We often talk about the essentials of getting company branding right – strategic thinking, consistency, target markets and so on, but have you ever considered your own personal brand?

A personal brand is how you promote yourself – it’s your personality, experiences, knowledge, skills and achievements, amongst lots of other things. It’s the impact that you have on others! 

This personal brand could be key to your professional success. We’re not just referring to someone who may be looking for a new job role, although personal image here is incredibly important, but also the personal brand of business owners and employees representing an organisation.

If you were to Google yourself, what would you find? Safeguarding your reputation here, particularly within social media, is paramount in terms of the impression it gives employers and clients. Everything that you post, like and share creates a part of your personal brand and will have an impact on others.

Your actions must match your perceived image. For example, if you claim to be caring and interested in your customers, it is crucial that you do listen to them and work with them to overcome any issues. If you’re looking to attract followers, treat them as individuals and seek interaction with them by way of feedback or opinion. Comment on their posts and invite them to comment on yours. 

This engagement can really help elevate your personal brand. However, not everything is online – your personal brand needs to encompass all the places where your customers could encounter you. In business, consumers like to know your brand story – who’s behind the brand and what sets them apart. In respect of personal branding, the success of a company may well depend on it.

So, in short, your personal brand should be authentic and match what people say about you in your absence. It’s an opportunity to create a memorable experience, teaching them what they can expect from you, and with consistency in delivering those experiences, you’ll build a strong reputation, which can only be of benefit to your business.

We spoke with Shaun Beck of Inspire Ignite, a Peterborough based team and leadership development business who gave us his 5 top tips to creating and building a strong personal brand.

1. Be authentic – Everyone can tell when you’re not being you! Think about 3 core values that are really important to you and maximise them at every opportunity – mine are passion, energy and authenticity!
2. Perception is reality – You may ‘intend’ to project yourself in a particular way, but the impact that you have on others when they interact with you is your real brand!
3. Create a positive vibe – That doesn’t have to be high energy and jazz hands if that’s not your style, but smiling, saying ‘hello’ and adopting positive body language makes a huge difference.
4. Think about how your respond – When someone asks, ‘how are you’, a response like ‘I’m really good thank you’, will create a stronger impact than ‘not too bad thanks’.
5. Evolve – Let your brand develop and grow with time. Your confidence, impact and experiences will evolve and that’s ok!

If you would like to understand more about your personal self, including how you can be authentic, create a positive vibe and make an impact, contact Shaun Beck: inspire-ignite.com , Instagram @inspireignite.

We have worked with Shaun on a number of projects including Fuego –a stationery brand with a twist that has his individual personality shining through it! Inspirational, creative and bold, we had a lot of fun with this one!

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