Building Your Personal Brand

What makes you, you? What about you makes you stand out? Some experts suggest asking friends or colleagues about your unique strengths and personality traits, and using that information to craft your brand.

Why should you be concerned about having a personal brand?

According to a Statista 2017 report, 81% of all U.S. citizens have a social media profile. That’s up from only 24% in 2008. Whether intentional or not, most people have an online footprint and are already on the way to having a personal brand. If you’re a freelancer, digital nomad, or simply trying to boost your professional identity, cultivating what you have into a strong personal brand is the way to go.

Here’s our advice on how to build your own brand.

Return to the question: what makes you, you? What about yourself do you want to stand out? Which career are you currently promoting and pursuing? Become the who you want to be by presenting that person, online and in all spheres of life.
Create a personal website so you can start ranking on google searches while providing a clear, professional portfolio of your work.
Expand to social media. Twitter’s a great way to get followers. Facebook’s a good resource for video and connection. LinkedIn is a goldmine of professional contacts and opportunities. Take advantage of every platform to cultivate your online presence into the brand you want to present. Be accessible, encouraging contacts and inquiries.
Don’t forget to craft a good bio. Explicitly tell people who you are, what your background is, and what you’re trying to accomplish. It’ll put you one step ahead towards earning trust and credibility before even meeting a person.
Be an expert. You don’t have to be the best at everything, but being the best at what you do is one of the greatest business plans there is. Be knowledgeable and reliable.
Outline your specialty so people know what you can do for them and understand what your an expert of.
Publish. The Entrepreneur highlights publishing as a top priority because it will “build your credibility, make you stand out from your competition and enhance your reputation.”

Don’ts

As Laura Lake of The Balance points out, it’s also important to not fall into easy banding traps. Namely, don’t make the mistake of thinking branding is only a logo. Focus on strengthening your own identity, not on putting down competition. And don’t lie, especially about your selling points.

Now you’ve got a good starting point, go forth, young brand builders, and become something great.