Personal Brand: Why Is It Important And How Do You Build It?

A personal brand has been a buzzword for some time now. So does that make it an actual ‘thing’?

In reality, it’s just a snazzy word for your reputation. Everyone has a reputation whether online or offline – some people are known for being experts in a particular field, others are known for having a humorous approach to how they communicate, and in other cases, it’s a combination of several things. It really is who you are.

Having a solid and respected personal brand is beneficial at the best of times, but in this almost exclusively digital world, it could be the difference between nabbing your dream job and not. Being able to showcase your personality and allowing people to “get to know” before they meet you can be a huge advantage.

Your personal brand could be your biggest tool for ensuring you stand out. If you are an expert in something (and everyone is an expert in their chosen career, right?) or feel passionate about a topic, trend, or issue you can use your personal brand to showcase yourself.

On that note, we’re here to give you five tips on how to build a successful personal brand.

Trust

Why and what you do are both explained through your own brand. Developing a personal brand helps others feel more at ease and like they know you. It builds trust with your target audience, staff, future customers, or anybody else you interact with. Additionally, having a personal brand makes it apparent what your true intentions are, which is crucial when establishing trust.

Network

A person's connection with you can be facilitated by personal branding. You can also narrow your focus to those who work in your field. Personal branding has no boundaries. It is not limited to the online world.

As your reputation grows, you will be exposed to more people, which will have a good influence and generate excellent referrals. You are, after all, the finest at what you do. Create a network of people you value and care about, and establish connections with them. They will begin to care about you if they see that you are concerned about them.

When recruiters/hiring managers are looking over job applications, LinkedIn is likely to be one of the first places they’re going to look to verify your level of expertise. Do you claim to be an expert in cloud migration? If you’ve recently written, shared, or engaged with an article about it, that’s a pretty good indication that you know what you’re talking about.  

Doing the above is a great way to virtually network. Given that we can’t network in person yet, engaging with others online and adding value to their conversations is a great way to get your name out there and maximize your connections. You don’t always need to be the conversation starter but you should try and be involved in them. You never know who might have the next job opportunity for you!

Credibility

Personal branding allows you to establish your name as a thought leader or expert in your field. It helps in gaining recognition in your area of specialty and is able to build a lasting impression on those you come into contact with both online and offline. Admiration, respect, and trust will go a long way with a person's name.

This might go without saying, but LinkedIn is the perfect space to be able to show your level of expertise and knowledge. Write articles, make videos, record podcasts, host a virtual workshop, engage with content from others, have an opinion – you get the idea.

If you’re an IT infrastructure professional, make sure your content is focused on this space alone. You don’t want to be known as someone who has an opinion on everything, but you do want to be known as someone who has an opinion on all things IT infrastructure – you want to be that guy. But don’t be robotic, be you, and make sure your personality shines through.

Builds Confidence

As you build your personal brand, you'll become more confident. The strengths and positive traits you share in public will give you confidence. However, it's critical to keep in mind that everyone is a human.

Your network might respond very well to your hardships and difficulties. A strong personal brand will highlight your personal qualities and point you in the direction of how and where to apply them.

Authenticity

This is the big one. A personal brand comes from passion, skills, goals, and values. It will help you grow from something you believe to something you live out day to day. This isn't a chance for you to create something you're not. Nobody wants to meet your fake persona. It's so easy to do when we compare ourselves to others, but people want to meet YOU.

Personal branding helps you be authentic and showcase what you stand for, adding value to others. It helps you promote your strengths and be honest about your weaknesses. Use your style and uniqueness to attract the jobs and clientele that you want.  Building a personal brand takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. And, the need for a personal brand will continue to rise. It’s the one thing no one can take away from you, and it can follow you throughout your career. It’s a leadership requirement that lets people know who you are and what you stand for.

To Conclude

By creating a personal brand, you can show who you are beyond your business and strengthen your business with what you bring to the table as an individual. Personal branding is part of a strong business strategy. It allows you to connect with customers authentically and identify yourself as a professional in the industry.

Do you think you’ve got an awesome personal brand? We’d love to see it! If you need help building your own personal brand or have any other ideas on ways to do this, feel free to get in touch and speak to one of our consultants here.