If you wonder whether you have or not your personal brand, I can assure you have one. And if you wonder what it is, well… this is simply “what people are saying about you when you are not in the room”.
It is your reputation and how you are perceived by others. Whether you are aware of it or not, you have a brand, you may only not be in control of it, but your appearance and behavior are constantly evaluated by people around you.
So the question is: are you managing your reputation? Do you do it proactively? Or you let other people to decide for you?
The way you dress, present yourself on the phone, what you say on your resume when applying for a job, but also how you present yourself online – via social media or personal blog – it all creates an image of you.
You need to ensure that the information about you in online world is aligned with your brand and your offline image.
Your personal brand starts offline and later can be mirrored online. If you create a great image online that is in no way close to real life, you probably won’t be able to maintain your brand. Because brand is about the values and trust. You need to be honest with yourself and present yourself in an authentic way. It is crucial to build your brand from inside out in a way it represents the best of you in a way it is relevant and meaningful to your target audience.
You should think about your branding statement, a value you want to deliver to people around you – whether on personal or professional level.
Decide who you are and what you want, what you are good and passionate about and most importantly how can you help others.
Every interaction is a branding opportunity, so you want to make the most of it. If you have a message, find a way to communicate it. To do it, you need to consider the offline world – your appearance, behavior, communication style as well as online channels. Look at your blog, Facebook, Twitter and see what your post are saying about you, what is communicated by the photos you add. What image emerges from all those channels together? Is it a consistent image, does that image support your personal and professional goals?
