Crafting a strong personal brand can be a challenge. Especially for those of us who struggle to talk about ourselves. As you consider your personal brand and how you bring it to life in person and online, here are 5 tips to consider.
Consistent
Make sure that your brand is delivered consistently online and offline. Use similar images, tone of voice and user names. People won’t remember you if you seem different each time they see you. Consistency means that they’ll know what to expect from you.
TIP: Reserve a consistent username everywhere online.
Memorable
It is vital that people REMEMBER you if you want to grow your reputation and presence. This means that you need to have strong memorable assets both in-person and online. Consider all of the elements that are memorable about you – your appearance, features, personality, qualifications, hobbies… or really anything.
TIP: Think of 1 thing that is memorable and try to apply it everywhere.
Authentic
If you try to be someone you aren’t it just won’t work over time. You need to build a brand that is authentic to who you are. You need to build personal connections with people, and this won’t happen if you aren’t authentic. People connect with people that they like – accentuate the likable parts of your personality.
TIP: Be natural or you won’t connect.
Specific
A more specific your brand is the more likely you are to grow in the long-run. While it may seem counter intuitive and you probably don’t want to pigeon-hole yourself, what you’ll find is that specific brands work best in the long run. I’d rather hire the BEST wedding photographer than a photographer who can do everything. I’d rather work with the best small business accountant vs. an accountant that claims to do it all. You can charge a premium for specialization but it also makes you more memorable and easier for people to recommend you.
Visible
If you want to get results you need to be VISIBLE!!!!! Studies show that visibility alone – people seeing you – makes them like you and trust you more! This is where a strong online presence comes in to play. The more you connect with people in a meaningful and useful way the more that they will like you and trust you. This can mean referrals, recommendations and opportunities.
