At the recent Association of Image Consultants International conference I attended, it was clear from the high number of presentations on branding, that brand management has come of age. No longer is it solely a professional marketing discipline, confined to managing the promotion of products. Today brand management is also a masterstroke of self-promotion. To succeed in your career or business you don’t want to leave your reputation to chance; ideally you want to proactively differentiate yourself from the competition in a positive way.
Brand management can deliver significant benefits and opportunities to business executives and entrepreneurs.If you are career savvy, it is time to consider how you can devise a personal brand, along the lines of product branding to get noticed.
Personal branding is popular right now. As an executive or entrepreneur, you want the competitive edge that comes from establishing yourself as an expert in your chosen field.You also want to inspire loyalty and respect in your core audiences, making personal branding even more appealing.
No matter what level of career success people attain, it is still important to communicate what you stand for and the benefits you offer in order to stay ahead of competitors. Personal branding is the perfect solution.
But before you position yourself as a guru in your niche market, you need to do your research first. Because personal branding relies on strength and consistency, it is vital to be clear about who you are.
You need to do a personal audit to determine your personal brand essence before you can build on it. Consider your personality, appearance, competencies and differentiation, and what will best communicate your unique message. You may find this quite challenging.
A solution is to think about what sets you apart from your peers, colleagues and competitors. This will not only give you a clearer understanding of who you are but with a bit of vocational soul-searching, give you a confidence boost as well.
When it comes to maintaining your personal brand, other tools to consider are personality profiling, colour analysis and image consultancy. These useful tools give you a clearer understanding of who you are, but can also be used to determine how you’re perceived by others and what your needs are.
These tools are particularly good for people in career transition or forging an entrepreneurial path, because they provide that much needed extra insight.
In terms of evolving your personal brand, all strong brands need to remain relevant to their target audience. Strive to stand out from the crowd by regularly assessing your strategy.
Your personal brand should be an accurate reflection of who you are, so integrate it with your unique style and personality. This not only increases your perceived value in the marketplace, but helps you live your personal brand and deliver on its promise.Y
In my eBook the Power of Personal Public Relations, I write more about uncovering your personal brand and the art of self-promotion. Download your copy here.
Read last week’s blog Lessons Learned in Leadership Brand Presence
Sue Currie is a personal branding specialist providing solutions to business owners and organisations to boost their image, renown, brand and business. She is the founder of Shine Academy™, providing education and professional development training and Shine Agency™ a firm providing personal branding and public relations services to help businesses and entrepreneurs position and present an impactful professional brand. Through speaking, corporate workshops, and consulting, Sue helps businesses and individuals to stand out and shine.
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