What does it mean to have a personal brand? Isn't branding just for businesses? Does having a personal brand even apply to my future career? Where do I even start?
Personal branding can be a difficult task to take on because it requires putting your passions and experience into one personal marketing strategy. That sounds like a lot, especially because most college students don't even know what their passions and experience are!
That's why Liberty PRSSA's first event of the semester was all about personal branding and engaging these confusing questions. We discussed how defining our personal brand can bring us confidence and clarity on who we are as professionals, and helps us to market who we are and what we're good at.
We even got to hear from Aly McAlister, who works as a personal planner, social media manager, virtual assistant and Youtuber. Talk about someone who does it all! Aly knows all about the importance of personal branding and marketing herself to potential clients, and she excels at presenting her brand to audiences on social media.
There were so many great take-aways from this event, but here are five practical ways you can begin developing your own brand:
1. Identify your area of expertise.
In what areas do you excel? Are you talented with graphic design or photography? Do you love
creating personal connections or have experience in event planning? Use your natural talent
and passion to create your personal brand! The skills you offer as a professional will show
companies and potential clients that you know your strengths and could be an asset
to them.
Aly explained that finding her niche in the wedding business, specifically for wedding
planners, really helped her to develop her brand. She always knew that she loved weddings,
and was able to couple this passion with her expertise in social media.
2. Create a slogan.
If there's anything to learn from slogans like Nike's "just do it" or Apple's "think differently", a
slogan can pack a lot of punch. When creating a personal slogan, there are some questions
that could guide you in the process:
- What problem do you solve?
- How do you make other people, clients or your employer look good?
- Do you make people more successful? How?
-What do you want to be known for?
3. Apply your new brand to social media.
Now that you have established what your brand is, make sure that other areas of your life
reflect it! Use social media to showcase your work or professional projects, and be consistent
with posting. This gives you the opportunity to promote yourself online and allows others to
get a feel for your brand.
4. Network!
Now that you have an idea of your brand,
let others know! Create business cards
to network with other professionals and
showcase who you are. Networking also
creates opportunities to learn from
people who can help you expand your
skills.
5. Just go for it!
As Aly talked to us about her personal brand, she recognized that putting yourself out there
into the professional world can be intimidating.
Aly shared that when started out as a social media manager, she had to just go for it. She
gained her first client after messaging 75 different wedding planners and was only hired by
one. 1 out of 75! Looking back, Aly knows that it was all worth it.
"You really just have to get started," she shared. "Once you do that it's all up from there."
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