WHY AND HOW: CULTIVATING A PERSONAL BRAND

This week:

• A few thoughts on why you should put in the effort to cultivate a personal brand - and how to do so.
• Advice on how communicate more effectively.
• Something for your personal tech-stack.

BUILDING YOUR PERSONAL BRAND: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES AND DRIVING BUSINESS GROWTH

To remain known in today's content-saturated digital landscape , personal branding is a requirement - not something to consider, but cultivate - which is especially the case for entrepreneurs, startup founders, and leaders of a business.?

It’s literally the difference between success and failure.

What does having a strong personal brand do for you? It pays dividends:

• It attracts investors, partners, clients, and employees alike - allowing you to build a community of supporters who are (really) passionate about your business and its mission, making referrals and closing business (and generating revenue) all the easier.?
• It affords credibility, fosters trust, increases the visibility of your business - and - more than anything - creates opportunities that might not have been available otherwise.?

Cultivating a strong personal brand doesn’t happen overnight. It requires effort, applied consistently over (an extended period of) time - but most importantly - it requires your authentic self.?

To do this, you need to:?

Conduct a self-audit: the first part of this involves (authentic) self-reflection. This involves identifying your strengths (and weak points), what you stand for and want to be known for , the value you bring to your industry, and - above all - what makes you different.?

Define your target audience: take your value proposition and determine who it resonates with .. this can be prospective clients, investors, partners, or peers .. but whoever it is, understanding them (what makes them tick) is crucial as it’s determinative of your messaging, the platforms (or: channels) you use, and the way you engage with your community.

Create your brand statement: this is a clear, concise statement of who you are, what you do, and what sets you apart - and (this is very important) should be consistent across all your platforms (or: channels) and communications.

Build your online presence: it’s a digital reality we share, which means - if you’re not online (and consistently so) - you’re not being seen by the vast majority of your target audience. Your online presence needs to be:

• Relevant: choose platforms that are most relevant to your brand and audience, which can include social media (like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok), a personal website, a blog (or vlog, podcast, or Youtube channel), or professional networks (like LinkedIn ).?
• Clean: ensure your profiles are fleshed out, follow best practices, and consistent with your brand statement.
• Loud: regularly post content that adds value and resonates with your audience.

Network (but be smart about it): attend industry events, engage with your online community, collaborate with others in your field, and cultivate relationships. This expands your reach, builds your authority, and strengthens your brand.?

Be consistent: consistency is (perhaps) the most important thing here for a few different (but interconnected) reasons:

• Reinforcing your messaging: repetition works to reinforce your message and build an association (in the minds of your audience) between you and your unique value proposition.?
• Establishing recognition: consistency in your visual elements, tone, and messaging creates an image people will recognize and associate with you.
• Differentiation: consistency makes you more memorable, which differentiates you from the noise.?

Constantly learn and adapt: stay in front of trends and changes in your industry, pivot and shift as you’re exposed to new ideas, and ensure your messaging remains relevant to your target audience.

Remember - this isn’t a one-off thing - but an ongoing process.?

Your personal brand (if you put in the effort to make it so) can open doors, create opportunities, and be what drives your business forward - but (once again) it’s a marathon - so, embrace the process, learn from your mistakes (you’re going to make them), and be consistent

WORTH YOUR TIME: ADVICE FOR MORE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Creating a personal brand involves (a lot of) talking, interaction, and listening - and so, if you’d like your personal brand to be a strong one - you should work on communication - and empathy.?

Here are a few links for you:?

• This article (by Melanie Pinola ) on different avenues you can take to improve how you communicate with others. (One of the positive things about this article: it’s rich in links to further readings.)
• This article (by Amanda O'Bryan for PositivePsychology.com ) on how to practice active listening.
• This blog (by Julia Martins for Asana ) on how to better encode and decode nonverbal cues.

TRY THIS: AN AI/ML COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR

Feedback makes this - working on the way you present yourself and communicate - much more effective and efficient - but it’s not so easy to obtain (because how awkward does it feel to - at the end of a meeting - ask for feedback?)?

It is with Yoodli - though.

Yoodli AI Communication Coach is an AI/ML platform designed to improve your communication skills by analyzing your speech, content, and delivery - and offering feedback - either in real time or after the fact.

With Yoodli - each virtual interaction you have - becomes an opportunity to improve.?

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Check it out - and let me know what you think - and also, pass along any recommendations you have on new and useful tech.

Find this useful? Let me know what (and why) in the comments - and if you didn't - I'm (to be honest) more interested in what you to say.

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Cheers.