How people perceive you and how you want them to perceive you are often not synonymous. Everyone sees a version of you that you show them – the you that your boss sees isn’t the you that your workmates see. The real question here is – How would you like to be perceived?
Now, before we go any further, let’s break a few things down. Shall we?
What is Personal Branding really? Personal branding is the intentional, strategic practice of defining and expressing your value. The main goal is to ensure the public narrative about you is accurate, coherent and compelling.
Personal branding can also mean intentionally shaping how others see you, establishing your expertise, enhancing credibility, and setting yourself apart. It’s also about defining what you stand for, building a reputation, and being known for specific qualities so that others can hire you for them.
You can look at it as a way or form of marketing yourself to others. Now, why it’s important to define and communicate your brand is that you could:
- Attract projects, promotions, and job opportunities that correspond with your skills.
- Connect with people with common personal and professional interests.
- Increase confidence in your financial and leadership abilities.
- Clarify your goals and values.
Many times, people get the jobs they get not because of age, experience or referrals but because of how they brand themselves. It’s important to infuse your personal goals and aspirations into your life so that employers, investors see you as a brand worth working with.
Now, after you have created your personal brand, it’s time to communicate your value to the world and what better way than Networking?
But before we go into that, how do you develop your personal brand?
Define your brand
Who are you? What do you stand for? What do you do? Why do you do what you do? All these are questions that can come to mind when it comes to defining your brand. So, it’s important for you to evaluate yourself and find out your unique selling points/values and focus on those.
Create a personal brand statement
Now this is very important – a personal brand statement is a short description (1 to 3 sentences) that shows who you are, what you do, and what makes you unique. It helps you manage how people see you professionally. For anyone already on LinkedIn, You know how important this is, so what’s your brand statement? Personally, mine is – I am a Communications and PR expert that will bring your brand ideas to reality.
Establish your authority
Who are you exactly and who knows you? Establish your authority by showing your expertise. This is a little bit easier lately, so talk about your work on social media, in groups of fellows, write articles on your area of expertise – bottom line be known for that.
Finally, Network
Networking is a very important aspect because of the doors it opens for you. If you don’t network with peers, experts, or friends, no one will ever truly know your potential. So attend networking events, talk about your work at cocktail parties, don’t leave anything to chance.
