More than likely, you’ve heard of the term “personal branding” by now. Even if it was just in the title of this post. 😉
It’s one of these topics that anyone and everyone wants to be seen to be talking about and a lot of people find it cringeworthy. And we don’t blame them!
Matt has been talking about personal branding for a few years now and we it’s a fantastic opportunity for a lot of people.
What we’re not keen on is the pressure to be some sort of demi-god influencer who has to be the very best at what they do and shoot to the top of their industry in the matter of weeks.
That’s not what it’s about.
Personal branding is replacing the CV. It’s a fantastic tool that helps you stand out from the crowd and achieve whatever it is you want to achieve. That could be a new job, better awareness for your business or conquering the world. You decide!
So, how do you actually build a personal brand (in a non-cringey way)?
In this post, we’ll run you through six things that we think could help you become a world-dominating demi-god influencer. 😉
Be yourself
You need to live your personal brand.
That isn’t meant to sound scary, but your personal brand is just who you are so you’ll be living it 24/7, 365 days a year.
If you try to be something you’re not, you’ll be acting the whole time, which is tough! So just be you – it’s much easier.
When you connect with someone at a networking event, they’ll want to see the same person reflected online too.
When you’re asked your opinion in a job interview, it can’t contradict what you’ve previously said in your cover letter.
When someone speaks to other people about you, you want them all to be saying the same, positive things about you.
To make it easy for yourself, just be you. Show your personality a bit and drop that corporate guard.
If you are yourself, people with similar interests will connect with you. Companies that fit your values will want to work with you. And most importantly, you won’t have to think about it.
Know where you’re going
What’s the aim?
Not short-term, long-term!
Do you want to be a leading palaeontologist? A pundit on the BBC? Own a fashion label?
Whatever it is, make every decision with that in mind.
Thinking long-term gives you direction and a centre line to work from.
If it’s genuinely what you want, don’t compromise on that. Keep working towards it.
Tell a story
As human beings, we love a story. We love the narrative.
This includes the good times and the bad.
Think about how you can take your audience on that journey with you?
Generally speaking, the more you share with them, the more connected and invested in what you’re doing they become.
Opting for a story over a corporate façade allows people to connect with you as an individual and therefore they’re more likely to share opportunities with you. Especially if you share the highs and the lows.
Build a presence
It’s not all about quantity, but the more people you can get your face in front of, the better chance you have of meeting the people who can help you get to the next level.
Even if you opt for a pure quality over quantity approach, you need to get your name out there in some capacity.
Our advice is don’t be afraid to snap up opportunities.
If confidence is an issue, say yes to opportunities that are only a little bit outside your comfort zone to start with. Then, slowly build from there.
But, generally, take the opportunities because you never know what might come of them.
Know your audience
As much as your personal brand is primarily about being yourself, you do need to understand who your audience are and what they want.
Without knowing this, you’re not going to get the most out of them.
Depending on what you’re looking to get from your personal brand, you want your audience to be your fans, advocates, referees, clients, employers. And for this to happen, you need to give them what they want.
The people following you on Instagram might want something different to your Twitter audience.
Your YouTube subscribers consume information in a different way to your newsletter subscribers.
People might be in a different frame of mind when they’re on Facebook compared to LinkedIn.
Appreciate your audience
We love to be acknowledged by those that we follow. And this plays massively into your hands!
If you give a cheeky retweet to the someone who you spoke to at a networking event, it’s likely that they’ll reciprocate that.
If you reply to people commenting on your posts, it will make them feel good and they’ll probably do it again.
If you drop a direct message to someone who has been supporting you for a while, they’re likely to keep it up.
All of these small little actions mean something much more to your followers and can pay dividends in the future.
Wrapping up
So, if you’re looking to build your personal brand, take these guidance points, implement them and see what effect they have on your performance.
If you’re looking to take your personal brand to the next level our Content Strategy packages might be ideal for you.
If you’d like to discuss this further, email hello@differentresonance.co.uk.