6 musts for promoting your personal brand

13th, Nov 2020

We all have a personal brand, but many of us don’t know how to utilize it effectively to achieve our business goals. Learning how to shape and promote your brand can help you be more successful in your career and business whether you work for yourself or someone else. It enables you to stand out in a world where your competitors are easy to find and it can be hard to explain to people why someone should choose to work with you.

Your brand is your reputation – what you are known for and what people expect from you personally and professionally. A strong personal brand is particularly important if you work in the professional services sector because you often get clients based on your personal reputation as opposed to your firm’s reputation. If you want your personal brand to work for you, here are a few musts:

1. Be authentic. First, stop trying to be all things to all people. Many professionals talk about themselves in broad generic terms. They can help any client with virtually any problem, and they are different because “they really care about their clients and provide personal service.” While that may be true, you sound like hundreds of others in your field. Focus on what makes you different but be true to yourself or you will come across as phony. It helps to develop a personal story – think about how your background motivates you to do the work you do or what you enjoy most about your work and your clients.

2. Showcase your expertise. Write blog posts, articles, newsletters, and eBooks. Speak at live and virtual events. Create videos. Provide good information on social media whether through your own posts or commenting on what others post. Not only will it demonstrate that you know what you are talking about, but it is also an opportunity to show some of your personality.

3. Help people. Being helpful can reap substantial rewards personally and financially. It enables you to build stronger relationships with others which can make your work and personal life more fulfilling as well as eventually lead to business. There are many ways to do this from sharing your knowledge and expertise, to making introductions and referrals, and volunteering on causes that are meaningful to you.

4. Leverage all digital marketing channels. Use owned, earned and paid media to promote your brand. Email helps you stay top of mind with existing contacts. Your website showcases your differentiators to those checking you out online. Social media does all of that plus gives you the opportunity to engage with other people to create a positive and memorable identity.

5. Get recommendations/reviews. Like it or not, people will check you out online and give weight to what others say about you there. While you can put client testimonials on your website, the best place to have them is on social media and as a Google business review. There are also some professional directories where it helps to have reviews (ex. Avvo for attorneys).

6. Take small steps. Start with a small targeted plan to promote your personal brand. Commit to at least one or two marketing tactics or a set amount of time per week and then expand from there. Marketing is cumulative and the longer you keep at it, the more successful you will be.

If you are looking for help with your brand, contact us for a free consultation.

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