People follow brands, so why don’t they follow you? Because you probably have not been consciously working on your personal brand, have never cultivated it and above all have never communicated it. But before you get started, you should think about what your brand stands for – and what you stand for. Let us show you what this could look like.
Personal branding is about developing a personal brand. Like any corporate branding campaign, this means communicating a particular image. Depending on the definition, this may involve a purely digital brand or a holistic reputation.
This distinction is of secondary importance unless your contact with colleagues and customers is limited solely to the digital arena. Because you should always be yourself and communicate this authentically across all channels – but a solid social media presence is a good start.
How to build your brand
There are three simple steps to follow if you want to build your personal brand:
1. Be self-aware
This is not just about self-perception, but also about how others see you. To find out whether these two pictures match, you could, for example, ask your friends or colleagues how they see you. It is important that they answer honestly, as these characteristics form the basis of your personal brand.
Next, you need to consider which characteristics you would like to have as part of your brand. Stick strictly to your actual characteristics while doing this: although you could come up with others, this would no longer be authentic and you would have to maintain the lie for the long term.
2. Tell your story and live it on a daily basis
Once you have selected the characteristics that will be part of your brand, you also need to communicate them – because, at least at the beginning of your journey, anyone just passing by will have no idea who you are or what you stand for.
But don't just talk about yourself, show who you are as well. Everything about you counts – how you talk, how you work, how you interact with people, how you dress. Once people around you know your story and values, everything else will follow. So, how do you get these points across? It’s very simple:
- Gain the attention of your chosen audience, for example by getting personally involved in helping to overcome existing challenges, or even just offering your team an insider’s tip for somewhere different to try instead of the usual lunchtime restaurant.
- Make it clear to your audience what you have to offer the world. This enables people to decide if you are a good fit for them. For example, if your boss was impressed by your tip, he will come back to you again if he needs a restaurant suggestion.
- And finally, you need people to remember you and your story. This is easily done, for example by supplementing your LinkedIn contacts and actively taking part in discussions with them.
3. Consolidate your relationships
Now it is about building loyalty, trust, and a strong long-term relationship with the people around you. Write them a message every now and then or speak to them and share interesting articles or updates about current projects on LinkedIn. Allow your audience to be part of your everyday life. This keeps them aware of the issues they can come to you with.
Reap the benefits
Once you manage to do all of this, you will have successfully built your brand and will be able to enjoy the three key benefits of a strong personal brand:
- Your interpersonal relationships will improve, because you are authentic and other people know where they are with you.
- You will come out on top in negotiations more often, because professional life is ultimately just a series of negotiations. And if you know what the other side thinks of you, you can negotiate from a confident, strong position.
- And because you come out on top in more negotiations, you will ultimately earn more and gain more influence in your field of work.
What are you waiting for?
If people know and like your story, they will come to you directly and not make an effort to seek alternatives – whether you work in a garage or at an international corporation. Always consciously communicate your brand, because you never know when someone will turn up who is looking for a person just like you!
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