The Importance of Building Your Personal Brand in Today’s Digital Work Environment
First impressions are an important consideration when it comes to events like job searching, meeting a team/client or networking. People are judged immediately on the first contact, which is why personal branding is important, as it often “arrives” before you do. Personal branding, when used wisely, can both establish and foster your position to others and can be life-changing for individuals in the workplace. So what is a personal brand? How does this fit within a digital age of workplaces? Here’s what you need to know.
Why Personal Brands Matter Now
A personal brand is the total experience others have with you and the representation you have as an individual. Just as companies are known by their own signature brands, people are known for theirs. Your brand is not dictated by your job title or role within a company, but rather it is based on your performance and interactions with others.
Everyone has a brand – whether you want one or not. If you pass through life and your career without being mindful of how others see you – and if you’re not aware of how you design it – then the world may do it for you. Constructing a brand yourself allows you to stand out from the competition and make a name for yourself.
According to Lida Citroën, a reputation management and personal branding expert, an employee’s personal brand can be beneficial for a company, in that it helps create “a company of knowns” by building a powerful narrative about the company and its people. In today’s work environment, you must be aware of this difference between what you expect others’ feelings are about you, and what actually happens when you interact with them. Your personal brand can often influence a company’s business decisions at a macro level.
With the rise of social media, a lot more of your personal life is also easily viewable for anyone to see. Expect almost every interaction and portrayal of you to be similar to a job interview, which handled with poise, confidence, and awareness to your personal brand will earn others’ respect in any given situation. Want to take your personal brand up a level? Here are some tips to create and sustain the brand you want to attain.
Tips for Building Your Personal Brand
Know Your Value Proposition
For Glenn Llopis, best-selling author and chairman of the Glenn Llopis Group, developing your personal brand is essential for the advancement of your career and development as a leader. A value proposition can help your personal brand by being a guideline that articulates your values as well as the value you plan to bring to the table. Highlighting the value you bring is a tough skill to master, but over time presenting yourself in a way that is consistent with your values helps provide credibility. To start, identify your goals and beliefs and center a brand strategy that blends smoothly to enhance your current role within your company.
Focus on Your Touchpoints
Knowing your touchpoints where other people can connect with you online can greatly improve your personal brands, such as having your own website with a blog or publication. LinkedIn Profiles are often the first place that will also be on a person’s professional radar if filled with up-to-date experience. These all add up to showing that a person takes the time and effort to express their knowledge in their field, educating and enlightening others through their work.
When using social media, know when to best utilize each platform advantages for your personal brand. For example, Twitter allows you to follow personalities who can help you stay updated in your industry, or have people follow and add you into lists whenever you share insight yourself. With Facebook, the personal and professional friendships can cause a grey area for what’s appropriate to be displayed to others. It’s best to be mindful of your online presence and what you share, so as to not drastically affect your personal brand.
Be Authentic
Authenticity is probably one of the most important parts of your brand. People can often recognize when you aren’t true to yourself and those around you. Doing what feels natural and comfortable to you while maintaining strong efforts to contribute and respect others can help humanize your brand. Participate in company social events and engage in social media as you would when you’re not at work.
Be Consistent
Everything you share online or offline ultimately contributes to your personal brand. Factors such as body language, appearance, and online presence indicate what direction your personal brand will move towards. For this to be an effective move, will require you to have a steady and consistent distribution mechanism, such as regular blog posts related to your background or a series of case studies based on new developments for your work.
Be Positive When Networking
Allow your brand to be inviting and natural when it comes to networking. People will generally gravitate towards positive and like-minded individuals who are genuinely interested in learning more about them as a person and helping them grow in their career.
Reinvent and Reform
When possible, always try to get feedback on what your personal brand needs to stay relevant. Over time, you develop different skills, interests, and mindsets that can change how others may perceive you, so it’s a good idea to reinvent yourself and construct your brand 2.0.
