You are talented, and you are unique, but how do you convey that?
In today’s competitive and ever-evolving world, it is so essential to build your brand so that you can set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd and stand out. When done effectively, building a strong personal brand can help you advance your career and take you one step closer to your personal goals.
What is a Personal Brand?
When you hear of a brand, most people will think of businesses. However, every single person also has their own brand! Your personal brand means what people say and think of you. Your brand represents your unique qualities, values and skills that differentiate you from others.
To create a strong personal brand, you need to be unique, authentic and trustworthy. This will help you in your career as well as help you connect with other like-minded people.
Why build a Personal Brand?
Establishing your unique self online allows you to make new connections and can lead to even better opportunities! Creating a strong personal brand can help you attract attention from employers, clients and industry influencers. This is especially true for employers because according to a CareerBuilder survey conducted in 2018, 70% of employers screen candidates by checking their social media accounts. Having that positive online presence could be the difference between you getting that dream job of yours or not. That’s why building a personal brand is so important as you prepare to begin your career.
Ways to build your Personal Brand
Now that you know what a personal brand is and how important it can be, here are some ways you can build your personal brand:
- Define your Brand: Ask yourself what your values, strengths and unique qualities are. Consider your target audience and how you want to be perceived by them. Once you understand who you are and what you stand for, develop a clear and concise brand message that communicates your expertise and what you can offer.
- Know your Target Audience: Once you know yourself, take the time to research your target audience, whether this is a potential employer or client. Research and think of what your target audience’s needs, preferences and pain points are. Learning this information can help you better convey your personal brand, product or services to align with your target audience.
- Optimize Social Media: Be sure to keep your social media accounts up to date with posts that align with your personal brand. Be sure to use keywords that are related to your industry/target audience/personal brand, and to engage with other users similar to you, whether this be in conversations or just comments.
The main social media platforms employers look at are LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. For LinkedIn in particular, be sure to have more than just your resume! Fill out all sections on your profile, using keywords in all sections and write a compelling “About Me” section that tells your story and conveys your personal brand.
- Develop Content Strategy: Make sure you provide your best content on your social media channels. By showcasing the best of what you can do, you showcase your expertise to your target audience. You want to ensure that you can be trusted in what you do. A great way to figure out what type of content works in your space is to research trends in your respective field. By using these trends and creating a variety of content, you can ensure that you deliver fresh, high-quality content that will impress your target audience!
- Create Consistent Value: By consistently delivering a variety of quality content that addresses your target audience’s needs, you can amass a loyal following and establish credibility in your industry.
Now all there’s left to do is start building your personal brand and let the world know exactly who you are and what you can do!