Why your Personal Brand is vital to your career success
How are you going to stand out from the crowd when there are so many others jostling for position? How do you build your personal brand for your business and career success?
Basic marketing principles are all about frequency and reach however what are you frequently projecting to your target audience? People make instant judgment about you (the old adage of ‘you only get one chance to make a first impression.’) So what are you to do?
1. What’s your pitch and is it compelling?
Clearly define yourself – what it is that you and your business do, in 30 seconds or less. Most people will put you into a mental category depending on how compelling your opening statement sounds. Tell them what you typically do, what problems you solve, and for whom.
2. Master your image
Prospective clients, recruiters and countless professionals turn to Google and other search engines to research specific topics and service providers. Tap into search engine marketing to build brand awareness. What comes up when you Google yourself? If you aren’t on page one, you are as good as invisible.
Create a compelling website, and a strong LinkedIn profile, Facebook business page, Twitter profile and blog. Are you presenting yourself in the most professional manner for your business or your self? If not, find out how you can build your Personal Brand for career success today
3. Make your point heard
Establish yourself as the subject matter expert in your field – one who is unique and brings services that are indispensable. Broadcast your views to as many of your relevant audience as possible (think about your blog, podcasts, online video channels, etc.)
You can also blog for others, submit bylined articles to trade magazines in exchange for a byline and link to your website and don’t forget to volunteer as a speaker at trade events. That’s a great way to gain face time with a captive audience.
4. Be Generous with Your Time
Be helpful to other business owners, contribute to charitable causes that make your heart sing – these are acts of kindness and generosity aren’t just good for building character, they generate goodwill and help build invaluable relationships and connections that may be mutually beneficial in the future.
Establish trust, grow your network and make a positive impact. It’s amazing where referrals come from and all because you took the time to build strong relationships. It’s not always about ‘what’s in it for me’ – I believe we are on this earth to live, love and leave a legacy. If you build a successful business along the way, then that’s a great bonus.
5. Get out and meet people – just turning up is a great start!
There is nothing better than a face-to-face meeting. Your online presence is vitally important however the power of your physical presence is even greater. This is how you develop real, long-term relationships.
Even if you are reticent, take a deep breath, extend your hand to offer a firm handshake, smile and genuinely be happy and interested to meet your next contact. Even if it doesn’t eventuate into new business, what’s the worst thing that could happen? You could make a new friend!
Package yourself online and in person with a confident, professional image, manage your brand and stand out from the crowd!
To ensure you do it right, join my FREE MASTERCLASS: The 3 Secrets to Personal Branding for Career Success
I’d love to hear what works best for you – pop your experience in the comments below!
Jane Jackson is author of #1 Amazon bestseller, Navigating Career Crossroads, and host of YOUR CAREER podcast.
