Personal branding - The new normal

Personal Branding is all about how others perceive you! Anyone who is already successful in life knows that first impressions mean a lot in any circumstance and situation, so personal branding is all about how you show up in the world.  It is “the practice of marketing yourself and your career as a brand” -Bianca Miller-Cole

People will buy into the power that is you because every single person on this planet is different and has something unique to offer, whether they know it or not.

To brand yourself, you must be proactive and strategic. No one is going to do this task for you. However as Aristotle says, “you are what you repeatedly to”.  Therefore the more you do this, the more it will be form a natural part of your daily routine and career planning.

In order to brand yourself for success and make an impact in your chosen industry, I have six top tips for you to follow:

Tip 1- Promote your accomplishments. No one is going to do this for you. This is your responsibility. Be sure to share all the amazing things you have done. If you don’t tell anyone what you have accomplished, how will they know? Be bold and share what a great job you have been doing and all you have achieved.

Tip 2 – Communicate effectively. Make sure you communicate with different kinds of people, in different levels of your organisation. Also be sure to communicate with those outside of your industry too.  The more you communicate widely, the more people will be aware of you, your brand and your core offerings.

Tip 3  – Stay relevant. Stay up to date with what is going on in your industry/sector. Be commercially aware by keeping abreast of new developments, trends and hot topics.

Tip 4 – Choose your associates wisely. I firmly believe that bad company corrupts good character. Therefore surround yourself with those who will add to your career as well as add value to yourself and your brand, rather than those who will cause your downfall. Associate yourself with people who are where you want to be. Connect, share best practise or be mentored in order to grown and develop your brand.

Tip 5 – Dress and act the part. We live in a very visual society and first impressions are usually formed by the way you look!! In order to have a strong personal brand, it is crucial  to dress and act according to what you aspire to be.

Tip 6 – Maintain your image on and offline.  These days it is very common for recruiters and HR professionals to check out the online profiles of candidates during the selection process. Who you are online and in person, must be the same. You, and your brand cannot be separated as there should be a consistent image between the two. If there is consistency, your brand will be a lot stronger and authentic. As a result, make sure you are online and offline image are both clear and reflective of who you really are of who you.

As personal branding is now the new normal, it is most certainly  a continuous process. For a strong brand and success be sure to keep taking stock of who you are and where you want to be.