How to start a personal brand

Creating a memorable personal brand is not something that happens overnight, but the work you put into it can help you reach your career or business goals.

Your personal brand is the way people perceive or remember you. It’s what you are known for. Having a personal brand can help distinguish you in your career field or business industry.

Think about Elon Musk - he has a personal brand. Elon Musk himself is known as a visionary and an inventor. His projects - Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink - reflect his visionary personal brand. Elon Musk’s projects show that he stands for pushing the limits of what is currently possible.

Whether you are trying to excel in your career or be known for your businesses, a personal brand can help. Creating a brand shows your values and highlights your strengths. When a prospect is looking you up online, your personal brand can give them a snapshot of what you represent.

It’s a way of expressing who you are and your long-term vision. When your personal brand resonates with you and your values, you attract people in your inner circle whom you connect with.

These days, you can use the Internet to your advantage to build your personal brand. In the long run, the personal brand can help you sell a product or course or distinguish your reputation in your industry.

Plus, the work that you put into your personal brand can compound. People will reach out to you knowing your expertise. You may receive requests for speaking engagements. If you launch a product of your own, you could have an audience of people who trust you.

Follow these steps as you grow your personal brand

1. Start with a story. Stories drive our world. They evoke feelings, take people to another world, and help others associate themselves with you. How did you get to where you are today? What’s the “why” behind your work? Tell a story people will resonate with.
2. Create a brand promise. A brand promise is a statement that communicates what followers can expect from you whenever they interact with your brand or company. It can turn into a tagline on social media. Regardless of the businesses you start or products you launch, what is the brand promise that will tie those things together?
3. Research. It might sound unusual at first but doing research will help you get clear on who your brand is for, as well as the brands in your industry they follow. The research you do can create lifelong superfans.
   • Who do you want to impact? Who do you want to receive your message?
   • Which brands in your industry does your audience follow?
   • What words or phrases will you use?
   • Ask people to list traits about you that stand out to them. Maybe it’s your openness, yes attitude, extraversion, and more. How can you use that to your advantage in your brand personality?
4. Build your online presence. Get started building digital platforms so that when people stumble upon you online, they can learn more about you.
   • Website. Your website is your digital storefront that tells people about what you offer. It can also be the archive for your blog content.
   • Social Media Platforms. Content you post on social media can reach your existing audience, expand your audience, and be shared across platforms.
   • Email. Sending newsletters into follower’s inboxes can build a personal, intimate relationship.
   • The small details. Use headshots and graphics that convey your brand personality. Keep that personality in everything, including your email signature!
5. Think long-term. Thinking long-term helps you get crystal clear on where you want to take your brand. What is the purpose of your brand? How can building your personal brand help you in the long term? In what way does it align with your goals?

Through creating recognition, branding can be the elevator to achieving your goals. And feel free to be human! You don’t have to trap yourself in the box of your personal brand.

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