Coco Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Oprah Winfrey and Mark Manson—what do you think is common between them? All of them have built successful business empires based on their personalities and names.
That’s the power of personal branding. In the 21st century where there is immense competition in all domains, personal branding can help you create a memorable identity. Whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur, creating a personal brand can help you achieve your career aspirations.
A 2018 CareerBuilder survey revealed that more than 70% of all employers hire candidates who have a strong online presence. Furthermore, 43% of freelance workers also reported a rise in the number of gigs when they had a personal branding statement.
But what does personal branding entail? And why should you invest time and effort building a personal brand? Read ahead to find out!
What is personal branding?
Simply put, personal branding involves you putting your skills and personality on display. It is essentially an online presentation of your expertise, proficiency and skills that you want people from a particular industry to recognize.
Personal branding is an absolute must for today’s entrepreneurs. It can help you convince investors and stakeholders to believe in your vision and company. In an age of online marketing, having a personal brand can help you promote yourself and your capabilities.
Why do you need a personal brand?
Whether you intend to be a corporate employee or establish a company yourself, creating a personal brand can be advantageous in a lot of ways. Here are some benefits of having a strong personal brand presentation.
It helps you build a good reputation
Your brand can convey the ‘why’ and ‘what’ of you. It can effectively tell your story, motivations and future dreams to prospective clients and employers. Thus, a good personal brand can help you earn a decent reputation in the market for your reliability and expertise.
Personal branding on social media can also help you build credibility and trustworthiness with your existing clients. Fully informed about your abilities, your existing clients/employer are more likely to entrust you with complex or important projects. Thus, it can be much more effective than a mere business card.
A well-established brand can help you stand out from the competition
Creating a personal brand can allow you to flaunt your technical expertise and subject knowledge with finesse. Employers are likely to hire you if you have built a good brand for yourself even if your competitors are equally qualified.
You can use your online profile to talk about your previous struggles and the lessons you learned from them. This can help prospective stakeholders to relate with your journey and see you as a worthy candidate. Having a personalized story can also help you introduce your business plans and strategies to new people.
You can market yourself as an authority in the domain
An online personal brand is the perfect place to talk about your specialized skills and knowledge in a subject. You can ramp up your profile by including letters of recommendations or testimonials from previous clients or employers.
Therefore, a personal brand can let you convince your target audience that you are a credible authority in your field. However, it’s better to be truthful about your actual abilities rather than exaggerating your expertise.
Personal branding is often hailed as one of the most important tools to leave your mark in the business world. According to Gary Vaynerchuk, one of the biggest global marketing experts, a personal brand is the basis of your reputation. A good brand can lead to career success while a lousy brand can lead to anonymity.
A personal branding strategy can go a long way in fulfilling your entrepreneurial aspirations. However, building a personal brand isn’t enough—you also need to be proficient in managing a business.
The Diploma in Digital Business Management Co-op program from the Toronto School of Management (TSoM) can enhance your business career. The program can help you build core competencies in different business disciplines like marketing, finance and management.
The program also has a co-op placement that gives you practical experience on the subject. You can also meet qualified instructors who can give you useful personal branding tips.
Click here to learn more about this impactful program at TSoM.
