Steps to Building a Personal Brand
You ARE your personal brand. Why is this important? Here’s why: Per Megan Mars and her article in Forbes, “Whether you’re on the job hunt, a student, or gainfully employed, you must think, act, and plan like a business leader. With the surge of social media, you have not only the ability, but you now have the need to manage your own reputation, both online and in real life.”
The internet and its “social networking” are dramatically changing the rules that many have used successfully to navigate the corporate world.
Even the young adults entering the workforce are unaware of these changes and are being forced to look at themselves in new ways. A college graduate needs to see that it is no longer acceptable to “put it all out there,” because prospective employers may not appreciate your after-hours activities.
You must be in control of your professional reputation on the internet. Why would you want to leave it to chance when you have the ability not only control it but to craft it?
Per wikipedia, “personal branding is the practice of people marketing themselves and their careers as brands.”
This personal branding concept suggests that success comes from self-packaging and the improvement of one’s professional standing or image.
Building your personal brand takes times and intention. The first step is to develop your “brand mantra.” Your brand mantra will become the foundation of all your branding efforts. It is not a mission statement, instead, it is a simple and memorable statement describing who you are and what it is that you have to offer.
According to YakYak on the blog, where there be dragons, “A mantra is a gentle reminder to the brain that there is a purpose to your action. The purpose is for you to attain your goals. I encourage you to read the referenced article in his blog for more detailed information regarding the strength of a personal mantra.
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
your thoughts become your words,
your words become your actions,
your actions become your habits,
your habits become your values,
your values become your destiny.”
The four steps to creating your mantra
1- Determine your emotional appeal. Write down words that describe your personality.
2- Determine you description. Write down descriptive modifiers to bring clarity to the words you wrote down in step 1.
3- Determine your function. Write down what it is that you do in your current career or desired career. Not your job title. Be descriptive. For example: writing, graphic design, creator, organizer, manager, etc.
4- Put it altogether. Now combine these three words into a short sentence or phrase with no more than five words. Your brand mantra should communicate clearly who you are. It should be inspiring to you, simple and memorable. For example, you may be the “a creative professional connector” or “motivator of others to do their best”
About the Author:
Cynthia McIntyre ( AKA the Headshotologist) is the owner of Cynthia McIntyre Photography LLC. Cynthia McIntyre Photography has portrait studios throughout Florida in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Orlando specializing in creating headshots and business portraits for use on websites, LinkedIn, etc that enhance your personal brand. For more info visit www.cynthiamcintyre.com or CALL 203-364-1592.
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