The rise of personal branding

Marketing and selling in favourable economic conditions:

Prasanna Perera Marketing and Management Consultant, Chartered Marketeer, CIM UK

As an individual, you must acknowledge that you are a brand. And who better to market your personal brand than you. This means that at the end of the day, the success of your personal brand lies in your hands. In this brief article, I will endeavour to shed some light on the fascinating subject of Personal Branding.

What is a personal brand?

In the simplest terms Personal Branding is “how we market ourselves to others.” If you fancy a definition it can be described as “a process by which individuals and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves and stand out from a crowd, by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition.” (Dan Schawbel)

Don’t think of the brand called You as being confined strictly within a single corporate environment. You should stand out as an individual, with a unique set of talents and marketable skills.

Your personal brand reputation

In the world of marketing, customers purchase based on trust and are willing to pay more for a product and brand, they are comfortable with.

Hence, companies that maintain reputable brands are more successful in gaining and keeping customer attention.

When it comes to Personal Branding, this is no different to commercial branding. As a brand, you can achieve a positive reputation, much like the reputations of companies you admire. As you develop your Personal Brand, it is worthwhile to remember that to build your personal brand reputation takes time, but it can be destroyed in seconds or minutes.

Characteristics of successful personal brands

Successful personal brands need to be authentic, have a good reputation, and be discovered by the right people.

Authenticity of your personal brand showcases exactly who you are, and what you can deliver. For example, if you brand yourself as novelist, you should be able to back that up with a solid portfolio of examples. Being authentic also includes maintaining open communication and assuming accountability for your actions.

A false personal brand image may get you some short-term success, but eventually others will likely see through you.

Your personal brand reputation should be seen as updated and current. Also your personal brand must be consistent over time as well.

For example, if you enter a McDonald’s, whether you are in Singapore or Sri Lanka, the product you purchase will be consistent, despite cultural differences.

The power of WOM (Word-of-Mouth) marketing

In developing your personal brand, WOM Marketing is critical, since your most important contacts are your friends, family, business partners and other acquaintances.

WOM Marketing will get people talking about you and your business.

WOM Marketing can also happen for you on-line. This is referred to as viral marketing.

In the on-line world, a single message can spread virally in a matter of minutes or even seconds.

This can be an opportunity or a threat toward personal branding. Hence, be cautious on what you post on-line.

The power of networking

To expand your sphere, you must network effectively. The more people who come into your sphere, the greater your chance of success. Also keep in mind to get influential people into your sphere.

Networking occurs in every situation you encounter with friends, colleagues and family.

Do not miss out on opportunities to network, both within your job and outside it. Networking outside your job will help you to secure employment when required. Make your life a giant networking event!

The power of personal brand visibility

In any brand, a key element is visibility. The more people who either know you or have heard about you, the better. Opportunities for advancement and success will arise through your connections and visibility.

If people don’t know about you, your brand will go unnoticed.

In the commercial world, successful brands have high visibility in that they are seen and heard. Take for example Coke, Apple, Google, Virgin and Microsoft.

Hence, in building your personal brand, create visibility both within and outside your job.

Perceptions

Companies are constantly evaluated by the way they are perceived by the competition, their customers and in the media. The same applies to Brand You.

If you were working for an organization that was exposed in a financial scandal, your personal brand will be negatively impacted by the misconduct of your company, irrespective of whether or not you were personally involved. In personal branding and in life, little things do matter! Each move you make is a chance for you to enhance how people perceive you and draw more people to your brand.

Start by wearing clothes that look professional, have a positive attitude at all times and convey a sense of trust, competence and assurance with each person you meet.

Conclusion

Building your personal brand can be done both offline and online. With the advent of the internet, many on-line opportunities are available for personal brand building.

Personal branding will grant you real meaning and opportunities for success in your life. You will be excited to wake up each day with the confidence to live the life you always wanted to live.

Think of personal branding successes - Sir Richard Branson, Sir Martin Sorrell, Steve Jobs, Jack Welsh, Tony Fernandes to name a few.

By building your personal brand, you take charge of your life and future.