Be the Best You

Cultivating a Personal Brand that Enhances Your Networking Impact

When was the last time you asked yourself who you are as a business professional? Could you, in a sentence, sum up what unique qualities you bring to your work? Most importantly, how do you make “you” come across in all your communications? If you haven’t thought about it recently, take the time. Having a solid personal brand philosophy backing all your social media and content creation can be incredibly effective at enhancing your networking impact.?

Find the “You” in Everything You Do

Personal branding requires you to think of yourself as a brand with a unique story, values, and expertise to bring to the table. Discovering what drives you and what makes you the best at what you do allows you to craft a self narrative for your personal brand. Your narrative should showcase what “you” is brought to everything you do.?

Finding the “you” in everything you do means identifying your strengths, passions, and professional goals. Together, these form the foundation of your personal brand. Everything you do in your professional life and put in the public domain should grow from this foundation and expand upon it.?

Putting “You” Out There

There are lots of great people in the world and the vast majority of them don’t get recognized for how awesome they are because there’s no way for prospective employers or business partners to know about them. Getting your personal brand recognized and expanding your network requires legwork. You have to make the effort to put “you” out there. That means generating content. Whether your content is in blog, video, infographic, or other form, consistent content creation helps position you as an authority in your field and boosts your personal brand.?

All the content you create should be grounded in your personal brand and–whenever and wherever possible–relevant to the lives and occupations of those you’re sharing with. The key is not just to create content, but to create content that matters. Some starter thoughts: share your insights on emerging trends, offer solutions to common challenges, and participate in relevant conversations. Becoming a thought leader in your space can help you amplify your personal brand and add people to your professional network.?

Turn Social Media into a Vehicle for Success

Social media is essential for personal branding and networking on a large scale. Social media allows you to reach far more contacts faster than with in-person meetups, though the benefits of being able to shake hands and look a person in the eye are truly undeniable. However, platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram allow you to showcase your professional journey,? and share your accomplishments in a curated way while also engaging with a global audience.?

Three keys to social media success include a professional photo, a compelling bio, and regular updates. To remain relevant or “trending,” you need all three. To help get you there, you can join industry-specific groups, participate in discussions, and leverage hashtags to increase the visibility of your content and to give you timely, relevant posts to stay top-of-mind with your contacts. With these tools, you can exponentially expand your reach. And, with the right brand persona in place, you can use that reach to foster meaningful connections.

To get the most out of those connections, ensure that you are focused on the quality, not just the quantity of connections. Be as genuine and as true to your personal brand as you can, offer support, and build relationships over time based on mutual respect and value. With your personal brand in place and your posts updated, your network should thrive.