Crafting a personal brand is important because, unfortunately, in the “web 2.0 era” we don’t get to decide whether we want to have one or not.
People are constantly measuring who they can trust, who they want to do business with, who is competent, and who isn’t. What most people fail to realize is that just because they don’t put effort into creating a personal brand, does not mean they don’t have one.
With the emergence of social media, our words and actions are seen by more people than ever before. Every post on social media, every interaction with another person is either adding or subtracting from your personal brand.
You have a personal brand, whether you want one or not. That’s why consciously creating a personal brand is so important.
Your personal brand is a representation of who you are and what you stand for. It’s better for you decide what that is, and be able to communicate it effectively, rather than let people come to their own conclusions.
There are so many different ways that you can leverage a personal brand, but we’ve determined three over-arching categories that cover most people.
The three categories are: Entrepreneurs (Business Owners), Executives, and Employees.
Why is a Personal Brand Important for an Entrepreneur (Business Owner)?
- Attract clients vs. Chase them
- Work with higher-quality clients
- Charge more money
- More freedom
- Credibility
- Better network
Click here for more details: Why a personal brand is important for an Entrepreneur.
Why is a Personal Brand Important for an Executive?
- Job security
- Respect (Within company and within Industry)
- Brand awareness for company
- Talent Acquisition
Click here for more info: Why a personal brand is important for an Executive.
Why is a Personal Brand Important for an Employee?
- Attract better talent
- Generate more brand awareness
- Create additional revenue streams
- Negotiate higher salary
Click here for more info: Why a personal brand is important for an Employee.
Why Starting Your Personal Brand Now Is Your Advantage
A personal brand is important today, but it will be even more important in 5 years. Soon, knowing how to package, position, and market yourself (aka your personal brand) will be the core of how individuals land jobs, contracts, deals, etc.
Today, it’s not common, but also not unusual for people to work virtually and not commute to an office every day. But, it wasn’t too long ago when that wasn’t possible. Until recently, when companies went to hire people, their talent pool was primarily if not entirely limited to people who lived within a 30-50 mile radius of the office.
Currently, companies have a state-wide, country-wide, world-wide talent pool they can tap into. Before, we just had to be the best candidate for the job in our 30-mile radius. Now, we need to be the best candidate for the job in our state, our country, and even the world. It’s true today, and will be even more true in the next 5-10 years, as communication and conferencing technologies continue to advance.
With global competition on the rise for jobs, projects and contracts, building a strong personal brand will not only give you a strategic advantage to land the gig, but also allow you to negotiate how much you are payed for your time and services, from a place of strength.
Even if you don’t need a personal brand right now, it’s smart to start thinking about it and to start building your personal brand now. Starting your personal brand now will give you a huge advantage in the years to come.
Let us help support you on your path to building your personal brand. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest and greatest strategies, tactics, advice, and insights.
Click here to subscribe.
