Many of the modern day success stories have harnessed the immense potential of personal branding in creating marketing opportunities that outlived their career exploits. Donald Trump, Steve Jobs, Martha Stewart and Richard Branson are few among those who used their personal brand to garner success in business. You too can be one of these men and women, provided you cultivate and control your brand. Let us discuss how personal brand can help shape your business success and make it enduring one.
Personal branding encompasses everything we do in our social, family and more importantly professional life ranging from the way we communicate with our colleagues to our ability to generate new business opportunities.
Establish yourself as a thought leader
By focusing on your core competencies and establishing yourself as a thought leader will ultimately make you stand out of the competition. You may have come across many individuals who failed miserably just because they were unable to choose or determine their core competency. It is a classical case of being jack-of-all-trades and master of none. Hence, it is advisable to narrow your audience, as it makes your targets more visible, relevant and keep you in hunt at all times.
It becomes easier to position yourself as a thought leader, if you have specialization in a particular field. Changing dynamics of the modern day business calls for various trade publications to seek contributions from subject matter experts. Contributing genuine content to these publications will help in establishing your credentials as an authority on a particular subject.
In addition, you can pursue few awards offered by various organizations in your region or across your industry. These awards act as the ultimate recognition to your experience and expertise in your field and affirm your thought leader status.
Make efforts to build your network
Social media offers us the most potent platform to promote our personal brand and build a sound peer network without investing much time, effort and money. Adopt a proactive approach to manage online profiles on social media platforms frequently visited by the audience you intend to cater to.
Your target audience is evaluating you and your brand on basis of your social media profiles. So be impeccable with what you post there and ensure that only a positive message should emanate from your profile. Along with virtual world, make efforts to enhance and diversify your network in the real world, as the significance of face-to-face networking cannot be overruled.
Interactions in the virtual world can facilitate a business deal, but there is no substitute to in person meetings. Eventually, the deal is realized only when all concerned parties sit and explore possibilities, and ponder over challenges they have to contend with in the times to come.
Strive to leave a good first impression
First impression is the last impression, they say. The adage holds true in case of personal branding. Your prospect business allies will form an impression about you and your brand based on your image. People will scrutinize you on the way you dress, the way you interact, your facial expressions aside from your body language.
Remember, you just have one chance to leave the first impression. When so much depends upon these trifle things, it is good idea to align them in a way to leave an indelible impression on your audience. Therefore, do not take chances and put your best foot forward. Portray an image that you want to portray and stick to it at all times.
A personal brand is the expression of the characteristics that distinguishes you from the rest and offers your clients an insight into who you are and what you have to offer.