Personal branding can be the most important tool for success in your self-marketing toolkit. You can identify, package and sell who you are to build a personal brand that results in business achievement, growth, influence, and ultimately, income.
Here are three very important things you need to develop a strong personal brand:
- Be clear on your personal strengths, talents, values, and core area of expertise. You need to understand how you connect best with your target audience. Consider what your target audience needs and wants, and then identify the value and the experience that you can deliver to meet those needs and wants. Communicate in ways that reach into the hearts and minds of your target audience and connect with their core values and deepest desires. This will definitely take serious thought on your part – you want to be able to really “reach” them and connect with them on a deeper level.
- The personal branding process is about having self-awareness of your strengths and talents, and then letting everyone know how they can benefit from them. It’s about giving a clear impression of who you are, what you value, what you’re committed to, and how you can be counted upon to act. Your branding statement must provide a clear, concise view of your unique set of strengths. You need to be able to state clearly and unequivocally why you are better and how your services and/or products set you a part from your competitors.
- Consistency is a major key to building a strong personal brand. Be consistent in every interaction you have, both in what you say and how you respond. If you say one thing and do another, this could prove detrimental to your credibility and cost you tons of potential income.
Establishing a professional brand is absolutely critical to long term, sustainable business growth. In an overcrowded marketplace filled with many people who claim to do the same thing that you do, you must stand out or you’re invisible. Branding your products and services will give you an edge over your competition and enhance your value to your target market.
Candie A. Price is the CEO/Chief PR & Marketing Strategist/Branding Coach at Priceless PR & Marketing Consulting (www.yourprdiva.com). She provides public relations, marketing services, and social media training to authors, entrepreneurs, artists, and ministries. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Email Candie at candie@pricelesspr.com and check out her new blog, “Philly Girl In the South!”