Building a solid personal brand is the key to success. And it’s not just important for business owners, social media influencers, entertainers, and athletes.
Everyone can benefit from working on and building up their brand.
Your brand is your personal story. It demonstrates your values, shows who you are, and lets the world know what you stand for.
Whether you’re hoping to become a YouTube celebrity or looking to land a new corporate job, your personal brand should be solid. For it to be solid, you have to keep it under control.
Not sure how to do that?
Here are the steps to control your personal brand and make it better than ever.
Clearly Define What Your Brand Is
Before you can control your brand, you’ll need to have a clear vision of what your brand is.
Think sincerely about how you want to present yourself, both in-person and online. Be authentic to who you are. And, perhaps most importantly, know your target audience.
What types of people are you looking to appeal to?
Determine your long-term goals and establish a vision of how you want other people to perceive you. Inauthenticity is a brand killer, so be true to yourself, be realistic about your goals, and be honest and genuine at all times.
For example:
- If your dream is to become a recognizable tattoo model, you’ll need to have some tattoos.
- If your goal is to become a hairstylist or beauty blogger, you’ll want to make sure your hair and makeup are on point every day.
- If you aspire to be a tech company CEO, you’ll need experience in both business and technology.
Google Yourself
Have you ever Googled yourself? This is not an exercise in narcissism — it’s a way to determine how people perceive your name online.
Google search your full name as well as variations of your name to see what results appear. Unless you have an incredibly unusual name, the chances are that someone else in the world shares that name with you.
Ideally, you want all of the information posted about you online to be accurate.
If a Google search of your name produces results that aren’t you, you may want to adopt a nickname or an abbreviation for your brand. That way, you can make the distinction between yourself and other people with the same moniker.
To track your brand online, set up Google Alerts to notify you when someone mentions you online. You may not be able to control or change the narrative, but at least you’ll be aware of it.
Get Your Social Media in Order
You can’t control your personal brand unless you’re in control of your social media.
A few key ways to do so:
- Be sure that all of your social media profiles are accurate, authentic, and up to date.
- Ensure that everything you’ve posted or shared, including written content, images, and videos, is a true reflection of who you are.
- If old content doesn’t reflect your brand as it is today, consider deleting it or updating it to reflect your current thoughts on the subject matter.
Everyone evolves over time, so don’t be afraid to update old content to meet your new ideals or new brand standards.
When reviewing your social media accounts, take some extra time to ensure that they are all privacy protected with strong passwords. No matter who you are, you don’t need a hacker wreaking havoc on your Instagram or FB page.
Create Content Regularly
A significant way to control your personal brand is to maintain that narrative of your brand. And you can do so by creating authentic, valuable content.
By creating content that’s relevant to your brand and audience, you can build trust with that audience. The more people believe you, the easier it is to establish yourself as a leader in your niche. That’s always the goal of creating and maintaining a strong personal brand.
Know Which Platforms Work Best for Your Brand
Do some analysis to know which platforms get you the most followers or generate the most interest in your brand.
Some people do best on YouTube. Some find that they perform best on Twitter. Others have more interaction and interest on Instagram or Facebook.
Once you know which platform is your best performing channel, focus on it.
Don’t neglect the other platforms, but focus on where you can get the most bang for your buck.
Buy Your Own Domain Name
Control your brand by buying a website domain name as well as for derivatives of your name.
Even if you’re not ready to build out your website, owning your domain name (and renewing it when necessary) can protect your brand well into the future.
Here’s why it matters:
The more time you dedicate to building your personal brand online, the more you have to risk. Should someone else start a website with your name, they can instantly kill both your brand and your reputation.
Ask Friends and Colleagues for Feedback
It’s hard to be objective when viewing your own social media pages and brand image. To make sure that your brand is as accurate and authentic as you want it to be, get an outsider’s point of view.
Ask a few trusted friends or coworkers to look at your online profiles and tell you what they see. They may notice an aberration or something that stands out in a negative way that you haven’t noticed.
By taking constructive criticism and listening to feedback, you can make your brand identity even more robust than it already is.
Conclusion
Remember, if you’re ready to take control of your personal brand, here’s what you need to do:
- Define your brand and target audience
- Be aware of your presence on Google
- Make sure your social media pages reflect who you are
- Create content that engages your audience
- Know which platforms and channels work best for your brand
- Buy your own domain name
- Ask for feedback
Personal branding takes time and dedication, and it also requires that you monitor your online presence regularly.
Put these tips into practice to do more than just control your personal brand — you can use it to achieve your goals.
Author bio:
Caitlin Sinclair is the Property Manager at Diega with five years of property management experience and many more in Customer Service. She shares her passion for her community and looks forward to making Diega the place to call home.
