“I’m the First of me, and that’s Quite Certainly.”: Keys to GREAT Personal Branding
Keys to GREAT Personal Branding
“They’re impersonatin’, rehearsin’ me, nothin’ like me, I’m the first of me, and that’s quite certainly.” — Nas
Nas made it clear, he’s a one of one, and there’s no one that can produce his value quite like him. The same goes for you! It’s your personal brand that communicates your value to the world. It outlines your purpose and the impact that you are trying to make.
When I “dumb down” what a personal brand means to me, it is simply:
- Grounding yourself in your core values.
- Remembering who you are and your purpose.
- Embracing your greatness.
- Accepting what you’re not.
- Tracking (consistently) towards your vision.
(Please tell me you peeped the acronym.)
Whether you are owning up to it or not, you have a personal brand. As much as you don’t want to admit it, like Jeff Bezos said, people are talking about you when you are not in the room. It is up to you to leverage your personal brands to differentiate yourself, articulate what makes you unique, and leverage your specific value proposition.
Check out some of my keys to GREAT personal branding below.
Keys to GREAT Personal Branding:
GET PROFESSIONAL PICTURES
It’s key that you have a professional presence, have your quality photos match the image you are trying to portray.
CREATE CONSISTENT CONTENT
Whether it’s writing, photography, e-books, or art make sure you are putting your craft (your value) out to increase credibility and visibility.
ENGAGE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
You can’t build a following, without interacting with your audience. Answer questions, spark conversations, don’t just be a static billboard.
BE DISCOVERABLE
What good is having a brand if you aren’t able to be found. Whether through social media, blog posts, or networking events, be marketable and be present so you can be found.
HAVE A PURPOSE
Every major company you can think of has a mission, and so should you. Boil the impact you want to have into purposeful statement grounded in your core values.
BE CONSISTENT
We are schedule oriented, remember about Pavlov’s dogs? Be consistent with your content to have your audience craving more, but don’t leave your them hanging.
COMPETE AND COLLABORATE
Analyze what others in your niche are doing well (and not so well) then learn and adapt. Competition breeds innovation — remember studying natural selection in school? Work with others to build your brand & your influence.
OPTIMIZE SOCIAL MEDIA
Utilize the social media channels that you are passionate about and are going to use, let your social profiles be your brand’s billboards. For each platform, identify your target audience, your brand messaging, and your call(s) to action.
DOCUMENT YOUR JOURNEY
Everything you do and produce should be documented, utilized, and repurposed. Blog about lessons learned or key insights. Turn your big ideas into small, bite-sized pieces of content reused across social platforms.
Key Branding Resources
Want some fast branding tips, tricks and advice? I’ve collected some of my favorite articles on the topic that should be a kick-in-the-rear for you to take your personal brand to the next level.
- The Brand Called You (Fast Company)
- You are the Face of Your Brand (Huffington Post)
- 7 Things to Build a Personal Brand (Forbes)
- 1,000 True Fans (KK*)
- Turn Your Lifestyle into a Business (Huffington Post)
- 5 Steps to Build Your Personal Brand (Entrepreneur)
Level Up your Personal Brand with Brand.U
Think of this as your own private branding university! Maybe you want to elevate your current brand, strategize and develop a brand, or develop a robust corporate brand for your business.
Together, you and I will explore your strengths, values, and vision and work to develop unique brand strategies, brand personality, brand goals, and a concrete branding plan to set you apart from your competition.
Learn more on Brand.U Brand Coaching, here.
Of all the friends, influencers, or celebrities you follow on social media — who has some of the strongest personal brands in your opinion? Let me know in the comments, be sure to hit the ♥, too!
Be Great,
BMills
To connect with me or see what I’m up to, visit, www.brandonemiller.comand follow me at @thatguybmills!
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