Personal Brand or Personal Bland?

8 Proven Steps to Create a Great Personal Brand!

We have all heard about 'personal branding' and its importance but with so much information out there, it can be daunting and not to mention a lot of it is just fluff and adds to what I call a 'Personal Bland' which is just being bland and having a brand just simply to get noticed.

Over the past 18 months, I have thought long and hard about creating my brand (https://www.writeway.com.au/) and after much introspection and study, I believe that the following 8 steps (proven strategies) serve as guideposts to creating a great personal brand that is Purposeful, Authentic and not Fluffy or Bland. Follow these steps sequentially to get the full benefits.

1. Start Inside

Essentially this is all about knowing you're 'Why'. Why do you do what you do? What do you have to offer the world? Remember the world needs your gift whatever that is - digital marketing, copywriting, graphic design fill-in-the-blank. What are your skills, talents, passions, etc? What problems do you solve? What would you like to be good at? Step one is your foundation. Without it, you’re just drifting with no purpose, not fully reaching your potential. This step I believe is the hardest as it requires soul searching. However, it’s worth it!

2. Learn from Others

The fastest way to learn anything is to seek out people already excelling at it, and learn from them. This is what role models and mentors are all about. With so many brands out there both big and small you face no shortage of inspiration. Just do some research and find some brands you like and look at what works and what doesn't. What can you take and apply to your brand?

3. How You Want to be Seen

At some level, most of us already know how we want others to see us. It's instinctual and hardwired in us given we are social creatures. When it comes to your brand, consider things like do you want to be seen as a thought leader, contributor? expert in your field ?. What about your values? Do you stand for honesty, compassion, accountability, etc? What is your overall brand persona? conservative, corporate, fun and quirky?

4. Stand Out From the Crowd

Just like with your resume you must stand out from the crowd and aim to go against the grain. Remember people pay attention to what is different. Don't just be part of the cookie-cutter culture. To truly stand out consider maximising aspects like your personality, leadership skills, level of influence, and the way you contribute to society.

5. Be of Great Service

Ultimately any brand is always about being of service to others. Ideally, you should be constantly asking how can I add more value and service to my customers? Consider having monthly reviews on this one topic alone. You must know who your target audience is for this step to work. Are you servicing teenagers, young adults, millennials, etc? Keep in mind that just like in retail, if you take the attitude of adding more value and service than anyone else, you will have customers for life and your reputation will grow.

6. Have Integrity

Brian Tracey says that Integrity is the foundation of your brand. I couldn't agree more as there is no nothing more damaging to your brand than being seen as someone with little or no integrity. Its integrity that builds long term relationships, fosters trust and makes people come back to you. Be authentic and caring. Keep promises to customers whenever possible. Your private behaviour should match your public image. You want to be the same outside as on the inside 24/7. This is how reputations are built and people judge you by your reputation so make sure it’s a great one.

7. Market yourself

Once you have the above steps sorted, it’s now time to market yourself. Put in place a marketing strategy. For it to be effective it must include networking both online and offline. This is all about 'selling yourself' which if done with integrity and purpose, is useful and essential in building your career. Your marketing strategy should include things like social media, having a website, blog, attending industry events, business cards, etc.

8. Innovate and Upskill

In a fast-changing world with new technologies disrupting the workforce, you will get left behind if you don't innovate and upskill to meet the changing environment. Never fall into the trap of being complacent because you have made it and are well established. This is one of the biggest mistakes to make. Brands that stand the test of time, have all innovated and upskilled to get with the times, often changing their entire approach to business.

In conclusion, creating a great personal brand is important no matter what industry you're in. It will expand your career and help to create a powerful public image. Start with these 8 steps to get the momentum going.

P.S. We are all brands whether we know it consciously or not. Just Google yourself and see how you come up. Do you like what you see? If not change it!