Tips, Secrets & Proven Strategies On How to Develop Your Personal Brand

Personal branding is “the art of building a unique brand around yourself as an individual” and it is just as important as your company’s brand and image. Personal branding requires you to “find a signature image, a unique voice, and a recognizable standard that your readers, fans, and clients can grow to recognize”.

“Personal branding is becoming increasingly important because modern audiences tend to trust people more than businesses. Audiences are used to seeing advertising everywhere, and they tend to believe corporations and organizations take actions and speak with only sales in mind. Personal branding allows you to establish a reputation and an identity while still maintaining a personal level of trust and interaction, usually through social media.”

Additionally, people want to do business with other people, not with companies. A strong positive personal brand can dramatically improve the number of users who take a desired action i.e. retain you or go to your website and buy something.

(Portions above quoted from Inc.com article by Jayson DeMers, Aug. 27, 2014.)

Here are some tips, secrets and proven strategies on how to develop your personal brand.

1.) Become an “EXPERT” in at least one professional field or focus on a topic that you are knowledgeable about and start blogging and posting about it

• Develop yourself in a very specific niche and try not to come across as the “Jack of All Trades…Master at None.” Also consider discussing a hobby, sport or organizations you are involved with.
• Consider signing up with HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and answer applicable queries…you never know, you might be published in a newspaper, magazine, or on the internet
• Have someone pitch you and your expertise to local media, colleges, groups, etc., especially if your topic was recently in the news. Try not to self-promote…it annoys people.
• Also have someone submit your name for consideration for awards and acknowledgments. But remember that these events usually have a “cost” attached to them and you will be expected to sell tickets, seats or ads.

2.) Set up and link accounts on various SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google Plus +, etc.
• Set up both personal and professional accounts but do not pitch them too frequently. Let people become interested in YOU first and YOU as the professional second. Social media lets people discover who you are…and it’s free. You control the information that is posted. Be careful not to post inappropriate content or too many random and uninteresting photos.
• Anytime you speak or are mentioned in any article, share/post it and thank the host or author.

3.) VOLUNTEER your time with a CHARITY you feel connected to
• You will meet like-minded individuals and you will expand your potential client base.
• Offer pro bono legal services when appropriate.

4.) Take at least a few strategic PHOTOS at every events you attend
• Post the photos on your social media sites and remember to acknowledge the event, the venue, the host and the people who were with you. Most people love to see themselves in photos…and it’s great PR!
• Be careful not to over expose yourself by attending too many events or posting too many photos.

5.) Create and email a NEWSLETTER
• Take all those business cards you’ve accumulated over the years and create a data base and email list using Mail Chimp, Constant Contact or a similar service. These services all offer templates to design a unique Newsletter.
• Cover topics that highlight your professional acumen but also include some human interest content and make sure you don’t focus on only yourself.