Some people perceive personal brand development as pure self promotion. That is so wrong!
Personal branding consists of 2 major parts – brand development for clarity and brand value communication to a target audience whom you deliver value to. There are 5 milestones in the approach that I have developed for this empowerment:
1. VALUE. It all starts with clarity about your value, which is based on your talents – things you are great at while doing what you are passionate about – what you truly care about in your professional area, your own values and ethics, the way you are different from many other people who deliver a similar value and of course – your purpose, mission and your bigger vision: your WHY you do what you do, how do you create legacy with talents that are given to you and what is the bigger aim that you are aiming to achieve.
2. TRIBE. When you have this clarity on your core things, your band, your true value, then what’s important is – to whom do you deliver value to. You cannot sit on a mountain of value and do nothing about it. It is given to you to share it forward. So, the next step in personal branding is – who is your audience, client, customer avatar, employer – whatever you call it or whoever it is – whom can you help with your value and how would they most benefit from having this experience with you.
3. MESSAGE. Next step – your purpose is to choose the right communication channels and share with people whom you can help – how “your best” can help “them be their best”. How are you able to deliver value for them. When you shift the focus from yourself to whom you are serving with your value, it does not feel like self promotion or sales, it is a must, to share your message and tell your story on how you can help and your thought leadership – your insights, opinions, ways of working. Otherwise – how would your people know you can help them in your authentic way?
4. INFLUENCE. In todays business environment you set your goals impactfully to achieve them automagically and deliver your pitch, your message, your thought leadership content and work in partnerships with others so that you can serve people together. Therefore your impact as the person of expertise or influence in a particular niche and for particular people is what matters.
5. VISIBILITY. And last but not least – yes, we do live in a digital and social media era. When you have clarity of what is the value that can be applied to serve and help others in a humble but impactful and personally excellent way, then social media strategies are a must for you to be heard, known and seen by your people whom you can help with your products or services. It’s a must for you to share your thought leadership and insights to help others learn and grow.
If you start your personal branding with a pure focus only on self promotion, but you do not have clarity of what are your talents and passion that you can apply to serve others, and how other people can benefit from your delivered value, then it will feel like pure self promotion or cold sales. And that is wrong.
Personal branding is about – how to sell without having to sell. To people whom you can best serve or deliver value in your authentic way that you are personally excellent and passionate about delivering. It comes from being personally excellent in your authentic way. Its about how you care and serve your customers and partners by applying your natural talents and passion your way. It’s about being the true you and not trying to be someone else.
Personal brand development comes together with humble confidence and belief in your value and how you best share it with people who need it most. The more value you deliver, the stronger is your brand.