What is Personal Branding?
To begin with, what comes to mind when you think of brands or branding?
Is it the influencers you see online, or the products and services you purchase?
Recently, I had a conversation with my roommate about her view when it comes to branding, and that’s when I realized that some people have no idea about branding.
Are you also clueless about branding?
No worries, here’s what you need to know:
One thing you need to be aware of is the fact that you are a brand and the impression you leave in the minds of people is branding.
You purchase products and patronize brands for a reason, right?
Building credibility and trust takes time, and that’s why you don’t just show up in the faces of people and expect patronage from them overnight.
Ideally, it requires consistency, authenticity and emotional connections.
Those brands and businesses (Apple, Nike, Coca-Cola) that we patronize already have an impression on us, and we trust their ability to deliver.
Even when you have nothing to sell to the people you engage with online, building an online presence matters a lot in this age and time. You’ll never know when it’ll come in handy in order for you to sell those shots.
Here are few key steps that’ll help you build and nurture your personal brand:
1. Define your personal brand.
Firstly, live out who you are and what you stand for as well as your unique value proposition (what sets you apart from others). If you’re not certain, reflect on your strength, goals, passion and skills.
2. Choose social media platforms suitable for you.
You don’t need to be obviously everywhere when building a personal brand.
For this purpose, search to know the social media platform(s) that best resonates with you.
If you’re more of a professional person, you could consider LinkedIn and if you love to write as well as share your opinions, you could consider Twitter or Facebook. At the end, it all narrows down to what you enjoy doing.
3. Optimize your profiles
Ensure any information about you is up to date. Be sure to fill in your necessary details that consist of who you are, what you do and who you’re targeting.
4. Be consistent and authentic.
Show up as you are and be consistent. Don’t pretend to be who you’re not. Show up as your authentic self. You don’t want to have different clashing personality types.
5. Collaborate and network.
Connect with like minded individuals, participate actively in relevant community events and collaboration to build your personal brand. If you’re looking for the right community to join as a black woman in tech, you’re welcome to join us here.
Everyone has a story; how you choose to tell yours matters.
Start your story today!
Bathsheba Zakariah
Digital Marketing student (Cohort 6) HerTechTrail Academy