Building A Personal Brand For You

People’s perception of us is the result of information given to them. That information can be transmitted through a number of different means but basically, it can be information about us from other people, or from other sources, or it can be information about us from us ourselves. Because we cannot control what other people do or say, we need to work extra hard to make sure that we do and say does not give people an impression about us that later, we will regret.

This is the challenge of personal branding. Here, we highlight just four things about personal branding that you should try and keep in mind.

(1) What Do You Want Known About You?

If you intend to have a personal brand that you are pleased with, then you need to start by being conscious about what it is you want to communicate to people. So what is it that you want to be known for?

You may want to be known for many things because you are genuinely, good at many things. You have many qualities. But the problem is that the majority of employers, clients and colleagues really only remember one thing about each person. Therefore, to them, you are just one thing. And that one thing should be what you choose to be known for, and that is what you work to build.

Just remember your personal brand is about who you are and what you do. It is what you stand for. It is about your values, and who you are as a person. It cannot be copied because it’s what makes you unique. When you consider all those things, it’s something that is very important and something you need to prioritise to build and protect.

(2) Be Genuine

Others can see when you are not being genuine and quickly, they will label you as being fake. You may not be all you want to be immediately, but you can strive towards your ideal goal(s) and keep advancing towards that end. People are ok with that and many will likely respect your effort and determination. They identify with that sort of journey because it is real, and very likely, mirrors their own personal journey. Pretending to be something that you are not, however, is infinitely worse for you and your personal brand because you are not going to be forgiven for trying to fool others. This point cannot be over-emphasised: be you, but be a good or even great you. Just don’t try to be someone else.

(3) Be Consistent

This is similar to being genuine but the key is that you present yourself in the same way, you communicate the same things and lay claim to the same interests and values every single time you interact with others, whether in person or via electronic communication or social media. This is actually quite difficult because we have moods, we have off-days but it is significantly easier if we are true to ourselves and genuine. Because we are not trying to be anything (or anyone!) else, being consistently us is much easier.

(4) Involve Others

As Aaron Orendorff put it,"Personal branding is the story people tell about you when you're not in the room." You can’t avoid it: you need others to help you grow what is essentially going to be your reputation. You can do it on a slow, small scale meaning one person at a time, or like some social media influencers, you can appeal to hundreds or thousands at a time. Both have their pluses and their minuses. The key is that you know that developing and growing your personal brand involves others and that people will extend, distort and magnify everything you wish you could control perfectly. Once the ball starts rolling, managing the trajectory of your brand’s development will likely not be within your control.

In short, if you intend to get promoted at work, if you want potential clients to think of you when they need help, if you want people in authority or decision-makers to smile at you, you will need to consciously manage your inevitable personal brand. Not maybe. Definitely.