If you are a consultant you need a powerful personal brand. In order for people to hire you they need to trust that you are a knowledgeable expert. In addition to meeting you, many prospects will Google you or look for reviews and testimonials online. They’ll Google you before, during and after meeting you as a way to establish trust.
Putting your best foot forward means having a strong personal brand.
A personal brand boils down to the perceptions that people have about you. These perceptions are both logical (based on your experience) and emotional (based on how you make people feel).
As a consultant, people are paying you for your expertise. A strong personal brand highlights your expertise and can also lead to new business opportunities.
My Personal Branding Story
I started creating a personal brand once I realized that people were searching for me. I started a blog, primarily because the only other online asset that I had was a Myspace page (yes, I’m old school). I was involved in social media marketing, so I was also fairly active on sites like Twitter and LinkedIn.
As I started sharing my thoughts and ideas on social networks, I found that people were reaching out to me and offering to hire me as a consultant. Even today a significant percentage of my business comes from the personal brand that I built on social media.
Bringing Your Brand To Life Online
As a consultant you are expected to be the expert, and using social media and internet technologies it is easier than ever to showcase your expertise online. Through our Launch Yourself Personal Branding Online program I work with many consultants.
As a consultant there are a number of personal branded assets that if used correctly can generate more business for you. Here are my top 5 assets for consultants to bring their brands online:
- Website – The first and most important thing for any consultant or freelancer is to have a website. This is a great home base where you can create an amazingly strong presence that clearly articulates your brand.
- Blog – A blog is vital to showing thought leadership and expressing your point of view. Blogs are easy to create and also provide great content for other social networks.
- LinkedIn Profile – There is a tremendous opportunity to connect with other professionals on LinkedIn and as a starting point, people will search for you online. Put your best foot forward with a great LinkedIn profile.
- Twitter – Twitter is great because it allows for multiple daily updates that can really distinguish you as a thought leader. I got my first consulting contract directly from Twitter.
- LinkedIn Groups – LinkedIn groups allow you to connect with people beyond your immediate connections. I’ve closed tons of contracts directly from LinkedIn.
How does your brand stack-up? Find out now with our Free Personal Brand Assessment Tool.
