6 Basic Elements of Personal Branding

1. Photo

Before anyone reads your name or sees you in person for the first time, chances are that they will come across a picture of your online. Will you be dressed professionally in that picture? Investing in professional photography is a great plan as well. 

2. Name

Even your name is up for grabs in today’s digital world. Are you a Venki or a Venkat ? Are you the only one who comes up with your specific name in LinkedIn? How about Google? Choosing a consistent and distinct presentation of your name is a first step to allowing others to find and remember you. If you’re a Venkat Subramanium your might get a lot of traction from your full name of  C Venkat Subramanium Iyer . Are there a lot of Venkat Subramanuim s out there? Yep. C. Venkat Subramanium Iyer , Nope! So, rock that full name or middle initial to stand out. Just be sure to consistently use the same form of your name when using the other elements in this list.

3. Title/Headline

Have you seen people abuse the title field in LinkedIn? “Looking for opportunities to change the world of Hospitality” Don’t do that. But do make an effort to ensure your title accurately reflects your mission in life or business. Finding a relatable way to introduce your values through this title is a quick win in your personal branding efforts.

4. Design

Design isn’t just for the artistic. Design is  accessible these days, that there is no excuse not to put effort into the appearance of the elements that make up your brand. These include business  cards, your social media profiles, your website, and even your emails headers . A small logo or a consistent typeface can immediately tell you are serious about how you present yourself. Don’t try to teach yourself the principles of design, just pay someone else to do it ten times faster for you. The broader your brand, however, the more time and strategy that will be required to execute your design effectively. 

5. Technology

There isn’t much of a world left that hasn’t been touched by the modernization of technology and the internet in the past ten years. How you leverage this technology speaks to your self-awareness and your skills. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, or your website uses flash, you will unintentionally communicate that you have not kept up with the times. Consider getting your own domain name for email, and be sure your website is usable on a mobile device. 

6. Story

The most important piece of your personal brand is the story you choose to tell about who you are and the value you bring to the marketplace. Having a clear Mission, Vision, and Values will always help you form your personal brand, but those documents tend to be the story you tell yourself. What about the story you want to tell others? It could be personal, it could be a client success story, it could be an allegory or analogy. Once you settle on a story worth telling, you can allow that story to influence every other part of your personal branding.

With a bit of time and effort and a lot of consistency, a personal brand can be built that lives beyond your personal interactions and helps contribute to your overall success.