3 Signs Your Executive Brand Needs Work

The best-known executives in the business world didn't end up with a stellar personal brand by accident. They spent a significant amount of time and energy building that reputation and controlling their public image. As the saying goes, "If you're not branding yourself, you can be sure others are doing it for you." It's not an easy task to develop a personal brand, though; it requires constant upkeep. Here are three signs of a sub-par executive brand:

1. Your Google Results Are Dry

If someone googles your name and the first results are outdated webpages, old photos, or neglected social media profiles, it's time for some work. Your Google page-1 should be an up-to-date glance at your best moments — and most recent.

2. You Have an Inconsistent Brand Message

Executive brands must be consistent to build trust and credibility. That means your philosophy, vision, and core tenets should be written out early in your career and rigorously maintained. These guidelines help keep future content on point and create a uniform body of work under your brand. 

3. You Don't Control the Narrative

You should be in control of your executive brand, not others. If there's a shortage of information about you on the web, someone will step in to fill the void. That’s not a good thing. Putting in the work upfront to build a digital wall of positive, valuable content helps you control your story from the beginning. Don't cede that power to anyone else. 

Where to Start:

First, build an executive branding document. Define how you want to be perceived by the public and what you’ll need to get there. Determine what the benefits would be once that is accomplished.

Maintaining your executive brand could mean the difference between an opportunity won or lost. If you need help developing your executive brand, reach out to Massive. It's too important to leave your name up to chance. 

Tom Popomaronis is Executive Vice President of Innovation at Massive Alliance, a global service agency providing reputation management, internet monitoring, and data & security threat surveillance. Tom co-founded Massive's Executive Leadership Branding service, which is a pioneering program that empowers executives to become a leading authority in their industry.

Tom is also a leadership columnist at CNBC Make It and Entrepreneur Magazine and has published over 500 articles with Inc. Magazine & Forbes.