Understanding Personal Branding
Globalization has changed the working trends in the last few decades. The augmentation in exposure to technology and social media has added to the transformation process. As the development rapidly advances, finding security for one’s job and reputation is becoming difficult with each passing day. The way in which you are known by people around you and your clients, is based on your reputation, personality and your work. Hence it is essential to create a repute that can influence your clients. This is personal branding.
“Branding is the hottest concept in marketing today, and it’s an idea that is not just for the deep-pocketed, highly glossed Coca-Colas and Nikes of the world. An increasing number of independent-business owners are embracing branding as the guiding philosophy for building their companies.”
–Nation’s Business
Personal brand is how others perceive you. It is a positive thought or concept that comes to their mind along with your name. Personal brand includes the principles, capabilities and achievements that are linked with you.
“Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability.”
–Jason Hartman
Personal branding is about creating a positive influence in the minds of your customers and help yourself reach your goals. It is about identifying you as a unique personality and influencing others to believe in it. It is about discovering yourself, communicating about yourself to others and living up to it by satisfying your promises and others’ expectations.
Importance of Personal Branding
“Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”
-Tom Peters
Let the world know about you
Personal brand revolves around influence. It is an image that people have in mind about you. This image may have formed without your notice or additional efforts and you may be already enjoying the advantages of your positive image. Then imagine what can be created if you consciously develop your personal brand to influence your clients the way you want.
To develop a personal brand is to let the world know what you really are. It is important to make them identify you, understand you and your abilities and trust you for your promises.
Personal branding can help in differentiating your from the rest and making your own position as a new and original name. You may have to go that extra mile or create a new segment in which you can lead. If you are not perceived as different you will be considered as another follower. So having a distinct place and communicating the same to others is important.
Because you are everything
Personal brand is important as it helps to pass on the message that you are superior to others; that your work is the best in your segment. It could be having the latest or world class technology, delivering faster, providing best quality services, having recognitions, etc.
It helps to make your customer believe in you and your service as being the best that they can have. This can make you the leader in your segment and help in making others rely on you. You will ultimately gain confidence of your customers and also be able to win hearts of those who were not aware of your existence.
You deserve to be your self
Personal branding is important for you to recognize your real self and allow others to believe in it. You know your strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. Hence by building an authentic and realistic brand can help you in creating a genuine image of yourself.
Today’s consumers are smarter than ever and can quickly pick up the unnecessary hype created by marketers. It is rather appreciable to be factual, consistent and practical and help your brand to be crafted honestly.