Rizers - Building Your Brand

We get a lot of questions about building a personal brand. Me Inc. You 2.0. It’s an exciting time to be a skilled and ambitious individual. No longer are you just a job title. You, and the image you put forth, the perception others hold for you, is in fact your brand! The good news is, as Tom Peters points out, that with a personal brand, “everyone has a chance to stand out. Everyone has a chance to learn, improve, and build up their skills. Everyone has a chance to be a brand worthy of a remark. (Fast Company > The Brand Called You)

Whether you work inside an organization or outside of one, your reputation, your ability to influence, your thought leadership and how you communicate those thoughts becomes your brand. And with the proliferation of networking tools and social media, it’s much easier to share those thoughts, gain visibility, and promote your brand. Lots of people will urge you to ‘put your brand out there’ via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook. There’s value in being authentic. There’s value in ensuring your message is consistent. But how do you do this successfully? How do you determine what your brand is exactly? And how do you mix the professional and personal so that your brand really conveys the whole package that is you?

To help determine your brand, take some time to think about the value you bring, the reputation you have built, the style you are most comfortable using to get things done. Ask both your former and current colleagues to write LinkedIn recommendations for you – what themes emerge? Form an advisory board – people you commit to check in with regularly for feedback and advice. Think about what brands you admire and why – these can be products, companies, or people. This is the step beyond just having your resume up-to-date.

As a Rizer, you’ll not only know your brand, but you’ll have ideas about how to market your brand as well. We can help you to clarify and rethink your brand in the future, as well as propose strategies for putting your brand out there.

Tags: Essentials - Branding - Fast Company - Reputation

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