What do Martha Stewart, Mindy Kaling, and Billie Eilish have in common? Besides being incredibly successful women, they all have a very distinctive personal brand. When you think of each of them, you recall a very unique feeling, picture, and story for each of them.
That’s what a personal brand is. It’s your story.
But why is this important? Well, for starters, it is because your brand is you and only you. It cannot be mistaken for someone else. No one would ever confuse Martha Stewart for Billie Eilish, right? (Except for my stepdad, maybe. Love you, Rich!)
Beyond the hype of celebrity, your personal brand is a way for clients, leads, employers, colleagues, and others to know who you are. It provides a level of understanding for those who need to know, online and off. The pervasiveness of the internet and social networking sites has made it essential for most professionals to build and manage their personal brand online, while human interaction is still a critical touchpoint for many sectors.
All of our activities online, both business and personal, form a searchable online profile. Most employers and recruiters are regularly conducting employment background searches online. Did you know 57% of employers are less likely to interview candidates they can’t find online?
As of 2020, 43% of the US workforce is made up of freelancers and contract workers. If you are one of these small business owners, you already know how critical the internet is to your success. Remember that you are the “face” of your business. Your presence online will reflect on your business. Your brand helps establish your credibility and trustworthiness, and it also enables clients to find you, engage, and buy your products or services.
Actively creating a personal brand for yourself allows you to have a say in how you market yourself and gives you control in crafting an accurate picture of your identity, rather than leaving it to chance.
What is a Personal Brand?
A personal brand is similar to a business brand. It is a summary of who you are, what you do, your mission in life and/or work, the values you embrace, and the way you demonstrate those values. Just as a company’s brand helps to both communicate the value they bring to customers and stand out from the competition, your personal brand can do the same. Your brand communicates your unique identity and clear value to potential employers or clients. In short, your brand is your distinctive story.
Your personal brand should emphasize your strengths, cultivate trust, and highlight the commitment you bring to your career and industry. When you create and nurture your brand, you signal to employers or clients that you are the person they are looking for.
Steps to Building Your Personal Brand
Developing a personal brand might sound challenging. However, if you are already on social media, chances are you’ve already started your brand. The question to consider is…is it the story you want to convey? If so, great! You are that much closer to leveraging your unique self. If not, no worries. We are here to help. Take a deep breath and start working through these five steps to help you build the personal brand you want and the credibility you deserve.
Step 1: Who are You?
You want your personal brand to be an honest reflection of who you are, what skills you possess, and what your aspirations are.
Start by answering these questions.
- What motivates me at work?
- What are my strengths and weaknesses at work?
- In what work areas do I excel?
- What work drains my energy?
- What work environments do I work best in?
- What industries or sectors are the most interesting to me?
- What do I want to do right now?
- What do I want to do in the future?
- Where do I want to be at the end of my career?
- What impact do I want to have?
- What do I want to be known for?
- What strength or benefit do I offer that sets me apart from others?
Build your personal brand around your motivations, strengths, and achievements. These details will demonstrate experience and credibility. Be as specific as you can when answering these questions. Everyone says they are a “hard worker” or “team player”. Seriously, who are YOU?
The last question is also important. Just as a company should have a unique selling proposition, so must you. Determining what you do better or differently than anyone else lays the foundation for your unique value proposition. We’ll talk more about that in Step 4.
Step 2: What is Your Niche?
If you’re building your personal brand to further your career or your business, your niche should be in a specific area of your work and for a specific target audience. To help you determine your niche, here’s an interesting exercise. Start with a broad category you have experience in, such as marketing or software development. From there, narrow down the category at least three times until you land on the best niche for you. Here’s an example:
Marketing → content marketing → SEO content marketing → SEO content marketing for nonprofits → SEO content marketing for nonprofits using blogs and articles
And just like that…you’ve decided on your niche! This works for any job role and industry. It’s actually genius in its simplicity. You’ll find more details on using this method here.
Step 3: Who is Your Target Audience?
Once you decide on your niche, you can then narrow down your target audience. This is the group of people who you think would be most inclined to do business with you. When you identify who you are trying to reach, where they are, and how you can engage them, the easier it will be to tell your story in an impactful way.
For example, let’s say your goal is to find a job in IT in Silicon Valley. Your target audience will be hiring managers and recruiters in the San Francisco Bay area, and most likely, you’ll find these professionals on LinkedIn, Indeed, and industry job boards. If you’re starting or promoting your own freelance design studio in your hometown, your target audience could be small businesses in that town who need design help. You may find them through your local Chamber of Commerce, and other community organizations.
Your target audience provides you a road map to tell your personal brand story to people who may be interested in hearing it wherever they are.
Step 4: Develop Your Brand Identity
It’s helpful to actually write out a few key messages regarding your brand story. You’ll have it to refer to when you are creating content later. The first thing you should write is your personal value proposition. As we discussed in Step 1, your value proposition is the one thing about yourself that offers value and sets you apart from others. Think of it as the headline for your LinkedIn profile (actually, you should USE IT in your LinkedIn profile).
After your value proposition, write your personal brand statement or elevator pitch. This is a short one to three sentence statement that summarizes who you are, what you offer, and why you are unique. It should be catchy enough to grab attention, but also convey important information about your experience and value. Use this statement as your go-to elevator speech at networking events, at the beginning of job interviews, and in your social media profiles.
From there, build out the details of your personal brand. Develop a story that illustrates your work experience and education, as well as life experiences that illustrate who you are. Deepen your story with testimonials and recommendations from teachers, co-workers, bosses, and others.
Think about what makes your story unique. What would you say if you were asked to play two truths and a lie? What would your two truths be? Keep it PG-13, but if those truths are applicable and interesting, use them to add color to your brand story.
As you write, remember who your target audience is. Use keywords that would be important to them. Use a tone they would recognize as similar to their own. In reality, you are writing a dating profile but for work. The same advice applies in either situation. Be honest, authentic, approachable, and highly “dateable”.
Step 5: Tell Your Story Online and Off
Now that you have a story to tell, it’s time to introduce your brand to the world. Remember that the internet never forgets and Google will always find you. Create the online brand you want to convey.
The easiest way to get to the top of the Google search page is to purchase your full name (yourname.com) as a URL domain and build a website there. If your goals include showing off what you do, this is the place to put it. Use your story content to fill your site with your story and other critical information. Add a portfolio or work page for additional content. The most important thing to include is a large and colorful “Contact Me” button on multiple pages so that you can foster a new connection with even more valuable content.
Next, use your “dating profile” to optimize your social media accounts. In most business cases, you should include LinkedIn in that list. LinkedIn is increasingly used for business networking and recruiting purposes. It’s worth the time you spend there, connecting with like-minded associates and businesses. If your target audience uses other social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram for business purposes, build a profile there, as well. While your story would be the same in all cases, try to tailor the tone and message to the segment of your target audience who uses the platform. But don’t stop at just creating profiles. Social media only works when you are active on it. Make sure to post, like, comment, and share as often as you can.
Although the last two years have put a damper on in-person networking, it’s still a highly effective way to build your personal brand. Meeting peers and industry thought leaders (either virtually or in person) can be instrumental in furthering your career or business. Also, consider joining professional groups to take advantage of their programming and events. You’ll meet people in your field and learn new things about your sector.
The more connections you make—and the more value you can provide in your interactions—the more likely your personal brand will be recognized. Since 85 percent of all jobs are filled through networking, it is in your best interest to regularly attend these events when you can. If you meet someone interesting, don’t be shy about asking to meet again for more conversation. And remember to connect via email or LinkedIn to keep the conversation going.
Sounds easy peasy, right? If you aren’t so sure, I love helping clients find and tell their personal brand stories. I’ll get you sorted out quicker than you can say “elevator speech”. Give me a shout and let’s get started!