Whether you’re a student, a fresh graduate, an entrepreneur, or a business executive, you need to develop your personal brand to stand out from the crowd and be ready for the war for talent. Below are the basic 50 steps you need to follow to unearth, express, and exude your personal brand.
Know Yourself
1- Define your vision
2- Explain your purpose
3- Unearth your passion
4- Identify your values
5- Set your goals
6- Uncover the perception of your brand
7- Refine identity to match desired perception
8- Understand your strengths
9- Highlight your skills
10-Reinforce your level of GRIT
Familiarize yourself with your brand environment
11-Classify your target audience
12-Define your competition
13-Understand the competitions’ strengths and weaknesses
14-Identify the challenges and opportunities presented by your brand environment
Unearth your brand
15-Write your personal brand statement (PBS) revealing your unique promise of value
16-Script your bio
17-Develop your brand story
18-Practice your elevator pitch
Communicate Your Brand
19-Get a photo shoot that reflects your brand attributes
20-Update your CV / Portfolio
21-Create your professional profile on LinkedIn
22-Seek out recommendations of your work
23-Use one avatar across all social media platforms
24-Use your PBS and extended versions of that across all platforms
25-Create your profile on about.me & OneBio.me
26-Own your vanity URL www.yourname.com
27-Use your vanity URL as a hub for your contact info (include your CV)
28-Start blogging to communicate your passion
29-Comment on professional high-traffic blogs related to your subject of interest
30-Showcase your work on sites like slideshare.net and prezi.com
31-Develop your communication wheel to include the different channels you’ll be using to communicate your brand
32-Identify your different communication content themes
33-Create a detailed calendar highlighting the frequency of your brand communication across the different platforms
Market your brand
34-Identify your brand colors … this is not your color of preference. It should reflect your brand attributes
35-Choose the font that speaks your brand language
36-Fashion your brand slogan/tagline
37-Develop you personal brand logo
38-Create your business card … strip away the boring title; create one that reflects who you are.
39-Develop your video bio
Monitor your brand
40-Create your online brand listening station – use tools like Google Alerts and addictomatic.com
41-Google yourself regularly and assess the results – use this free online identity quiz
42-Seek feedback from others & monitor the progression of your brand’s perception
43-Ensure online & offline brand communication consistency
Refine your communication skills
44-Become an eloquent speaker –join an organization like Toastmasters
45-Take up acting classes – it will increase you confidence under the spotlight
46-Join a writing class – learn all styles: business, poetry… creative writing; then develop your own style!
Live Your Brand
47-You attire should reflect your brand at all times – remember I’m referring to the style not the clothes
48-Your surroundings should mirror your brand attributes – your mobile, office, hair, clothes, … everything should be on-brand
49-Connect with the right people.
50-Have fun doing it … it’s all about you!
The steps are easy, the journey is hard … quitting is easy, success is hard … and like I always say “You Shy, You Die!”
This article was first posted in the 100th issue of YOUnique newsletter on June 21, 2013 as part of my monthly column dedicated to help graduates stand out from the crowd and take control of their career legacy.
Branding has become essential for every organization. I am glad your article acts as a guide for potential entrepreneurs who are looking for the right methods to build their personal brands. Very informative article! 🙂