The 6-step Personal Branding Strategy Every Social Media Marketer Needs To Know
According to Wikipedia “Personal branding is an individual’s perceived personal value. Which translates into having a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Personal branding means different things to different people. But generally involves developing strategies to help define one’s public persona for career advancement.”
The meaning of the term has evolved over the years and rather than just representing what you do; it now extends to who you are. You can’t be successful without your own brand. Because your personal brand needs to communicate how much you know about what you do for business. Your LinkedIn profile is great but it still has limitations. When trying to convey all aspects of who you are professionally (and personally).
Today we’re going to look at six steps that will help develop and maintain a successful personal brand.
Step 1: Define Your Brand
Imagine standing in front of a white canvas that is clean and pure. Just waiting for you to paint your masterpiece on it. This is what your LinkedIn profile looks like when you’re first developing your Personal Branding Strategy. It’s important to bring clarity to the meaning behind your personal brand. Because this focus will drive all other decisions regarding what you do professionally.
Key elements of defining your brand include Your Core Values, Differentiators, Business Philosophy. And How You Want to Be Known in the Marketplace & Other Personal Interests/Hobbies.
The process begins with an assessment based on the business goals you want to achieve. So take a minute and write down keywords that represent your brand. If you’re stumped, ask a few people who you admire and respect. What do they think of when they hear the words ‘You’. This list is usually very informative so write down as many as possible.
Now, review each word and break them down into sections such as:
What do I want those who know me to say about my business acumen? What do those who know me really wish I would stop doing?
Which qualities do I want others to see in me if they work with me or purchase from me?
What values am I trying to convey through my brand? Why is this important for business success?
Step 2: Develop Your Personal Brand Strategy with Your Goals in Mind
Now that you’ve defined your brand, you need to develop a strategy on how to communicate it. Don’t just list keywords and expect them to drive the development of your Personal Branding Strategy without a plan.
Step 3: Define Your Goal & Objective
You can’t create a successful Personal Branding Strategy if you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve. What is the purpose behind why you’re doing this? It may sound simple but many people lose sight of their goals. When they get caught up in the process of building their brand online.
Review your company’s business goals and objectives and determine how you can tie your personal branding into that. Include SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant & time-bound) language in your goal descriptions to ensure it’s complete.
Step 4: Identify Your Target Audience for Your Personal Branding Strategy
Not everyone is going to be interested in what you do. So take the time to determine who your target audience is for developing a successful Personal Branding Strategy. Spend some time thinking about this. Because it will help drive who you engage with online and where they hang out.
Once you’ve defined your target demographics. Identify which social media channels work best for those audiences. As well as directories such as Twined where those people live online.
Step 5: Develop & Implement Your Personal Branding Strategy
Once your goals are set and you know who your target audience is. It’s time to put together a plan that ensures. The message behind your brand will be communicating consistently across all platforms. Here are some simple steps to take in developing your personal branding strategy:
Create content that allows others to understand what you do & why you do it better than anyone else. If you don’t, they can’t tell anyone about you or share how good it feels to work with you.
Choose the best social media channels based on where your target audiences spend their time online. So that every post is consistent with your overall brand message. You want them to come away feeling like they know more about you and how they can work with you.
Develop a digital marketing plan that sets aside time. To promote your Personal Branding Strategy across those channels on a regular basis. Consistency is important because people expect to see your posts when they visit those pages. If you only post sporadically, the chances of building relationships will be significantly diminished over time. And you’ll miss out on opportunities as well.
Step 6: Taking the Time to Develop a Personal Branding Strategy Will Help You Succeed In Business
As we know, there’s no such thing as luck in business, and it’s hard work that pays off. So don’t overlook the importance of creating an effective personal branding strategy for success. It can help drive company revenue, traffic to your website, create more leads and establish you as an expert in your field.
Conclusion:
Your Personal Branding Strategy needs to be involved with every aspect of your business online. Because it’s the single most effective way to communicate who you are. Why people should do business with you, and how they can thank you for all that you’ve done.