Today, people want to buy brands because they come with unique promises of value.  When you think Starbucks, you think of a refreshing cup of coffee.  So think of yourself as a brand – what do you offer and how do you offer it?  Who is your target audience and how do you know if you are communicating the best there is to offer?

A brand is :

1)         NOT what you say about yourself – it is about what the world perceives you to be;

2)         NOT an extension of your company’s brand – unless you are self-employed;

3)         NOT permanent – you have to work hard to achieve success in your brand and you have to commit to sustaining and growing the brand.

Successful personal branding is authentic.

For a brand to be successful and effective, it needs to be authentic and based on who you really are.  A strong brand will have :

.           Authenticity and undisputed credibility

.           Positive image and reputation

.           Value and uniqueness

So whatever your area of expertise, take control of your personal brand and manage it with the above qualities to be certain that the perception of your brand is accurate and positive.  A well-defined brand will send out a clear and consistent message about who you are and what you have to offer to your target audience.

So start taking steps to make people think of YOU when they think of your field.

DEFINING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

Before you sell your ‘what’, you need to know to ‘whom’.  This is the principle of  knowing who your target audience is.   The power of your brand relies on your ability to define your target audience clearly and focus on how you are going to act and communicate to send the right signals to the right group of people.

Even if there are different target groups for your business and you may have to adjust your messages to suit these different groups, always keep in mind that your core values are the same and that these should be the centre of your communication.

COMMUNICATE YOUR BRAND USING SOCIAL MEDIA

If you don’t know what you want to be known for, you will be known for nothing.

In recent years, social media has integrated itself into almost every aspect of our personal and professional lives.  This phenomenon continually affects what we do at work and in our past-time.

Email, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are now platforms we can use to communicate our personal branding.

Everyone should be thinking about how their reputation and brand is viewed, especially as sites like Twitter and Facebook allow us all to become creators, publishers, and distributors of our skills and talents.

STRATEGIES TO MAINTAINING YOUR BRAND

Stay authentic and relevant.  Evolve if you must but stay current.  Update yourself in these areas :

1. Appearance : The buzzword to doing any business is about creativity.  Your  clothes need to say that about you and it is vital for you to look current; to look like you are in the loop.   Do not allow yourself to appear dated. Sometimes it is as easy as adding new accessories or finding clever options for the items in your wardrobe.
2. Networking : In the modern world, it is never about what you know but whom you Widen your networking circles and invest your time in these opportunities to raise your own personal profile.  You will be amazed how a network of like-minded friends can boost your personal and business growth.
3. Technology : There is no need to stay in the forefront of technology nor purchase the latest gizmos that is being launched, but be familiar with the new tools relevant for your business.