We live in an age of packaging. Those who know how to package and market themselves grab all the attention, recognition and money. This process is called personal branding, and it can heavily contribute to making or breaking your business. Personal branding always works as the first source for new deals, jobs, and promotions. It leads to job satisfaction and enrichment, regardless of your role in the organization. Those who master it taste the great fruits it bears and those who are not fortunate enough to discover its secrets never get to achieve the phenomenal success they deserve!
Secrets to master your personal brand
Creating a powerful personal brand is like fine-tuning your image in a way to showcase who you are, how your past was, and where you intend to go. It should project an honest impression of your values, beliefs, talents and ideas.
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Brand for a competitive advantage
According to Sales Training, personal brand creates a lasting impression. It helps you develop a strong persona and offers a lot of advantages in the competitive marketplace. The first step to achieving this is to focus on your personal brand and purpose. And then, you need to identify the products to sell or develop the products that meet your purpose.
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Explain yourself through a mission statement
Explain yourself in a way that others can easily associate with you. Build your brand with a short and sweet mission statement to help people quickly understand your core values and beliefs.
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Justify how your past fits into your present
Your branding story is a summary of your overall progression in your career, interests, and life. Focus on how your prior experience adds value in your current profession.
Your story should be consistent with your past, but also explain how your experiences have helped you to develop specific skills and dynamic abilities.
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Create a signature style
Developing a signature style is another way to stand out from the rest. This can be as always wearing a certain color or accessory. Anything that grabs attention will work, such as a watch, bracelet, scarf, or hat.
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Develop an “elevator pitch.”
A compelling elevator pitch, which is a brief verbal statement that conveys who you are, is one simple way to create a great first impression. Your brand is what people say about you in your absence. A strong first impression is a goal with any personal brand. While networking in person, authenticity is the most important factor while the statement should also be punchy and memorable.
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Own your name online
The online name allows you to take control of your reputation and image. Your site should include a decent picture of yourself with space where you can post your content. It should allow people to explore about you and they can get in touch with you.
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Distribute knowledge through Content Marketing
Sharing content gives customers an idea of your thoughts and opinions, and showcases your creative side.
Make a list of your target goals- (for example):
What do you want to achieve through your content?
Who is your audience?
How would you want to be perceived?
Then develop content that would best accomplish the goal. Identify channels through which you can distribute and market your content. It could be through social media like LinkedIn, Facebook, your personal blog on the website or a combination of these.
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Build relationships with influencers
The best way to connect with influencers on social media and share their content is to ‘retweet’ them. Following and commenting on influencer blogs or posts will earn their appreciation and trust and when your relationship blossoms, you can ask for their help to promote your products or services.
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Don’t over-promote yourself
Over-promotion creates a negative impression. Focusing too much on selling yourself or selling anything will be counter-productive. Develop a habit of keeping silent for some time and listening for a while. Ask questions and wait to hear the answers. People will always notice if you are really listening to them.
For better results, building and nurturing relationships should become a part of your daily actions. Personal branding requires commitment and regular attention, and it is simply about being yourself – your best self – always.