What is Personal Branding?
by
Marcene Laine
Often times when I teach others personal branding and I ask what personal branding is exactly, I am met with blank faces or educated guesses. Which is okay because it affords me opportunities to share a little insight.
I found long explanations as to what it is and in fact here is one definition that I found;
Definition
Personal branding describes the process by which individuals and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves and stand out from a crowd by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition, whether professional or personal, and then leveraging it across platforms with a consistent message and image to achieve a specific goal. In this way, individuals can enhance their recognition as experts in their field, establish reputation and credibility, advance their careers, and build self-confidence.
The term personal brand is believed to have first appeared in the August 1997 issue of Fast Company Magazine, in an article by management guru and author Tom Peters, who wrote, “We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”
While I like this definition, allow me to simplify more.
Personal branding is the process of taking your name and face and adding value to it. It is a promise of value and you determine that value.
But the key to remember here is “process”. Personal branding is indeed a process and your brand will not be built overnight.
I had a guy call me up one day and asked me about personal branding. After I explained it to him, he ask if it would save his job which he could lose in the next 30 days. I told him that personal branding doesn’t quite work that way.
The process works more like a crockpot rather than a microwave. Remember, the more time you put into building your strong magnetic personal brand the better the staying power is of your branding.
Until next time….You are the BRAND!
Robert Reed is a personal brand strategist and internet marketer. His goal is to help you build your brand, business and bottom-line. For more info visit www.robertreed.me
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What is Personal Branding?
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