The company or other institution for which you work has a branding strategy, and if you're a professional with a reputation to uphold, you should have a personal branding strategy. The face that you put forward will determine who will be willing to work with you and how you'll be treated in everyday interactions. It can even determine whether you get a job in your chosen field. There's no denying that your personal branding matters significantly to your career, but you also might not know how to create a personal branding strategy. That's why we're here to tell you these four foundational principles of creating a personal brand.
Edit Yourself Online
With the invention of social media, we're all reaching beyond our backyards through online media. It's critical that you know what people are saying about you and how you're being perceived. Make the things that you post online meaningful. No one wants to read that you did laundry on Saturday. Instead, you should post things that add value to a conversation in whatever industry that you work. You should also monitor what other people are saying about you online, and you should create a website about yourself that showcases your resume and professional interests.
Employ the Power of Narrative
Having a story is essential if you want people to understand what you're about. Donald Miller's StoryBrand explains the power of narrative in creating a personal brand with which people connect. Stories can be very powerful. For example, for lawyers in court, stories can even make or break a legal argument. Similarly, stories can make or break your personal brand. You should develop a personal brand that's personable because trying to come across like a large corporation when you're an individual can seem disingenuous. You want people to see you as relatable, which is what makes stories so effective in personal branding.
Have a Vision
One of the most important steps in creating a personal brand is to have a solid vision. Think about what you want in a few years and a couple of decades. You should also think about the values, passions, ideal traits and other things that you would like to show people in your professional and personal life.
Figure Out Your Target Audience
When you have a message that you'd like to send, you need to identify how to communicate it and make it meaningful to a particular audience. You might have people in several types of industries that you're trying to reach. Take a look at how you can bring meaning to each type of person in your network.
Creating and solidifying your personal brand is one of the most important things you can do to help yourself get noticed in your industry. More people today are creating personal brands to get jobs and earn public speaking opportunities. This year can be the time that you launch your personal brand and gain the opportunities and recognition that you've always wanted.
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