Personal Branding Basics
Personal branding has been very hyped up lately, and for good reason. Many people who feel marginalized by the
idea of branding themselves now understand that it is inescapable. We all exist as brands, whether we like it or not. That means you Mr. Postman and you Mr. Lawyer! The first step to branding success is to accept that you’re a brand. Like corporate and product brands, you’re able to use the same marketing strategies to build your brand, get recognized and leverage it to either sell products, get a job or become a celebrity in your niche. There are two main reasons why individuals, like you and me, are labeled as brands.
Why we have brands
- We’re all judged based on impressions. And the first impression usually depicts whether you end up dating a girl or guy or whether you get a job or not. Offline, just about everyone we meet will analyze us and decide whether they want to be friends or not. Sometimes it may be on appearance alone and other times, it could be based on a single conversation. People label us based based on personality, appearance and what we actually do for a living.
Online, first impressions work quite differently because our brands are spread out on social networks, blogs and more. The first time someone “meets us” could be after searching for your name on Google or Facebook. Based on the first result for your name on Google, they will make a decision whether they want to talk to you or not. Based on your Facebook picture, you may have another contact or not. In this way, we are attracting and repelling certain types of people, without feeling the pain of rejection (one reason why people like online dating).
- We’re all salespeople. People typically don’t purchase product brands that they haven’t heard of. You won’t get opportunities from those who have never heard of your name and in the same respect, you’ll have trouble securing venture capital if you can’t sell your product (and yourself). At work, we have to sell our ideas to our management, in order to take on new projects and prove ourself. Even with our circle of friends, we are forced to influence them to go see a certain movie or grab a bite to eat. We sell everyday, yet most of us don’t look at ourselves in the mirror and say “I’m in sales.”
What this means for us
A brand is an opportunity to have meaning in your life and to stand out from everyone else around the world. You, yes you, have unique attributes that no one else has. Some of you have discovered what you’re strengths or talents are, while others have either been afraid to reveal them or are still trying to locate them.
The idea of “brand you” (i.e. how we market ourselves to others) is a proven way to position yourself in a niche and become known. The benefits are that people will come to you for your expertise, and the jobs will follow. By investing in your personal brand, you’re able to do more, with less, especially using the power of social media, and succeed beyond your wildest dreams.
Questions you need to ask yourself
Before embarking on your personal branding journey, here are a few questions that will help you learn more about yourself, what you want to do and steer you on the right path to success:
- If you could do one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?
- What was your favorite class in college?
- Who is your rolemodel and what makes him or her so great?
- Describe yourself using 5 attributes (ex. intelligent, vocal, brave)?
- Name 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses that you have.
- How have people labeled me in the past?
- Am I passionate about my current job/career path?
WRITER'S BIOGRAPHY
Dan Schawbel
Dan Schawbel is the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He is the author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, 09), as well as the publisher of both the award winning Personal Branding Blog and Personal Branding Magazine.
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Comments
Ann Evanston says on February 10th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
I ALWAYS say to my clients YOU are the brand! Especially people running direct sales businesses need to understand this. The product is what you are selling but it is YOU that determines why I’d by it from you over anyone else! Great Post!
Ann Evanston
http://Warriorpreneurs.com
Strategies and Tactics for 21st Century Networking
Yes, But Still... says on February 10th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
It’s tough to think of oneself as a brand, but I can see how this could be used as an interesting trick to staying productive if one works to make that a part of his or her identity—or ‘brand’.
Ohdoctah says on February 10th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Some points in this post are just silly.
First of all your second Q your favorite class in college? Who gives a fiddledee stick? No one! Not everyone goes to college.
Second I meet so many people that could care less to consider themselves a brand. They have nothing to do with selling themselves they are just living there life. I mean yes we all share things but calling it sales does not make it so.
Last people try and buy things everyday they never heard of. Thats how new trends get started!
Other then that great post lol yay branding lol
Ohdoctah
Mike Bite says on February 11th, 2009 at 3:34 am
Hi Dan, nice post…
I think you’re absolutely right about branding yourself. I think we all should be aware on how we sale ourselves to the public. Personal contacts are stronger than anything else.
And if you have a company you should also have a person presenting it. Not just a logo or a fancy company name, a person! Look at Apple, Apple is Steve Jobs. Look at Microsoft, Microsoft is still Bill Gates. Look at Virgin Air, Virgin Cola, Virgin Mobil.. Virgin is Richard Branson. All these companies have a very recognizable person standing in front of the company. That makes the company more personal and attractive.
Cheers, Mike
Vincent says on February 11th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Hi Dan,
We are our own brand and it is up to us to keep up an image and let others have a great impression of us. With this impression, we are then able to leverage it to help us in terms of our career or business.
Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger
CK says on February 11th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Speaking of brands, what about icons or emblems? As an example, my last name is also a symbol or figure from ancient times. Another example is that when we see an “S” in a shield figure we think of “Superman” – which is an icon in and of itself.
I try to include my little icon when ever I can. Would that too be considered branding as well? Now if I could only get a tietack or lapel pin made into my logo/icon …
Che Bello says on February 12th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Hmmmm!I am just interested in this great news about the brand me.I mean, I have at least books printed but hey, can anybody please help me find an online publisher.Sad thing is I am
pretty busy for encoding my books.See u at my blog site.Happy love day to u guys and gals .
Rafael says on February 12th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
I you have ever been in a job interview that it would behoove you to know you are a brand. The only people that don’t have to worry about being a brand are the ones that live in a cave and eat berries all year long… and maybe then… Call it personal image, brand, or whatever… We should all pay attention.
Great post!
Brandon R Allen says on February 13th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Personal branding doesn’t have to mean that you are a walking sales pitch. It does mean that you identify with who you are and you live in that manner. To the person who doesn’t want a brand or doesn’t care about branding…that’s your brand.
Cindy Tran says on February 13th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Dan,
Great post! I certainly agree that your personal image should be something you actively work on. Perhaps “selling” yourself has negative connotations of being fake but I think it’s more about being genuine. It’s about deciding who you really want to be and how you want to come across and consciously acting accordingly.
Can’t wait to meet you at the upcoming Northeastern event!
Lexluther says on February 16th, 2009 at 8:22 am
In the past I have been all for caring for Brand “Me” whether it is maintaining my google profile, getting the right info out there or dressing appropriately (no bomberjackets and bathing suits — together). But I guess I now like to think about it all as reputation. Brand as we have come to see it in this consumer age is usually more about the spin, the visual marks, etc etc. But if I look at all these things (including my Google profile!) as just artifacts and tools to enhance or clarify my reputation, then I think I usually am better able to make a decision about my reputation. For me the most powerful object lesson was when I used to work for NM Rothschild & Sons, the small but historically powerful investment bank. Sir Evelyn de Rothschild once said to me at a committee meeting that if I were at another bank they might say I should think about the shareholder interests when making decisions but with Rothschild I needed to think about his personal reputation because he was THE shareholder. At that point, I understood that trust and reputation are everything – as we have seen in the Global Financial Crisis!
LexLuther says on February 16th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
In honour of President’s day, I came across this bon mot from Abraham Lincoln that I think sums it all up:
“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”
Maybe in the ‘personal branding’ trend we should be careful to focus on the character of who we are and let the brand/reputation/shadow falls where it may just a bit more.
Cheers, Lex