February 10, 2010
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The New Brand: YOU (Part II)
Building Your Personal Brand
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| It's not what you say that matters most, it's everything else. Studies show that 93% of our messages are communicated non-verbally.
In The New Brand;You, Part I, we listed the elements of a Personal Brand. Here we talk about how to build your brand.
Start thinking of yourself as a brand. Write a 15-word branding statement identifying what makes you stand out from your competitors. These are your greatest strengths and most noteworthy traits. Write, rewrite, and read it until it makes sense. Memorize it.
Keep adding value to your brand. Take classes and workshops in your field. Take on extra projects that showcase your skills.
Become an expert in your field. Begin by teaching a class at a community college, adult education program, or within your company. If you're outgoing, get on panel discussions at conferences, volunteer to make presentations at professional workshops.
Establish credibility. Publish articles. Start with community papers, your company newsletter, and online community sites, like Vibrant Nation always need great content. The goal is to increase your standing as a professional.
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Maintain a Blog. This demonstrates your expertise, willingness to share, and shows that you care enough about the topic to spend time writing about it.
Establish niche involvement. Contribute to blogs and comment on forums with useful information that shows you (your brand) in a positive light.
Establish visibility. Create a profile on social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to start. Don't just post a profile and never log in again. Pick one top-tier site at a time and establish your presence before adding others. Fill in your entire profile. To maintain a consistent brand, use the same professional head shot and a similar bio on each site.
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It's what you say and how you say it. Everything you do communicates the value and character of your brand. Your command of technology, the way you handle phone conversations, write email, and conduct business meetings is all part of your branding message.
Packaging counts too. Have a logo. Your business cards, blog, printed materials, etc. should all be consistent in design.
Network. "Word-of-mouth marketing" of your friends, colleagues, clients, and customers is one of the most important marketing tools of a personal brand.
It all counts. Be consistent with everything you do professionally.
The New Brand You, Part I
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INTERVIEW
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Flashionista Talks to Melissa Cassera
A Marketing Professional
who re-branded herself into a Health & Wellness Expert.
Melissa Cassera
Flashionista Interview
Wellness Blog
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