In the past few years, we’ve heard the term personal branding thrown around a lot. But sometimes it can be hard to know what it actually means. Emily, our Junior Marketing Executive, talks you through what a great personal brand is, why it’s so important and how to create one.
What is a personal brand?
To put it simply, your personal brand is what you would like someone to say about you if your name came up in a professional setting. It’s essentially the combination of your unique skills, interests, and experiences.
Why do I need one?
Recently, there’s been a lot of hype about personal branding, but the main purpose is to help you stand out from the crowd and define yourself. It can sometimes feel slightly stressful, like you need to constantly post or interact with things you are interested in on social media for people to know how to view you. Don’t worry though, it’s essentially just making sure that the version of yourself that you project to others is authentic and reflects the aspects of yourself that you want everyone to remember
It doesn’t have to be overly complicated, or stressful, and here are some great ways to get started.
Focus on your interests
A great personal brand isn’t forced, it’s centred around what you are genuinely interested in. Claudia Cardinali, the personal branding expert at Great Influence, simplifies it down to choosing three things that you could talk about forever, and basing your personal brand around them (find more personal brand thought pieces and tips from Claudia Cardinali through this link). This way, you always have a talking point, and you will be engaging with other people who care about the same things you do. This is exactly how top-quality connections are made.
Start on Linkedin
A great place to start is making sure your Linkedin profile accurately represents who you are. It doesn’t have to be long-winded, just something attention-grabbing that can quickly describe what you’re all about. Why not follow some of the leading people in your industry on Linkedin and see what their bio is like for inspiration? Chances are you’ll get a few crackers!
It’s not all online
Posting on social media is a great start, and Linkedin particularly is a great tool to connect with others that share your professional interests. But personal branding consists of a lot more than just your online presence. It’s how you present yourself in everyday workplace conversations, and how everyone around you sees your talents and chosen specialities. This can sound like a lot to think about, but even just joining in a discussion that someone has started about something you are passionate about is a great way to let people know your interests.
Just get going!
Lots of us are already doing these things in daily life as a consequence of being on a career path that we genuinely love – which is amazing! If you don’t know where to begin, why not ask your colleagues about your top skills and what they associate you with and go from there? The first step is always the hardest, but once you find your passion it gets much easier.
Personal branding can be the last thing on our minds in a busy working week. These easy tips are a great way to make some quick changes that will help you build the kind of positive connections and influence that you want for yourself and your place of work. The main thing is to have fun with it, and remember that the first step is thinking about where you want to go in your career, and putting one foot in front of the other!