7 Rules About Personal Branding
A personal brand can help you create a voice and an image that accompanies your professional career, whether this is as an entrepreneur or in the corporate world. Developing a brand doesn’t have to be a daunting task either. By sticking to a few basic rules, you can build a strong and flexible look that will take you places.
Rule 1: Stick to One Key Message
When your message is inconsisent, your personal brand can appear flaky and unprofessional. Remember, you can’t be everything to everyone so develop and stick to one key message. It’s also important for your message to appeal to your target demographic, while still being true to who you are and what you stand for.
Rule 2: Create a Genuine Story
Your story is an integral part of your personal brand. How did you get to where you are today? What struggles did you face and who were the people that inspired you along the way? Your audience wants to know more about who you are based on the experiences that shaped you. Make this story genuine if you want to build your business on a strong foundation. You can tell this story using written, visual, or video content – whatever fits you and your personal brand the best.
Rule 3: Don’t Be Scared to Fail
It’s only natural to experience failures, both in your personal and professional life. We’ve all been there! These failures aren’t an indicator that you should give up on all the hard work you’ve already put in. Instead, use them to re-evaluate your goals and action plan. In fact, these failures can further shape your story, giving you more experience to share.
Rule 4: Be Consistent
If you want your brand to appear credible and trustworthy, be consistent. One way to do this is to reach out to your ideal client regularly, so that you stay top of mind. Position yourself as an expert in your field by regularly creating content about your field of expertise.
Rule 5: Make Your Brand Visually Appealing
Photographs are an essential component of every personal brand. From your headshots to the images you use on your website and social media platforms – these images need to be professional and match the overall feel of your brand. It’s also important to keep any photos of yourself up to date. There’s nothing worse than seeing a person in real life who looks nothing like the photos you’ve seen online.
Rule 6: Live Your Brand
Take a page from the books of celebrities and local personalities and live your brand. This means regularly promoting yourself and sharing interesting content. This doesn’t mean you should let the personal and professional aspects of your life overlap though. It’s ok to show your audience your personality and quirks, but they should still see you as a professional.
Rule 7: Aim to Leave a Legacy
Lastly, before you take any actions associated with your personal brand, consider whether this fits in with the legacy you want to leave behind. What do you want people to remember about you once you’re no longer around?
There has never been a better time to create a personal brand and these rules will ensure you’re starting out on the right track.
If you’re unsure about what to post on social media sign up to my online content creation class on 24th April.