You may have heard about “personal branding” but may wonder how to begin your own personal branding journey.
The Internet is full of blog posts, articles, videos and even infographics about the benefits of personal branding but not too many give you a step-by-step guide on how to undergo personal branding for yourself. To help you think about the steps you need to take for personal branding, here are 6 P’s that you should consider when creating a strategy to build your personal brand.
Step 1: PROBE
Many entrepreneurs and professionals skip this first step, but it’s really the most important step of your personal branding journey. You must first “probe” to determine what your personal brand is. Think of it as a life-changing exploration of your passions, skills and mission. When you probe, you’re discovering your personal brand so you know exactly how to position yourself in the marketplace.
Step 2: PRESENT
Once you have probed and discovered your personal brand, the next step is to figure out how you’ll present yourself and tell people what you do. An important element of this step is to create a marketing plan on how you will “present” yourself online. This should also include getting your back office in order.
Step 3: PRODUCE
Now that you know how you will present yourself in the marketplace, the next step is to “produce” original content to showcase your expertise and knowledge. People buy from those the trust, so establishing your expertise through content marketing is a vital step in your personal branding journey. Don’t forget to consider how you’ll manage your online reputation to make sure you’re meeting your goals.
Step 4: PROMOTE
Once you start to produce original content, it’s time to go public – and in a big way! During this step, you will determine the best ways to “promote” your personal brand. The sky is the limit; you can use social media, traditional marketing, speaking engagements and more. Make sure to set realistic goals, though. You have a busy schedule, so don’t over-commit and under-deliver.
Step 5: PERSONALIZE
Now that you are promoting your brand, it’s important to think about how you can continuously add authenticity to your social media and content marketing efforts. When you “personalize” your marketing, you are making deeper connections with future employers and clients. During this step, you should also strike a balance between showing your personality and maintaining your privacy online.
Step 6: PERFECT
“Perfecting” your personal brand is the last step – and a continuous one. Constantly measure your goals and assess your work to see where you need to make adjustments for maximum effectiveness. You may need to go back to a previous step to perfect your personal brand even more. Remember, personal branding is a journey, and part of that journey is constant refinement. That will make your personal brand more profitable for you.
Now that you know the 6 P’s of personal branding, you can start creating a personal branding strategy that will attract more clients and help you get better job offers. Personal branding does not happen overnight. It takes time. However, if you invest in your personal brand every day, you will reap the benefits now and in the future.
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Interested in learning more about developing your personal brand through these six steps?
I invite you to join me for a free webinar, “Personal Branding In Six Steps,” on Wednesday, November 13, 2013, at 1pm Eastern (it will be recorded).
During this one-hour webinar, I will take you through each of these six steps in greater detail, plus offer you a discount on my highly acclaimed personal branding workbook.
Register today because space is limited!