Define the brand ‘YOU’

when it comes to Social Media and Public Relations (PR) one needs to look into the mirror and look at a brand not just a person. Pretty much like the difference between Product v/s Product Brand similarly the difference between Person v/s Personal Brand.

Personal Branding comes handy to influence people, companies and causes. But Personal Branding is not something to be left to chance. It needs to be a conscious decision and needs to be steered in the desired direction by the ‘PERSON’ herself or himself. Though she/he can have others on board to help but she/he needs to act like the captain of the ship.

Yet again just having a wishful thinking is not enough in this case. Here people need to walk the talk. So be doubly sure of what you are committing to. Ideally plan to project an image which is real. The real you with it’s goodness as well as the flaws makes the most successful Brand YOU.

Trying to project an image suggested by a brand consultant or a PR agency may look great in a presentation but might not be what you as a person actually believe in. Trying to gun for an imagery like that one may often fall flat or else it will be short lived and shallow. To maintain such an imagery one always need to be pretentious.

Here are a few simple things one can do to kickstart a personal brand.

create a word map

be a Batman not a Superman

identify your landscape and start the walk

create a word map:

make a list of words you would like yourself to be associated with. it could be an adjective, an industry, a cause or a skill. Once done making a list of all these words start creating content and conversations around the same.

be a Batman not a Superman:

don’t try to be a superman a person who is so good and so perfect that it becomes difficult to believe him to be true. don’t project yourself as so good and perfect that you start looking more like a fictional character than a real person people would like to collaborate with, work with, follow, hire or just be inspired by. Be a batman a guy who is out there to do good, his intent is good but he too has doubts and failures. every time he falls he gets up and improvises as he goes on. there is more emotion to his story.

identify your landscape and start the walk:

as we discussed nothing is to be left to chance, we need to be specific, everything we say or do should be purpose driven. it’s critical to connect

WHERE —> WHAT

everything is not meant for every medium, be specific, say only that much that is required. it gives an impression of an expert.

which social media channel to pick and how to divide the content/information flow for each social media channel is important. similarly any PR opportunity should be thought through then just getting your picture out is meaningless unless the context is clear.

Once done all this start rolling. just remember it’s not an overnight stardom we are looking for, one should have patience expect a slow and steady result.