Work hard, study a lot, and one day you'll have everything you want...
This is the oldest story we've all heard growing up. However, the truth is that the success recipe is a bit more complex than just studying and working.
I'm by no means as successful as I'd like to be, but this recipe has helped me grow significantly, and I've seen it being applied by nearly everyone that is successful today.
The recipe's main ingredient: build your personal brand.
This is your most important asset and it will become even more valuable over time. Building your personal brand will help you set yourself apart from the competition, establish yourself as an expert on your field, and showcase your work.
Lucky for us, we have many tools to help us build our personal brand: social media, websites, YouTube, etc. Unfortunately, since these are tools that are available to anyone, it also makes the market that much more competitive. Approaching the process of building your personal brand with a clear strategy is what can make your efforts more effective. Here are 5 steps to get you started:
Step #1- Create a goal, mission, and vision statement.
I know, you're not a company, but try thinking about yourself in that regard. Thinking about these things will make your branding much easier- trust me!
Vision Statement- Think of the vision statement as a long term, inspirational goal
Mission Statement- Defines your actual state and answer the questions: what, who, and how? click here to get more info about this topic.
Step#2- Optimize your social media profiles
Do you still have that blurry picture holding a beer as your profile pic? I'm sorry, but it's time to change it. Like it or not, social media is public, and although you may be keeping a private profile, a quick search of your name could pull up some pictures that have managed to stay public.
Use social media to your advantage to make connections with others and create a good first impression. The first step towards an improved social media is a good profile picture. One that you could use for every channel that is clear and preferably shows a smile. Also, keep in mind that your social media profiles should have a cohesive look and feel.
A 2015 survey from CareerBuilder found that 43% of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates
If you're not a Photoshop wizard (like most of us), try using an online tool such as Canva to create attractive graphics. It will allow you to create pretty cool graphics for blogs, social media ads, posts, and even profiles.
Step#3- Create a Personal Portfolio/Blog
It doesn't have to be fancy or overly informative, just a nice, simple website is all you need to start. Make sure you include:
- Info about your background
- Work experience
- Goals, dreams, mission
- Include a blog- this is a must have is you're serious about building your personal brand
Remember to include the link to your website in your social media profiles.
Step #4- Grow Your Brand
Content creation doesn't end on your blog. You need to share and repost it to drive traffic to your site. Use LinkedIn Pulse to share your articles- you'll be amazed at the amount of traffic you can generate, and it is good quality traffic too. Also, think about publishing your content on Medium- It is a great platform to get inspired with new stories and share your content.
Besides reposting your content online, the key to building and growing your brand is creating a follower base. This can be done by building a list of email subscbribers. Install a tool such as Sumome to increase your email subscriptions.
The magic of the web is that you could look bigger than you actually are- use it to your advantage! Having a substantial blog with many subcribers, and social media profiles with a good amount of followers will help you build the connections you need and get noticed.
This is definitely not an overnight project, but don't get discouraged! Take it one step at a time and plan ahead. Pick a goal for each month and you'll see how fast you'll be on your way to improving your personal brand.
What are Your Thoughts?
- Do you think building a personal brand is important?
- How important is personal branding when you are looking for new employees?
Write your answers below!