Developing A Strong Brand 5 things to consider
These days we hear so much about branding and its importance in our social media-focused, high-profile, attention-grabbing society. We recognize the influencers, the "followed", and the drivers of our every trend, and adapt our lives accordingly. Many of us are now not able to live without Amazon, Netflix, Prime, or Insta Cart. We identify with those brands we can trust to fill our needs and do not mind paying extra. We buy from trusted brands when we feel that the brand delivers the best product, most quality, better choices, most convenience, or higher level of customer service. So, what about you as a brand? How can you elicit the same kind of trusted feelings about you from those who interact professionally with you? A personal brand is made up of the unique skills and experiences that make up who you are; how you are perceived and how you present to others. It is about standing out; it is how you let others know that you offer something that is different from others. Developing a strong personal brand that lets others know that you are someone who can be trusted to deliver what you promise is important in professional and personal life. It can generate a sense of comfort in others knowing that what you say is credible and valuable. It can be a career builder, or it can be a career buster if your personal brand is not one that has a good reputation. An essential factor in branding is authenticity. What should you consider when developing your brand?
There are Five key things to recommend when working on your brand:
1. Discover your superpower: If you do not know, then discover what you are good at and what it is worth. It should be something that you enjoy doing. If you are consistently good at something others will have told you, therefore it should come as no surprise. Consider how you feel when you use a talent that gets you consistent results. Do others typically refer to you because of a specific talent that you have, setting you apart from others? Reflect on how you use this and what kind of results you get. Just like the superheroes in comics and movies, your superpower should motivate you to act when it is used. Your superpower is a key contributor to your personal brand so make the most of it.
2. Do not overcomplicate or overthink your personal brand: A strength of your personal brand is that it comes naturally, it flows organically; it is consistent, and you are comfortable being in that space. In fact, you often feel energized when you know that you are in that authentic personal brand space. Decide on what version of yourself you want to be, what is the best you for your brand. Get comfortable talking about your superpower, it is not bragging, it is sharing your values, vision, and what you bring to the table. It is evidence-based as you can back it up and demonstrate your talent by delivering great results. When you align to your purpose and your talents, you can become outstanding. Knowing your purpose helps you move towards what you want and stay away from what you do not want.
3. Do not change but do flex: While you want to retain your authenticity be willing to flex so as not to put yourself into one skill or talent box and get yourself into a corner. Stay consistent and true to your authenticity but also be willing to expand on your personal brand and be able to adapt (not compromise your values), but flex as the situation may demand. Again, flexing does not mean giving up on authenticity or your values. It means expanding when necessary. An example of this is in our communication. We may have an authentic style of expressing ourselves but sometimes recognize that we may have to communicate differently to different audiences.
4. Continue to enhance your personal brand: People need to know what they are getting when they choose you. Whether it is to work on a team, to lead a project, to hire you for that special position or offer you that promotion, or when they choose your business to provide a service. How do you align yourself to what is needed in the market? Consider and define why and how you do what you do. In thinking about your brand what is the "something" about you and your brand that would appeal to your target individual or audience? Understanding what people want and need will give you an edge that you can build while remaining true to your brand. Staying relevant with your brand is something that you can do by continually refining your brand. You can refine by staying up with new information that adds value to your skills, knowledge, or goals. If you do not do much networking consider becoming part of a network group that holds interest for you. Many of my most memorable and productive connections have come from special interest network groups. Keep your personal brand relevant by conducting a personal brand self-awareness audit from time to time. This is easy to do and you can quickly assess by asking these key questions:
*Am I using my unique talents to pursue what I want to do?
*What topic do I love talking about? Why?
*What do I still do better than most people?
*How am I communicating and demonstrating my brand to people?
*What is the value of my brand?
*Is there anything about my brand that I need to tweak?
5. Always return to what you value: Another key component of your personal brand is showing what you value. For example, your brand can show others that you value persistence because you are able to demonstrate that you do not give up until you are able to solve a problem or deliver a product. It can indicate to people that you are trustworthy because you deliver what you promise or you provide alternative options when you run into a problem.
Your values will drive how you operate and how you handle difficulties that arise. Demonstrating how you navigate through and come up with solutions is part of the branding process. So consider your brand and what makes you stand out. Are you an Apple, Amazon, or Tiffany or are you a Zune? (What! Exactly, no one remembers Zune so you will have to look it up).