In the early days branding was something that only applied to businesses. Before that, branding was for celebrities, athletes, and models. Today, the phenomenon of personal branding is growing. You need to brand yourself to stand out from the crowd. Those who truly understand and invest in this will book more success in their professional and social life.

You do have a personal brand.

Maybe you wouldn’t think so… But you already have a personal brand. People say things about you to others. They associate things with you and have a certain feeling that connects to you as a person. This can be based on personal experiences, but also on your online presence. Nowadays social media makes it easier and, at the same time, more difficult than ever to build a personal brand. You can show the best version of yourself online, but it often is hard to keep up appearances in reality. Therefore, it is more important than ever to build yourself a trustworthy, reliable, and outstanding personal brand both on- and offline.

How to build yourself a brand?

As suggested before, you probably already are building your brand without even knowing it. You post things on social media, you interact with people, you dress the way you do when you go to a job interview… All these things have an effect on your personal brand and your chances of success in the job market. But how do you build your own personal brand? We got some tips for you:

1. Identify your strengths and uniqueness.
Think about what makes you stand out. Aren’t you sure? Ask friends, family, colleagues… Once you know your ‘sparkle’, learn to develop and use it the fullest.

2. Know who you are targeting.
Once you know who you are, you should identify who you want to talk to. Do you want to build a personal brand to get a new job or to build your own business? Do you want to get noticed by thought leaders or by one specific company? Once you’ve determined your target audience you should shape the way you communicate towards their Tone of Voice and culture.

3. Build your platform.
Identify the best way to engage with your target audience. This can both be done on- and offline. Determine what suits you and your identity best: a website, LinkedIn, Facebook, podcast… You don’t have to have it all, as long as you pick the one(s) that match you as a person. Remember to not only chose online tools. You also build brands outside the digital world. It’s also about how you act, behave, talk, and even how your business card looks like.

4. Network to grow your brand.
Build your network. Go to events, follow industry leaders, meet colleagues for a drink, … do whatever it takes to make connections. The bigger your network, the bigger the chance your personal brand will be noticed.

5. Grow as a brand.
Brands develop. So, every brand needs a rebranding from time to time. This is also true for a personal brand. During your life you might take other perspectives on who you are and what you stand for.

Building your brand takes time and effort, but in the end, it is worth it. It will lead to more job and partnership opportunities, build connections, and help you be acknowledged as an expert in your field.