WHY PERSONAL BRANDING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN 2021?
INTRODUCTION
Jay Shetty, Gary Vaynerchuck & Neil Patel
When you read the names mentioned above what flashes in your mind?
Is it the zen-like demeanour of Jay Shetty?
Or is it the heavy New Jersey accented voice of Gary V that pumps you up?
Our ambitious readers this effect that you primarily experience once you encounter someone is the direct consequence of excellent Personal Branding.
Let us walk you through the areas covered in this article
- What is Personal Branding?
- Process of Personal Branding
- Importance of Personal Branding
Let’s dive into our journey of Personal Branding and understand it a little better one section at a time
WHAT IS PERSONAL BRANDING?
Personal Branding is that impression you leave on people once they have interacted with you or your content. It is that virtual reputation that can make or break you on the Internet. It is your unique selling point that sets you apart from any John Doe in the market. Establishing your personal brand involves you having strong expertise in a particular domain, defining your values, goals and vision.
You start establishing your personal brand from your very first post on Google. It can be anything ranging from a cat meme on Instagram to a polished article on Financial Markets on LinkedIn.
PROCESS OF PERSONAL BRANDING
One of the best ways to develop a robust personal brand is to be your own self on and off social media. Adapting multiple personalities can be detrimental to your brand since your target audience might fail to recognize the real you and can end up perplexed.
86% of users consume based on brand authenticity.
- WHO ARE YOU?
Before launching your personal brand you should be extremely clear on the following three things: Your Values, Your Niche and Your Brand Philosophy. Once you are clear on these 3 fronts then you just have to just strategize and take one day at a time. Let me warn you the road to building a solid personal brand is really bumpy. It takes time and the purest version of perseverance to reach your goal. Stay patient and consistent! - WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
Your target audience is those users that you think have a really high chance of engaging with your content. It shall give you clarity. You should keep your target audience in mind while creating your newsletter, posts, creatives, webinar, speeches, tweets, reels etc. because at the end of the day they will be the ones engaging with it. For eg., Instagram is an image-rich platform, over there your audience will be millennials who have a shorter attention span as compared to those on LinkedIn. Therefore, study your target audience. Doing this will not only get you business but also will positively impact your follower base. Having a one-for-all strategy seems to be non-existent in today’s day and age. The right thing to do is to do sit down and understand who is that you want to connect with and convert. - WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE SEEN?
As a beginner, you would want to start branding yourself on a few platforms rather than spreading too thin and compromising the quality of your brand. Consistent and Original content are the two key secrets to build a loyal audience. You need to figure which platform is the right fit for you to showcase your expertise to the world. For eg., if you want to connect with CXOs and business leaders? Start investing time on LinkedIn. Do you wish to create content that is chill and fun? Then Instagram is the way to go. Decide which platform will benefit you as a brand the most and start growing there. - EXECUTION OF THE PLAN
Start small. Build a routine or in industry terms, a “Content Calendar” to regularly engage with your audience. The idea behind a content calendar is to have a plan in place. It keeps you in control of your brand. Design your content keeping the type of platform you want to grow in mind. Posting consistent content will be the key ingredient of your Personal Branding journey. - FEEDBACK & MENTORS
Now, you have designed a content calendar, you’re aware of your audience and where to find them. You’re slowly and steadily building your brand one day at a time. You should start paying attention to the feedback that you may be getting on your content. Check if it’s aligning with your brand. You should reach out to industry professionals in your field who have built a brand for themselves. Connect with them on LinkedIn, ask them your questions and you will be surprised how generous people can be. It is always best to keep educating yourself about Personal Branding each and every day. There’s always something new to learn and you never know which masterstroke may alter the course of your journey.
IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL BRANDING
As Gary V famously said, “The best strategy for building a personal brand is to be 100% YOU, without watering down your personality in any way.”
- Over 90% of HR Executive say that they conduct in-depth online research of potential candidates. Out of which 70% of these executives rejected applications of the candidates based on their online activities
- Of all Internet users, 65 per cent see online search as the most trusted source of information about people and companies. That’s a higher level of trust than any other online or offline source
The reputation you build online for yourself can work wonders for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student, entrepreneur, influencer, artist, graphic designer, copywriter etc. personal branding can alter your professional journey for good.
- When you build a personal brand you establish yourself as an industry expert in your domain. It tells your target audience about your expertise giving you an edge over any other competitor in the market
- Having a strong personal brand opens many doors for you. Be it an interview, leads, admission at your dream university, interactions, promotions, networking etc. it helps you achieve your goal in both your professional and private life.
- A powerful personal brand at the end of the day is equivalent to the power of influence. It can potentially influence the habits, lives and skills of your audience. This happens when you as a brand spread content that not only cultivates the audience’s mind but makes them want to come to you on a regular basis. The only way to retain your audience is to provide value-rich content
CONCLUSION
Desmond Tutu once wisely said that there is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time
Do not attempt to do everything at once. Break your journey into tiny achievable milestones. Achieve one at a time. Then out of the blue things will start picking up. It might be a new business enquiry, new followers or any kind of new opportunity.
A Personal Brand is not built overnight. It takes a good amount of time. Stay patient and always keep reinventing your brand.
We at Big Mouth can help you build a personal brand and make your vision a reality. To know more about our services kindly reach out to us on our social media handles.
Tell us what Personal Branding means to you in the comment section below.
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