Creating your personal brand.

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard the phrase “personal brand.” But what exactly is a personal brand, and why should you take the time to design yours?

A personal brand is the process of identifying and promoting your beliefs and values. It is a combo of your skills, experiences, and passions. Even the clothes you decide to wear and the words that are part of your daily vocab are your personal brand.

Whether you’re social media savvy or you leverage LinkedIn to share your professional side, everyone can benefit from creating their own personal brand. So, why should you invest time in creating one?

The benefits of inventing your personal brand:

• Sets you apart from the rest. Looking to apply for a new job? What skills can you bring to the table that the average Joe may not have?
• Creates a lasting impression: Your one-of-a-kind branding makes you memorable.
• Improves your credibility when you spotlight your expertise and skills: A huge part of personal branding is sharing your skillset with others to add value to your organization, community, and society. In other words, it makes you look very professional.
• Provides you the ability to connect with your target audience: What is your niche? Great at baking pies? Fixing cars? Use that to your advantage!

It's time to get started.

Here are some questions we’ve put together for you to ask yourself when developing your personal brand:

• What are the things that make you unique?
• What do you want to be known for?
• Who can gain from your skillset?
• What are people saying about you online?
• Who inspires you and why do they inspire you?

Now that you’ve answered these questions, let’s get this (professional) party started.

Steps when constructing your brand:

• Create a visual board of your brand: Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration!
• Audit your social media: Is your social media an accurate representation of who you are and the values you have?
• Know where you want to go: Who do you want to reach? Who do you want to impact?
• Be consistent: Share content that is linear to your brand and adds value! Engage with content that aligns with your brand.
• Create a mission statement about yourself: Who you are, what you do, and how you hope to benefit people’s lives with your skillset.

When crafting your personal brand, keep in mind it’s normal for it to change as you change. Focus on spotlighting what makes you unique: Your values, passions, hobbies, and experiences.