Building a Personal Brand

I was having a conversation with one of my buddy the other day where she told me about her role model “Victoria Beckham”. She particularly gushed about how she has risen to become a fashion icon as a personal brand and if anything, she would like to be like her. Thing is, Victoria already had an audience before she became a fashion icon. Before she became branded as a phenomenal fashion icon, she was a singer and rose to fame with her all-female pop group "Spice Girls" followed by a couple of hit singles and then she got married to the famous David Beckham at his prime.

For someone with no prior audience like hers, her principles will certainly almost not apply. So how does one build a personal brand from nothing? This article covers all you need to know to come out smiling at the end of the tunnel.

But before I proceed, you should know two things. building a personal brand is all about leaving a psychological imprint in the mind of your audience, it takes time and consistency. Also, that's not victoria Beckham's wife up there, that's my buddy, Sarah.

In my previous article I defined what a brand is, and the importance of a brand story. If you missed that article, you can find it here.

Moving on, by now we should understand that a brand is personable, as it exist in the mind of people as an intangible element. This is what makes it possible for you to build a personal brand as accustomed to a company brand.

The most uncommon truth about personal branding today, however, is that we all have a personal brand, something we are known for, we just haven’t cultivated it and so it becomes defined for us. So, if you are looking to cultivate yourself as a brand like my friend Sarah, then this article is for you. But before that, let’s look at some of the benefits of personal branding shall we.

Benefits of Personal Branding

Whether you work for an organization or lead one, a personal brand can do more than double your ROI. Some other benefits of personal branding include:

• Promotions
• Influencer Engagement
• Better job offers
• Partnerships

Steps in Building your Personal Brand

Think of yourself as a brand

When I get referrals for freelance gigs, it’s always on writing gigs. Does that mean I don’t have any other skills I can sell? Far from it. I built my own blog from scratch, built an e-commerce store as an experiment and sometimes when I communicate with certain people, I sound like a graphics designer. While I can offer these other services at an intermediary level, my personal brand is all about content creation(writing) and it’s all I am known for and all I want to be known for.

The question is, what do you wish people to associate with you. Is there a subject matter you want to be perceived as an expert in or you have general qualities you want to be associated with. Once you have a firm grasp of what you want your personal brand to represent, you can then begin to be more strategic about creating the right impression.

Secure a personal website and audit your online presence

When people search your name on the web, what do they see? Its most likely nothing. Try an anonymous search right now and see what pops up. The best way to audit your online presence is with a personal website with your name as a domain. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be a 3 pager that allows you to show your work samples, resume, a brief bio and links to your social media. Alternatively, if you blog with your name on platforms like medium, quora, Reddit and other such platforms, it could still be a way to show your presence and your knowledge in your chosen industry. For those with fairly popular names, it’s important that you differentiate yourself from others with a middle name or middle name initial.

Be purposeful with what you share

Just recently I had a dispute with a friend and colleague looking into personal branding. He was with the opinion that if you keep looking for the best things to share, you will never publish anything. This according to him he got from his mentor “Garyvee”. Of course, I was of a different opinion. I told him you have to be purposeful with what you share and that not every single idea that comes into your head should see your page. In his defense, he stated that if one keeps accumulating drafts, he’d never share anything.

Anyone who is truly looking into personal branding, and isn’t purposeful with what he or she shares certainly isn’t ready to build a brand. Just imagine Neil Patal who is renowned as an SEO specialist rummaging from designs, branding, marketing, animations and more. You won’t know him today as an expert in SEO, that’s if you even hear of him at all. How did that saying go? Jack of all trades, master of none. Always remember the goal is to create a mental picture of what you do and represent. Don’t confuse your audience as to what your personal brand represents.

Find ways to create value

What kind of content do you publish? Are you helping people solve a problem in your field with your content or doing something else? If it isn’t the former, you should consider publishing content that adds value to people in your industry. In time this will create a psychological perception of who you are and what you represent.

Tell your story

A strong brand relies sturdily on a well thought out story. This is especially important if you have multiple interests and passions. A well-written narrative becomes crucial to unifying your brand theme.

Were you thinking building a personal branding is a mountain climb? I can assure you it is not. Follow these steps and stay consistent. it's that easy.

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If you need help defining and penning down a great narrative, I am just a DM away. Also, check out my profile to learn all I can help you and your business achieve.