Having a strong personal brand is a part of life, whether you are aware of it or not – and it’s important! It’s something that needs to be consciously developed as ultimately, it is defining the image you are projecting.
Are you a Lawyer? Builder? Nurse? Photographer? It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, if you want to make your mark and be recognised in your field – or perhaps be better understood – you need to understand and develop your own personal brand.
Think social media presence, marketing and sales techniques, your work, passion, talents, personality and everything in between all rolled into one package. Yep! That’s YOU. That’s your brand and when marketing yourself, there are some important factors to consider:
Your audience:
The focus of your marketing must always be your audience. Ask yourself “What are their needs? How can I help them?” Sure, you could take a guess, but that’s risky.
An ideal way is to conduct a survey. Ask a few specific questions to uncover your demographic and find out exactly who wants to engage with you.
Yourself:
People want to connect with people. They want to see the face behind the name or the business. Are you presenting a great photo of yourself that helps establish credibility and builds trust? Have you got a great headshot that captures the real, authentic you?
Invest in a professional photo shoot, or, if you don’t have the budget, find a friend with a good quality camera and some basic photographic skills. Just a simple headshot of you looking into the lens, smiling, appearing approachable and friendly is all you need for your website and social media networks.
There are other options if you feel uncomfortable standing in front of the camera. How about a photo of you:
- Working at your computer
- Facilitating a workshop
- Taking photographs of your clients
- Speaking before a crowd
You get the idea…
Your value proposition:
What have you got to offer your audience? What will they get from investing their time or money listening to you, reading your content, or utilising your services? Do you offer resources to help them work smarter? To look or feel better? Do you offer personal insights and tips? Or perhaps you offer an escape from reality with your skills/talents?
Create a clear and simple answer and you will have your own personal value proposition. You may have to experiment and revise it from time to time, but this value proposition will become the basic framework of who you are and what you do.
Your brand slogan:
Think of all the white noise and constant chatter in the media today. Think of all the hashtags, headlines and click-bait out there that – try as you might to ignore it – constantly grabs your attention. Recognise how critical it is to quickly make a strong impression. A great way to do this is to refine your value proposition into one concise slogan.
Know – and show – your style:
Any memorable brand – your personal brand included – should be consistent. Try not to confuse your audience. Develop a look for your personal brand in all marketing material with:
- A professionally designed logo that says something about you/your business
- A colour palette reflecting your personal style
- Consistent use of fonts
Apply similar standards to everything you create: your website, business cards, advertising etc. But most of all, know who YOU are and how your packaging (the cover of your book) reflects the story you are trying to tell and what you are hoping to achieve.