How do you build a professional brand?

Building a professional brand involves various elements, and defining your target audience is a crucial step in the process. In my experience, if you get this step wrong the others fail to yield desired results. A few additional things to focus on: Research your industry and competition, Create buyer personas, Network and collaborate, and Solicit feedback and adapt. Building a professional brand is a lifelong pursuit! Stay consistent, authentic, and true to your values throughout the process. By identifying and understanding your target audience, you can create a brand that resonates with clients and cultivates long-term relationships.

In my experience, when building a brand, it's worthy to consider the organizational stakeholders and how your brand would be of benefit to them. Building a great brand profits not just you, but the organization you work, have worked and would work for. Some things not commonly talked about when building a brand are: Integrity, Selflessness, Leadership and People Management Skill. Why are these elements critical? They are because your brand isn't just for yourself but in use and for use by other people. And since we are humans, the real humans need to benefit. So having the right human and social qualities, I postulate, are critical for building a great brand. In the end, whats the essence of a great brand without the right values.

Identifying target audience for brand building is different than product building. While building a product one might want to focus on improving the overall attributes and service that the product offers as per the consumer need. Brand building starts after the consumer has used the product or seen the communication related to the product. It’s the value that stays with the consumer. These factors that contributes makes the brand unforgettable or stand out from the rest. Identifying the values that consumer associates with the brand and focusing the communication around these points helps build the brand further and recall.

Conduct market research to understand your industry landscape. Identify the needs, challenges, and aspirations of your potential clients or customers. Explore the current trends, demands, and gaps in the market. Through doing this, you can narrow down your audience based on demographics, psychographics, and characteristics. Factors to consider are age, gender, location, industry, job title, interests, and pain points. Create buyer personas that represent your ideal clients. It is important to dive deep into understanding your target audience's needs, challenges, and aspirations. What problems do they face, and how can you provide solutions? What are their goals and desires? Identify the specific benefits or outcomes they seek.

This is mentioned in a section below but I think it's worth repeating here: "Personal accounts often drive more engagement than corporate accounts because we are naturally drawn to human stories." To simplify, people are drawn to people. We crave human connection. And going about this exercise as if it's a corporate brand has me cringing a bit. Perhaps your #1 audience is YOU. IMHO, the first step should be self-reflection and achieving a higher level of self-awareness. What are your favorite achievements? Why? What's your goal in your career and in life? What do you love about yourself? What do you think makes you unique? What kind of person do you want to become? Answers to these questions will help guide all the next steps.

I believe in interacting with people is a great skill to have in a field of business or social settings. Communication is key to success and to gain knowledge, understanding fellow employees helps me to develop and deliver message across the board. It is important my colleagues are appreciated which brings out the best of my colleagues and increases productivity and morale. This is a tested method which works well to improve and manage a team.

Dare to be authentic. Instead of trying to fit into what you think people want or what’s trending in the market, showcase who you truly are and what makes your brand so exceptional. If you know yourself and you know your market, authenticity is your strongest competitive advantage. No one can do what you do, and your brand should be a testament to that unique value proposition. The best way to achieve authenticity is to be very intentional when developing your mission, vision, and values. Use those as the foundation for your brand. Refer back to them constantly as a guide. They will help you create a consistent, powerful brand that authentically reflects who you are and the unique value you bring to your intended target audience.

Yes, You should consider your UVP as its the statement that summarizes you. It's also the statement that attracts people to you and gives you the top of mind awareness (TOMA) in the eyes, brain and mind (not forgetting their ears). That way the 5 Senses are also critical and at play here. You might wonder why, but your words when perfectly crafted and communicated, becomes, felt, seen, heard and digested... add the other elements you can think about while I close by saying your UVP = TOMA.

Craft a Consistent Image and Message Consistency is key when establishing trust and recognition. Ensure that your online profiles, such as LinkedIn, personal website, and other platforms, have the same professional photo and use a uniform description or bio.

Engage and Network Engage with your target audience by sharing relevant content, attending industry events, joining professional associations, and networking online and offline. Building relationships will amplify your brand's reach.

Your visual identity tells your story even before someone has a chance to read the words. Think about visual cues such as colour, textures, and patterns to form your brand identity. For example, I use eucalyptus green for my sustainability passion and marble imagery to signify trust and prestige. On LinkedIn, your profile photo and cover photo should be cohesive and tell your story. With your profile photo, use a high-quality one and integrate your colour into the photo. This will help you stand out when your photo icon is small in the comment section. Many top LinkedIn voices have a solid coloured background to capture attention.

Consider your brand's personality, target audience, and desired brand perception. Conduct market research and competitor analysis to provide insights into what works well in your industry. Design a logo that represents your brand and works across different platforms. Choose a colour scheme that aligns with your brand's personality and values in colours that completement each other. Use a set of fonts that reflect your brand's style and readability. Consider a combination of fonts - headings, subheadings, and body text, to create hierarchy/ visual interest. Define the style and type of imagery representing your brand. Do you prefer illustrations, photos, or a combination? Ensure that the visuals align with your brand's tone and message.

Stay Updated with Design Trends While consistency is vital, it's also essential to keep your visual identity fresh. Regularly revisit and tweak elements to keep them modern and relevant.

Developing your visual identity is crucial for a consistent and recognizable professional brand. Tailor it to your unique value proposition and communication style. For instance, if you're a creative communicator, consider using bright colors and playful design elements. On the other hand, if you lean towards professionalism, opt for a clean and sophisticated style with a muted color palette. Incorporate subtle elements related to financial mathematics and industrial statistics to reflect your expertise. Consistency across platforms is key to reinforcing your brand and making a lasting impression on your target audience.

L'identité visuelle ne se résume pas à un logo mais à tout l'univers graphique qui représente une marque. Il est primordial que l'identité visuelle repose sur les valeurs de l'entreprise et véhicule un message qui parle aux cibles. Le logo doit être LISIBLE, se démarquer de la concurrence et être mémorisable. Pour être impactante une identité visuelle doit conserver une cohérence sur l'ensemble des supports de communication.

Personal accounts often drive more engagement than corporate accounts because we are naturally drawn to human stories. Authenticity comes not only from your tone, but by also offering a sense of who you are beyond your work. A great way to do this without having to go into personal aspects of your life is to share the things that inspire you. This can be things like your mentors, favourite books and music, trusted journalists, or places to visit.

Incorporate Personal Elements Include elements that are uniquely you, such as a signature color, pattern, or motif. It adds a personal touch and sets you apart. Quality Over Quantity It's essential to ensure that every visual element is of the highest quality. Blurry images or pixelated logos can harm your brand's perception.

Developing your voice and tone is crucial for effective communication across professions. Ensure authenticity and alignment with your unique value proposition (UVP). Maintain professionalism with clarity and precision, adapting your tone to suit diverse situations and audiences. Whether confident and authoritative or innovative and creative, let your voice reflect your brand identity, making a lasting impression in your professional interactions.

Seek and share testimonials. Request testimonials from satisfied clients, colleagues, or industry experts who can vouch for your expertise and the value you provide. Display these testimonials on your website and social media platforms to build trust and credibility, remember LIKE, KNOW, TRUST is key to attaining and retaining your clients/ customers.

Showcasing your expertise and credibility is crucial for building a strong professional brand. Create and share valuable content, such as blog posts or project highlights, to demonstrate your knowledge and skills. Utilize platforms like LinkedIn to engage with your network and gather testimonials for social proof. Actively participate in relevant communities and events to establish yourself as an authority in your field. Consistency in sharing insights and successes will enhance your online presence and solidify your reputation as a trusted professional.

Showcasing your expertise and credibility in professional branding is like being a reliable tour guide on a complex journey. It reassures your audience that you have the knowledge and experience to lead them to their desired destination, making the journey less daunting and more fulfilling. Without this, they might hesitate to follow you, unsure if you can truly guide them where they need to go.

Creating a professional brand is not a one-and-done deal. Throughout your career, it's very important to keep refining your brand to ensure it aligns with your achievements and goals. When you are evolving, your professional brand should also be evolving.

Always get feedback and make sure it aligns with you target clients. Brands evolve as well, so you need to make sure you are capturing the changes.

Distinction needs to be made between a business brand and personal branding in the article. Most of the sections seem to be pertaining to a business brand but the tone of voice section blurs between the two. In regards to personal branding - focusing on your industry is key as this would shape the tone of voice you would deploy.

Consistency is key. Introducing Matilda: A dedicated fitness enthusiast who chronicled her journey on social media. Over the course of a year, her progress snapshots and uplifting posts ignited motivation in thousands. Her unwavering commitment not only transformed her own life but also fostered a thriving, supportive community. The power of consistent, everyday efforts lead to extraordinary outcomes. Matilda didn't become the powerhouse she is by following a mere fleeting plan. Instead, she persevered through challenges, embodying the true meaning of her name - "mighty in battle." So, are you ready to step up and be the next Matilda?