Personal branding is the intentional and strategic practice of defining and expressing your unique value. In any work, social, or digital environment, personal branding is about how you choose to present yourself and the impression you wish to convey.
Before establishing your personal brand, consider the following questions:
What are your personal and professional goals?
- Example: My personal goal is to make more friends. My professional goal is to become more confident in my public speaking abilities.
What are your strengths that will help you achieve these goals?
- Example: My strengths include friendliness and a strong work ethic, which will help me make more friends and improve my public speaking skills.
What values are most important to you?
- Example: The values most important to me are authenticity and kindness.
Who is your target audience?
- Example: I want to attract young, working professionals in Massachusetts.
What sets you apart from others?
- Example: My ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance sets me apart. While others may struggle to balance professionalism and personal enjoyment, I believe my balanced approach enhances both my experiences and those of others.
When creating a personal brand, consistency is key. It’s crucial to align your brand with your true qualities. For example, if you wish to build a brand around being punctual but often find yourself late, you may need to reconsider your brand attributes.
The next step in creating your personal brand is to outline specific objectives and tactics to achieve your goals.
Using the same example:
- Goal: I want to make more friends.
- Objective: By November 2024, I will attend three social events and engage in conversation with at least one new person at each event.
- Tactic: I will contact five friends to learn about upcoming events I can attend.
- Goal: I want to improve my public speaking skills.
- Objective: I will practice public speaking for two hours each week until November 2024.
- Tactic: I will post a weekly speaking video and research public speaking experts to meet with. Additionally, I will rate my confidence level each week on a scale of 1-10.
Once you have a clear understanding of who you are and how your identity aligns with your goals, you can establish your personal brand.
Here are some tips:
- Advocate for yourself: Highlight your best qualities and what you bring to the table in any conversation to seize opportunities.
- Be consistent with your personal brand: If you want to be seen as a hardworking person, demonstrate that work ethic consistently.
- Increase your visibility: In 2024, social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are powerful tools for personal branding. Ensure that the content you share aligns with your brand.
- Understand your target audience: If you aim to attract young professionals in Massachusetts, consider joining relevant online or in-person groups. Research the psychographics of this audience to find ways to connect with them effectively.
Useful Links:
Colors for Personal Branding: https://www.designerpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Color-Branding.jpg
Personal Branding Tips:
Personal Branding: What It Is, Why to Do It, & How I’m Building Mine (hubspot.com)
