Everyone has a personal brand whether you want one or not! Yes, don’t be shocked! You HAVE a brand (maybe not as developed as Chanel or Louis Vuitton) but your brand is there. It is defined by everything you do from what you decide to wear early morning to how you write emails to how you speak over the phone.
Wait… Aren’t you working your brand? You are not alone! For many years, I was marketing and developing commercial strategies without thinking on my own brand! I was not managing or taking control of it. But it is always the right time for this, and I want you to understand why you need a well-crafted personal brand.
We’ve all heard that statistic: it takes 7 seconds to make a first impression (sometimes less than that). Having a clear and consistent personal brand promotes your reputation before people even meet you. Let’s say that we create expectations… like when you purchase a pair of shoes from Geox – there is no chance that they will be uncomfortable!
Moreover, a proper personal brand allows you to influence people’s perceptions of you without the stress of a first meeting (the process of creating your personal brand boost your confidence, credibility and trust!). Possessing a well-established personal brand can provide you with new opportunities while saving you time and effort, as people will think of you and reach out when they have offers that suit your area of expertise. I can guarantee this; since I worked my personal brand a lot of opportunities and collaborations have proactively came to me!
Is it difficult? Yes and no. The advent of new media has made personal branding easier than ever. While confidence in traditional media advertisements has declined significantly in the last decade, 92% of people trust recommendations from people, even if they don’t know them. The same trends can be seen when investigating online engagement. Brand messages, when posted by an employee on social media, has 561% more engagement than the same posts shared on a company’s social media accounts. This isn’t such a shock when you consider that employees typically have 10 times more followers than their company’s social media accounts! Amazing, right?
While new media has made people trust people rather than traditional brands, this concept comes with its downsides. Of all Internet users, 65 percent see online search as the most trusted source of information about people and companies. If you don’t have an online presence, this can be a red flag to consumers and hiring managers, 70% of whom use social media to screen candidates. What’s worse, nearly 50% of US adults say that the search results are not positive when they Google themselves. Take advantage of online platforms to be an advocate for yourself and craft an image you believe does you justice!
If you don’t have an online presence, this can be a red flag to consumers and hiring managers, 70% of whom use social media to screen candidates. Let’s face it: people are going to talk about you whether you like it or not. Why not take control of the narrative by developing your personal brand?
Check out my article about how to construct a personal brand and keep in touch!
