“Personal branding is not about you. It's about putting your stamp on the value you deliver to others.” - William Arruda.
Personal branding is quite a common idea today. There was a time when only big celebrities and companies had personal brands. However, time has changed and over the last few decades, personal branding has become a common practice.
Building a personal brand has ample benefits, both personally and professionally. It can help you open the doors to new experiences and opportunities. Still, many people don’t know exactly what personal branding is. So, in this blog, we will delve into exactly what a personal brand is and why you need one.
What is Personal Branding?
If you Google your name, what comes up? If the answer is “ nothing,” then you really need to spend some time developing your personal brand. Personal branding means building your reputation around the things you’d like to be known for. It involves the establishment and promotion of what you stand for.
It helps you to position yourself as an expert, raising your credibility and setting yourself apart from the competition. Your personal brand is made up of your skills, values, experiences, attitudes, mission and vision making you unique enough to stand out in the market. In simple words, personal branding is a cover by which people will judge you.
Why is Personal Branding Important?
Regardless of your age or the stage of your career, people will be googling you. The reasons may differ, but your online presence can have a major impact on their decisions. We have got several reasons to tell you why it is important to you. They are:
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It helps you stand out in the market.
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You gain fame, respect, and recognition.
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You get a large and ideal audience.
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This automatically builds relationships for you.
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It builds trust and confidence.
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You become more visible online.
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You become the master of your destiny
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It helps you show your personality to the world.
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It leads to opportunities.
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It can help you become a successful online entrepreneur.
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It helps you to build a strategy to move forward.
How to Build a Personal Brand?
Your personal brand develops around the content you post. It is not about being fake! Instead, it is about presenting yourself in the best way possible. Here are some of the tips that will help you create your personal brand.
Harness Your Personality
Work on your personality! Your personality is the most unique thing that sets you apart from your competitors. Personality is so important to your personal brand. Make a list of all the personality traits that people you love have commented on in the past.
Curate Your Online Presence
It is an undeniable fact that authenticity is important for any personal brand. Before you begin to present your online persona to the world, you must set your boundaries. You have to decide what you want to share concerning your education, personal struggle, work, or anything else in your personal life.
Build Your Website
Every personal brand needs a website. That is your own personal platform where you can share your digital products, blog posts, and other content. It will help you engage with your audience. Make sure that everyone can contact you from your website through email, direct message, or even a phone call.
Define Your Audience
Before you start crafting your personal brand, make sure you know what you want and where you want to reach. The sooner you define your audience, the easier it will be for you to create a personal brand.
How to Define Your Personal Branding?
To define your personal brand, ask yourself a few questions. They are:
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What makes me unique?
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What is my vision?
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What is my goal?
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Who is my target audience?
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What is my X factor?
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Who can I help?
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How do I prove my work?
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What makes me reliable?
The above questions will help you understand what you want and how you can create a path to achieve it.
How Does Personal Branding Affect Your Career?
Remember, personal branding has the power to boost your career. It helps you to market yourself and show off your unique characteristics so that you can stay ahead of the competition. In today’s world, people believe what is shown online, and by not having an online presence, you are just missing an opportunity to highlight yourself in the digital space.
The Conclusion
According to Gary Vaynerchuk, chairman of VaynerX, “ It’s important to build a personal brand because it’s the only thing you’re going to have. Your reputation online and in the new business world is pretty much the game, so you’ve got to be a good person. You can’t hide anything, and more importantly, you’ve got to be out there at some level.” Remember, developing a personal brand takes a lot of hard work and consistency, it is not going to happen overnight. But once you do it, the benefits are for a lifetime.
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