Your reputation forms a large part of your career - people know you for who you are and what you’ve done. Though something they probably don’t have insight into, is your aspirations for the future or your desire to apply your talents differently.
So, how do you manage to transition to a new way of working, when people think of you as who you were and not who you plan to become?
The responsibility for all of this sits firmly with you. The route to success is building a personal brand that clearly demonstrates what you stand for, what you are seeking, and the value that you want to add.
"The responsibility for all of this sits firmly with you."
Changing perceptions of others will, therefore, depend on the quality of your online and offline marketing. You may have a perfectly crafted CV and clearly defined thoughts on what you want to do, but the next vital step is to transmit all of this to the outside world, making the most of the avenues open to you.
Personal Branding: What Is It and What Are Its Benefits?
Personal branding is the process of marketing your skills, knowledge and experience within a network. It’s a way to promote yourself while engaging with like-minded professionals, build contacts, identify opportunities and drive your career forward. Building a personal brand isn’t something you can do and then set aside for months or years (like a CV). It’s an ongoing commitment to actively promoting yourself and your skillset, engaging with followers across multiple channels to maintain a positive online reputation.
A personal brand affords a wealth of benefits for the career-driven professional, including:
Visibility for your skillset and expertise
Opportunities to leverage your network
Become more identifiable within your industry
Build partnerships which could flourish into business opportunities
Confidence in your experience and expertise
A means of backing up your knowledge and drive to succeed
Increased credibility
An opportunity to build friendships and meet likeminded people
3 Platforms to Use When Building a Personal Brand
While developing a personal brand doesn’t happen overnight, the platforms you choose to market your skillset can help you gain an engaged network quickly. Here, we’ll take a look at a handful of channels through which you can begin to build out your personal brand.
It’s rare to come across a businessperson who doesn’t have a presence on LinkedIn. As it’s often the first thing to show up about you on a Google search, you need to feel confident that your profile accurately represents you and what you can offer. You may think that the biggest challenge of building an effective LinkedIn presence is ensuring that your profile is accurate, but that’s just the starting point. Engaging and participating in the right kind of communities will get you noticed and will increase your visibility. Join groups, comment on blogs, or start a debate – these are all powerful ways to send the right message about who you are. You will grow connections with entirely new circles, and you will be part of a vibrant community that will be supportive and helpful as you navigate your way through unknown territories.
Whatever your thoughts on Facebook, it remains one of the best platforms to drive engagement and reach a new audience, so it’s worth building out your profile. Ideal for broadcasting content and gaining new followers, Facebook’s strength lies in its ability to forge genuine connections between you and your network. Of course, there are several house rules to be aware of when building a professional Facebook profile. As a minimum, we’d recommend setting up a business page for your brand, separate from your personal account, as a means of keeping your professional network in one place. Be sure to keep things professional on Facebook, and remove any content or images that no longer represents you. The platform has lots of features you can use to engage with your network, including an ‘events’ section where you can participate in activities related to your industry.
Podcasting
Podcasting has emerged as a powerful way to build your professional network while showcasing your expertise, knowledge and industry experience. Such is the ready-and-willing audience that podcasting platforms attract, there is ample opportunity for you to grow your brand while discussing a topic you’re passionate about – however niche it may be. The beauty of podcasts is their accessibility. Listeners can absorb a podcast anywhere, anytime, making it an invaluable arena in which to build a presence for your personal brand. There are several platforms you can use to broadcast your podcasts - iTunes and Spotify are among the applications with the biggest followers.
For assistance with enhancing and maintaining your personal brand, simply book a call here.