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You may not know it, but you already have a personal brand. Your brand is comprised of your skills and experience, your professional reputation and the elements of your personality that make you like no one else in your field.
The benefits of having an identifiable personal brand are numerous. Building a personal brand will not only give you the chance to differentiate yourself from other professionals in your sector, but it can also help you grab the attention of prospective employers for all the right reasons.
So, what steps can you take to build your personal brand?
Creating a personal brand strategy
There are a number of different aspects to consider when building a compelling personal brand. That includes:
Personal brand goals
What is it that you want to achieve? Your personal brand has the power to make or break all sorts of opportunities for advancement, but it pays to know exactly where you want to go first. There are a number of professional goals a personal brand can help you achieve. That includes:
- Find your ideal clients – If you work as a freelancer, a strong personal brand can become a powerful business tool that helps you connect with the type of clients you want to work with.
- Differentiate yourself from the competition – In a competitive job market, a carefully crafted personal brand can help you stand out from the crowd.
- Become a thought leader in your industry – Establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry can be extremely rewarding for your business and career.
- Build new relationships – A strong personal brand can improve your ability to make new and influential relationships in your industry.
Personal brand image
There’s a huge amount that goes into building your personal brand. Your personal brand encompasses every aspect of your professional persona, from your story, tone of voice and look to your personal beliefs, your core values and the clothes you wear. This needs to be consistent across every touchpoint, whether it’s social media, a business card, your profile on job sites, a website or your contributions to industry forums.
There are a few questions you can ask yourself to help determine what your personal brand image should be:
- What makes you unique?
- How did you get into the industry?
- Why did you get into the industry?
- What are your core values?
- Who is your target audience?
Answering these questions as honestly as you can will help to form the cornerstones of your brand. If you need a little inspiration, look at the people you admire the most in your industry to see how they present themselves across different platforms.
Building your personal brand on social media
Social media is one of the most powerful tools for establishing a personal identity, building your brand and standing out in your industry. With more employers using social media to screen candidates, it’s essential you get this right.
- LinkedIn – LinkedIn is an excellent tool for networking and building relationships that can help you in the future. You can write articles, join groups and contribute to forums to build your brand.
- Twitter – Following influential people in your industry and contributing to conversations they are involved in can help you build your brand on Twitter.
- YouTube – If you have a unique story or angle on the industry, a YouTube vlog can boost your personal brand immensely.
- Facebook – Taking control of how you present yourself on Facebook is an essential personal branding consideration. Facebook is the one social media platform where people tend to ‘let it all hang out’, but it must be controlled if you want employers to take you seriously. If you’d rather keep your personal life to yourself, simply set your profile to ‘Private’.
- Instagram – Instagram can be hugely influential in certain fields. If you work in a sector that’s well represented on Instagram, make sure you have something to say that will get you noticed.
Personal brand marketing
There are lots of different ways you can start to market your brand to get your name out there. Creating high-quality content and sharing content created by other reputable sources in your industry is one of the most effective ways to get your voice heard and establish yourself as a thought leader. Medium is an excellent web platform to share your views on if you don’t have your own website or blog.
You should also make your presence felt physically by attending industry-specific networking events and conferences in person. Meeting people face-to-face is an effective way to build trust and create a lasting impression.
Use your personal brand to find your next role
At DB Charles Recruitment, we don’t only match candidates to their perfect role. We also work with them throughout the process, helping them leverage their personal brand to land the job and negotiate the best possible offer. Ready to take the next step in your career? Take a look at our current vacancies and get in touch today.
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