Before you begin defining and outlining it, branding might seem like a complicated concept to understand. And, truthfully, if you do not fully understand it; it can be. But once you understand the importance and relevance of personal branding, the value it can bring to your business is unparalleled. Your brand is simply how you want your audience to see you. You likely already have a brand—you just do not quite know it.
All those things you share on your personal social media; pictures of your friends, the food you have eaten, and cute pictures of your pets—they all combine to create a brand. It is the things you choose to share with your audience, it is the impression you want people to have of your life. If you think about your personal posting habits, you can understand the ways that you are presenting yourself to your friends and family. You are likely only choosing the highlights of your life to share, showing the good points: sunny days and fun experiences—less of the bad stuff. You are presenting yourself in a particular life to give off a certain impression, even if you are not always aware of it.
Now, you can take the things you understand about your private social media use (and subsequent brand) and translate them into your personal brand.
To create an effective personal brand; you need to understand the parts of yourself that can be effectively channeled into it.
Your personal branding should be the combination of your life experiences, your education, beliefs, experiences, and values.
However, you also need to consider, brands are often seen as a “persona.” Instead, you need to be a person. You should not just seem like a carefully curated assortment of personality traits and content (which, effectively though is what you are creating).
Your brand needs to have a personality. Do not try to be so professional that you lack any relatability. Audiences want to connect with the brands they engage with. They want to support and like a person, not just a random brand.
In essence, the secret to branding is making it seem like you do not have one. You need to create your brand as a personality; that seems real and authentic to create a connection with your audience. Personal branding will add value to your business; you must invest in it.
