“A man with a name” is what someone who has a personal brand is called. This is a professional whose high level of expertise is recognized by clients and colleagues. They often turn to him by recommendation. Clients sometimes have to wait until their project can be handled.
In simple terms, a personal brand is a positive business reputation and a certain fame in its field. Its owner is in demand and can choose the projects that interest him. It is especially relevant in areas where work involves interaction with people.
- It allows freelancers and private specialists to attract more clients, raise their prices reasonably, not to suffer from dumping, and spend less time looking for customers. And they can choose their projects rather than take on every job.
- For office workers – to stand out among other applicants, to qualify for a higher salary and position.
- For businessmen – to attract partners, and employees, to build loyalty to the company or product.
What a Personal Brand Consists of?
It has three components: professionalism, fame, and reputation. Let’s examine each component more closely.
- Professionalism. You have to know your business very well. To create a personal brand from scratch, you have to start by accumulating knowledge and experience. You should be able to do more than your average colleague. Ideally, be the best.
- Fame. Being a professional is not enough. You need to show and prove your expertise to your colleagues and potential clients. This will require you to share your knowledge and experience. You can blog, make videos for YouTube, speak at conferences, communicate in professional organizations, and much more.
- Reputation. Both business and personal. Must be impeccable.
Each of the components is important. If you take away even one thing, the personal brand doesn’t add up:
- If we exclude professionalism, we get just a good guy, with no reference to business qualities.
- If we take away fame, we get a good specialist that no one knows about.
- If we ignore reputation, we get a scandalously famous person. Not everyone would want to entrust a major project to a person like that.
How to Create a Personal Brand from Scratch?
1. Become a Professional
First of all, you need to become a professional in your field. To do this, you need to learn and practice your knowledge in real life. Form your own work strategy, and accumulate experience. You don’t have to do something unique. Sometimes it is enough to systematize the knowledge that already exists in your field. Or to refine certain steps of the conventional algorithm.
For beginners, there is an interesting and daring idea of developing a personal brand from scratch. Make your professional path a kind of reality show. Start a blog and write about achievements, difficulties, findings, and delights.
2. Become Part of a Professional Community
To build a personal brand, you’ll need recognition from your colleagues, which means it’s important to communicate. Share your experiences: blog, participate in professional discussions, and look for opportunities to participate in industry events.
Try not to spread yourself too thin. Choose 2-3 large platforms where professionals communicate, and make connections on them. It’s impossible to be everywhere at once.
3. Think about the Internal Content
Formulate the essence of your brand. What can you do better than others? What are your main advantages? Are there any features that are fundamental to your work (for example, do you only take long-term projects)?
A “brand map” is the internal document that will guide you in its creation and development. It is better to make it in writing and print it out, let it be in front of you. The main idea should be clear and simple.
4. Work out the “Package”
Take high-quality photos. It’s better if all your accounts have the same photo. That way the image will be remembered faster. The image should match the internal content of the brand.
5. Check what the Internet Already knows about you
Maybe you should delete some old profiles and leave only the information that will work for you in the current ones.
Why is it More Profitable to Develop a Personal Brand than a Company Brand?
- A person is more interesting than a company. Following the news of an organization is not as exciting as following the posts of a particular person. And therefore it is usually faster and cheaper to develop a personal brand than a company “image”.
- More credibility. When consumers know who’s behind a company’s signage, it’s psychologically easier for them to ask for a service, which is one reason why a personal brand is important.
- It’s easier to manage reputation. When a company representative is “in touch” with customers, there’s a better chance that a dissatisfied customer will write to him, not to third-party sites, about a bad situation.
- You can expand or change your business. If you want to launch a new business, you will already have a “pumped-up” name.
- A popular personal blog can be a good additional source of income.
- An opportunity to make useful acquaintances. In the era of social networks, having a well-known name and a well-developed online profile allows you to reach out directly to almost anyone.