In today’s world, perception is often reality. How you project yourself to the world is key to personal and financial success. Regardless of what industry you are in, personal branding is vital.
First discussed in a 1997 article by Tom Peters, personal branding suggests that real success is achieved through self-packaging.
Think of personal branding as the creation of an asset based on you. Your body, your clothes, your appearance, your skill set, your knowledge are all important in defining your personal brand and leaving an indelible impression on potential clients.
Tom Peters stressed the need to build on your personal brand. He focused on four goals:
• Becoming a great teammate and a supportive colleague
• Becoming an exceptional expert at something that has real value
• Becoming a broad-gauged visionary –a leader, a teacher, a farsighted “imaginer”
• Becoming a consummate businessperson who is laser-focused on pragmatic results
Fortunately, the web has leveled the playing field enabling start-ups and savvy individuals some of the same opportunities in achieving immense audience outreach.
Creating a personal brand should be deliberate, well-thought out and enriching. Marketing material will help develop your personal brand, including the business cards, resumes, websites and blogs, along with well-crafted profiles in social media outlets such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Less conventional, but no less useful tools in personal brand creation include a video resume which can be uploaded on YouTube. This YouTube link can be sent to hiring managers or potential clients.
Discovering your own personal brand entails setting goals, writing a mission statement, employing a development plan and mapping out how you will achieve a perfect balance between your self-impression and how people perceive you. Once you have created a seamless connection between these two, you are ready to market your most important brand: You.
Michelle Mayer is blogger at Mijo! Brands in Mexico.
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