What Is Personal Branding? And……….why is it important to your success.
There is a new trend called Personal Branding. Successful Personal Branding entails managing the perceptions effectively and controlling and influencing how others perceive you. People don’t just buy from brands. They buy from people. More importantly, they want advice, services, and even products from people they trust. Much like any form of branding, personal branding is about marketing. But it shouldn’t be confused with self-promotion.
It’s about positioning yourself as an expert in a chosen profession or market by sharing your knowledge in a transparent way, earning trust with an individual over time. Of course the rise of the social web is making this possible for a greater number of people. A ‘Personal Brand’ is more than just a reputation- it’s presenting yourself as a product, solution, and value-maker or thought leader within your industry. Anyone with a Facebook page or other online activity has a reputation- their actions and opinions can be observed and judged.
Everyone has a Personal Brand but most people are not aware of this and do not manage this strategically, consistently, and effectively. You need to consider taking control of your brand, the message it sends and how it will affect how others perceive you.
Building an authentic Personal Brand is an evolutionary and organic process and a journey toward a successful life. Personal branding is a marketing strategy focused on your most important product: you. Developing a personal brand requires figuring out who you really are (your skills, values, passions, and personality), who you want to serve (your target market or audience), and how you differ from the competition (your unique niche). A successful brand creates a consistent, targeted impression that helps you achieve your personal and professional goals.
Personal branding is a highly effective way to tell the story of your experience, development, and interests. While social media will broaden your network, the most impactful interactions occur at, networking events, and Rockford Social Squared is created to do just that. Effective personal branding is based in authenticity. You need to be yourself – your best self. Anne Morrow Lindbergh once said, “The most exhausting thing you can be is inauthentic.” You only need to be known to the people who are making decisions about you and those who influence them. Much of the personal branding process has to do with being part of a community and contributing to that community. This is the key to building your personal brand network. Whatever your goals, document them. Focus on them. Measure your momentum as you strive toward vision of the future intend to create.
Joseph Arco
October 14, 2014
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