. Post about that really niche part of your job that fascinates you, you may find someone else who is interested in that, or even find a job.