Personal branding is not just for celebrities
You too can claim your spot in the digital world
What do you think is a personal brand statement?
How exactly do you write one?
Would it be effective enough to market yourself?
If any of these questions bog you, this blog may help in clearing the air.
Each one of us is unique in our own way. So, a personal brand statement has to essentially focus on that uniqueness within you. Even if you do happen to be inspired by others, your personal brand statement would be effective only if YOU happen to be comfortable with the same.
As a professional it is very important to brand yourself. Branding reflects how people must perceive you. It gets easier to reach and influence your target audience – be they your colleagues, or business associates – and gain a competitive position in the market.
Personal branding is not just for celebrities like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton. It could and must be created for anyone. By definition, Personal branding is the process through which, you market or position yourself in the world that you live in. Once you create your brand, you can use the same tactics that these celebrities use to promote yourself to build your brand equity.
There are those who have transformed their names into brands that are etched in the minds of their target audience, forever.
Here are a few illustrative examples:
Quinnton Harris: While keeping his personal brand statement short, Quinnton Harris revealed a lot about his character and work. Through a few intriguing and passionate phrases, he could describe his experiences, his education, his family and his heritage in a very precise and focused manner.
Lewis Howes: Although it took the briefest of time for his brand to evolve, today he is considered a lifestyle entrepreneur across the world. He has also chalked out his future through his new Academy and his podcast called the School of Greatness. Helping people achieve their professional as well as personal goals is not only his objective, but also his passion.
Varun Agarwal: He was known as an author before he became an entrepreneur. A young and enterprising entrepreneur who runs an online store called AlmaMater that sells personalized college merchandize, he captured his experiences in his book “How I braved Anu Aunty and co-founded a million dollar company.” While his web presence is a matter of envy to others, he also happens to be a social media celebrity.
Bal Krishna: Bal Krishna rode to fame by co-founding AskLaila, besides a couple of other restaurants. Presently he runs a radio channel called Radiowala.in and owns an online grocery store called Zopnow. He has a huge fan following on social media which he has created mainly through his witty PJs. That’s how he makes himself heard.
Aamir Khan: Aamir Khan is big on social media and a good example to follow when it comes to personal branding.
Neville J. Bilimoria: An immigration consultant, what brought fame to Neville is his passion for running and cycling. He has to his credit, a record of 39 marathons, both domestic as well as international in the past five years. He has well-earned the epitaph is known D2D or dawn-to-dusk man in India.
Brand is not about wearing Armani suits. It is a trademark that makes you what you are. You need to protect your brand throughout your life, giving a shape or a mold to it. This will help you associate yourself with the industry you work in and build relationships with people who seem important in your life. To sum up:
– A personal brand statement is about individuality and image. It is not about your company.
– It is not important to like everything that comes in your way and tweet all the time. Do it when necessary and without any force.
– Make sure you say something about what you know. If you are an expert in the area you talk about it might work well.
– Be humble. Not everybody will know everything in this world. Be open to learn things that you don’t know about.
– Use humor where possible – it works.
– Listen to others and try to appreciate.
– Building a brand is a natural process. It has to evolve over time. Have patience and be yourself. Pretense will not take you anywhere.
The digital world presents an opportunity for every person to be viewed from different angles. It is important to create a brand around yourself, taking into account, the multiple roles you play in your life. It is not about the company you work for or the project you are working on. It is about YOU.
