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“Personal Branding is the art of becoming knowable, likeable and trustable” according to John Jantsch. Personal Branding is so important to help foreground your reputation, stand you out from the crowd and strategically advance your career. When you hear the names Oprah Winfrey, Grant Gardone, Marie Forleo, Elon Musk what comes to mind? That is personal branding. This can be worked on intentionally and consistently to be top of mind to anyone who comes across your names.

4 Valuable Reasons to Build a Personal Brand

1. To stay top of mind

 Out of sight is out of mind when it comes to business and career. Personal branding helps you to stay visible and top of mind. You do not necessarily have to have a big budget to start. Be in the face of the audience who can provide a solution to their needs.. This does not mean you have to be on every digital platform available, do your audience survey and stay on platforms your targeted customers are on.

2. To increase your authority

 It is good to be seen but it is better to have authority. Sharing knowledge of your expertise online helps build authority and gain trust of your potential client.  A careful personal brand strategy defines your skills, experience in a niche or an industry. For example, being featured on a financial newspaper as a financial expert gives you that authority and leverage over your competitions.

3. To easily build connections and attract opportunities

 A good personal brand helps to easily build relationships in or out of your industry. Highly connected people would want to easily identify and offer you opportunities because you are ‘knowable’..

4. To build influence

Personal branding can enormously build and increase your influence. You cannot estimate the reach of your personal brand when you constantly put out yourself. In fact, you can easily influence for products and services that aligns to your values and skills without hassles and your audience will gladly pay for it,

Still in doubt what a personal brand can do for you? Stop doubting
Lets see the step by step process of building a personal brand.

10 Step by Step Guide to Build a Profitable Personal Brand

1. Know your personality: This starts from identifying your skills, values, strengths and limits. This helps you stay true to yourself and authentic. People can easily detect a facade so it is important you clearly define this as it is the foundation for your personal brand. It clearly sets you apart from others in your industry or field.  

2. Have clear goals

 Why do you want to build a personal brand? What are your personal and career goals? How would a personal help ? Is it for promotion, visibility, impact, profit, etc? Having a clear and concise goal gives you a direction on your personal branding strategy and a clear message to your ideal audience.

3. Know your unique value proposition 

You need to have a clear unique value proposition of what you are offering to the audience. There is something that distinctly differentiates you from others. What is the value you are bringing to the table? What will stand you out among the crowd? This message should communicate your niche and what makes you stand out.

4. Establish an online presence

 In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is important. Create a social media account that has your name or preferred name, create a bio that is concise and professional showing who you are, services and contact details, use a professional background across your social media pages. Then, optimise to reflect your professional brand.

5. Create and share content regularly

 You can demonstrate your expertise by creating relatable and useful content relating to your niche. You can use different content which include blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts, or social media updates. You can share on social media platforms, podcast channels, blogging sites, news platforms and so on. Consistently doing this can help position you as a thought leader in your industry.

6. Network strategically

 This is intentionally building relationships online and offline. You can do this by attending relevant events, hosting events, being a member of industry associations, engaging in communities. Doing this genuinely and deliberately allows you to expand your reach, gain visibility and form valuable connections that can benefit your personal brand.

7. Be consistent 

Consistency is showing up when you say you would. Consistency is not about posting daily but committing to a posting schedule and sticking to it. Also, it is alos be consistent in your message which includes the topics you share and in your visual representations. Also , be consistent in your tone, style, fonts, colours create a cohesive brand experience for your audience. This consistency will help you build recognition and credibility.

     8.   Seek feedback regularly

Jim Trinka says that Feedback is a gift. Feedback gives you a perspective on the kind of perception your colleagues, mentors and audiences have of your brand. Create a system where you get reviews from people who you trust and are interested in your growth. Their insights can help you refine your personal brand and make necessary adjustments to improve your professional image.

     9.  Monitor your online reputation

 Regularly monitor what is being said about you online and proactively manage your online reputation. Be intentional about responding to comments, engaging with your audience, and addressing any negative feedback or misconceptions promptly and professionally. An unaddressed negative feedback can spiral down negatively. So it is important to be intentional about social listening and leverage any positive feedback and nip in the bud any negative feedback.

    10. Stay updated and relevant

The world is constantly changing especially in this digital space. It is essential you stay updated with trends to create content. Also, continuously invest in your professional development. Ensure you stay informed about industry trends, and best practices. By consistently updating your skills and knowledge, you’ll maintain relevance and reinforce your personal brand as someone who is knowledgeable and adaptable.

Note that a strong and intentional personal branding is a long-term process that requires consistent work and dedication. By effectively managing your personal brand, you can enhance your professional reputation, attract new opportunities, and advance your career.

Do you need help building a profitable personal branding as a career professional? Contact us now for a free consultation to get started on building a successful personal branding.