In the July issue, we defined your Personal Brand, discussed some of the benefits and outlined a few steps to take in creating your personal brand. Now what?
What's the difference between my personal brand and my company brand?
If you are an entrepreneur, it can be easy to confuse your personal brand with your company brand. If you're a very small firm, you may very well personify the company brand. Goals for both types of brands can include gaining awareness, building customer trust and earning loyalty.
As a business owner, you'll try to hire employees that share the brand attributes of your company, since they represent you. To further develop and distinguish your personal brand, make sure that some of what you do to remain visible and promote your business is done under your name and not that of the company. For example, you could have a company website and company Facebook page, but you could blog under your own name and have a personal Twitter account.
How do I promote my personal brand?
Have you ever googled yourself? You might be surprised by what you find. (For instance, I find that there is a fairly active realtor from Berkeley named Barbara Hendrickson....).
Your personal brand is communicated in everything that you do. Steps that will make you more visible in the marketplace and give people a chance to get to know how you work can include:
- Manage your online presence. Make sure all of your social media profiles are up to date including a current professional photo, and that you are listed in the directories of business or professional organizations.
- Accept leadership roles in associations or groups
- Volunteer to serve on committees that demonstrate your skill set
- Create a personal blog, or contribute to other's blogs as a guest
- Complete your LinkedIn profile: this is now your virtual resume and a great showcase for your personal brand. Complete the Current Projects or Case Histories sections of your profile to demonstrate the types of projects in which you are involved.
- Request recommendations - on LinkedIn but also Testimonials from happy clients that can be included on your website.
- Nominate yourself or ask someone to nominate you for business award programs. These are excellent opportunities to tell your story and talk about accomplishments in a public setting.
It's often said that people trust people, not businesses. Whether you are the owner of the company or an employee, you are conveying a "brand". (If you are working for a company that is at odds with your personal brand, it might be time to start looking around. You will be judged by the company you keep.)
When is personal branding important?
Always. Be intentional about communicating your value in everything that you do. Your "brand" is what makes you unique, memorable and helps differentiate you from your competitors.
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