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You, Inc., Developing your personal brand, Part 2
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You, Inc., Developing your personal brand, Part 2
In my previous article, You, Inc., Developing your personal brand, Part 1, I discuss how you can be proactive in developing your personal brand. In this article, I will further discuss how you can build your brand as an expert and how to communicate your brand consistently.
Developing Your Personal Brand
As more and more professionals are finding themselves either displaced or unsure about their professional futures, the need to be strategic about your leadership path is critical. Therefore, it is important that you develop a growth plan and a timeframe for where you want to go and how you plan to get there. Developing your personal brand should be a part of a larger professional and personal growth plan.
You can begin to develop your growth plan by doing research. Become familiar with the trends in your industry and in your organization. Incorporate your acquired insight into the development of your personal brand. Once you develop your personal brad, it’s important that you be visible and communicate your brand consistently.
Communicating Your Personal Brand
A key factor to keep in mind once you develop your personal brand is that as human beings we process a lot of information and we have very short attention spans. When we process information, we observe one or two things and we formulate quick judgments; those judgments become our reality and we move on. The problem with this is that that is exactly how you are viewed by your boss, your colleagues and your clients.
Every professional comes to the table with a unique personality and value proposition. But, how others perceive you, your performance and your work product will ultimately shape your brand. That’s why it is important that you be proactive about influencing those perceptions. So if you find that others see you in a box – you can’t sit around and hope that one day they’ll come into the office and suddenly see you differently. You need to be proactive about shaping their perceptions of you.
One of the most powerful and effective ways to establish your personal brand is to demonstrate your expertise in a particular area. In other words, market yourself as an expert. You become an expert by becoming a resource and “go to” person. You can showcase your expertise in a number of ways. As follows:
Writing articles. An effective way to position yourself as an expert and establish your personal brand is to write articles. Does your company or department publish a newsletter? If so, go out of your way to write a short article on a hot topic that will demonstrate your knowledge about the issue. You can also write articles for industry publications, magazines and newspapers. Be creative and be sure that your topic is an appropriate business related topic that will enhance your brand.
Blogging. Similar to writing articles, blogging allows you to demonstrate your expertise. The difference is that there is an interactive nature to blogging that allows your readers to comment on your posts and allows you to respond and engage your readers in a dialogue. Blogs also need to be updated on a regular basis -- weekly or even daily. Blogs are easy to start and some are free. Try Word Press or Blogger.
Public speaking: Speaking at meetings, workshops, seminars, and conferences is an excellent way to build your personal brand. But, strong speaking skills are essential. If you already have strong presentation skills, then get to it! Otherwise, public speaking is an important skill to develop. You can join a local Toastmasters International group or work with a coach who will be able to provide you with personal individualized attention.
If you apply the techniques suggested in this article you will be well on your way to developing your personal brand and establishing yourself as an expert. Personal branding will give you an added advantage over your competition and will help you stand out in the crowd.
For more info: Visit Ellie's website at http://www.ellienieves.com/ or send her an e-mail at ellie@ellienieves.com. You can also tune in to her internet radio program on Tuesdays at 6:30pm Eastern at www.BlogTalkRadio.com/Ellie-Nieves.
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