Building Your Personal Brand
People who work in marketing wear many different hats – from a digital media specialist, to a crisis communications manager, an event organizer, and more. But one of our biggest roles will always be that of brand warrior. This applies not only to the company you work for, but also to your own personal brand!
Whether you’re telling the story of your new product launch or explaining to the world the talents you possess in your job search, being a brand warrior is paramount to helping you achieve next-level success. Let’s look at some expert tips and tools to help you fight the good fight for the new year.
Start with the Basics
According to Entrepreneur, there are five integral components to establishing your personal brand:
Authenticity – don’t fake your brand. Your audience will notice and then you’ll have no more audience.
Values – are you hip and trendy or all business? This should come across so people know who you are.
Integrity – stick to your principles and don’t let outside forces change what you believe.
Charisma – this isn’t always easy but use your personality to try and stand out from the competition. What makes you different, why would I want to work with you?
Trustworthiness – don’t give your audience any reason not to trust you – it’ll be very difficult to earn it back!
Consistency is Key
You’ve started to tell the world who you are. Excellent! So, how do you keep it going day after day? HeyOrca has some great tips that we’ve summarized below:
Who’s your target audience? What are you passionate about, what are your strengths? This will always be the best place to start since your love for these topics will shine through on everything you do.
What platform are you on? There are so many. So. Many. And they change constantly. Do you have a Bluesky account, for example? You have to find that fine line between populating content on multiple sites and stretching yourself thin on platforms that may not yet yield any tangible results.
Do you have a long-term content strategy? Your last post was great, but what about tomorrow? Next week? Have an idea of what you want to say and when so you’re never behind.
Engage! You established your brand, someone comments, and you… do nothing. Avoid this. Instead, engage with your audience. Even if it’s just to say, ‘Thank you.’ Humans crave connection and we guarantee they will remember your brand over another who failed to reply.
Monitor, Fix, Move Forward. Honest feedback is important. You did six posts on TikTok and saw no clicks? Perhaps it’s time to move on to a different subject and show your expertise in another area.
With these ideas, you’re now ready to be your own brand warrior. And remember, per Forbes, personal branding means “taking control of your online reputation and shaping it, so people see you in the way you want to be seen.” Don’t let others define you and don’t stop telling the world your great story.
Another great way to showcase your personal brand is to get involved with local networking events. AMA PDX has a handful of great opportunities for you, including monthly marketing meet-ups. Check out what’s coming.