When it comes to being able to say what your personal brand is about, there are a few key elements to consider.
Quite often, people think it has something to do with our jobs or role in a business and what our personalities are like but it is much more refined than this. Whether you are starting to define your brand, developing it or are in the process of evaluating where you fit in the market place, it’s important to asses who you are and what you bring into the world.
To get started let’s sit down and give some thought to three key areas.
- Start with your values and passions
What’s really important to you in terms of what brings you joy from being in the world and what kind of things really make your blood boil so you get fired up to do something about it. Are you the kind of person who hates being late or are you always trying to cram in as much as you possibly can into the very last minute – so do you value punctuality or not? Are you continually learning? Do you value growth and education? If you’re not sure what questions to ask yourself, think about values in general and see what resonates with you. Look at values like, reliability, creativity, compassion, health and fitness – make a list of all that you can think of and circle those that you feel connect to you. This will give you clues as to what your values are.
2. Where do you interests and passions lie?
Even if at the moment you feel that you don’t have time to pursue interests outside of your work or running your business, think of all those things that you are drawn to. Do you love looking through interiors magazines and follow lots of renovation accounts on instagram? What kinds of sports do you usually do, whether that’s high energy activities or something like yoga? Is sitting down and doing puzzles, crosswords, Sudoku your thing? These interests give you clues to were your motivations lie and will influence your personal brand qualities.
3. Finally what are your natural abilities or skills that you have fostered over the years?
These don’t necessarily mean that you are good at a practical skill but can also reflect traits that you have – organised, an analytical thinker, empathetic, good at communicating, tech savvy, creative etc. Write as many as you can think of, say ten to fifteen words or phrases.
Jot down these ideas and words under the three headings and underline those that overlap or draw three circles and see what intersects – this will help you define your personal brand and then be able to communicate this with your audience.
I have my words pinned up by my desk so that most everything I say and do in my business is informed by what my brand stands for. For me these values come down to loyalty, creativity, positivity, passion, purpose. And warmth, connection, nurturing, creativity, art, meeting people, community. My skills have always been in the creative arena and the last ten years this has manifested itself as my role as a documentary photographer.This translates into my drive to help individuals and small businesses elevate their visibility to compete in the market place and to attract their ideal audience so they can have the business that they want which in turn serves the lifestyle that makes them happy.
I hope this is helpful to you and a useful reminder of where you are right now and where you are heading with your brand journey.
To find out more about how I can help you elevate the visibility of your brand and business, here’s my free guide. Or have a browse through my Personal Brand info page.
If you’d like to have a chat to find out more please do get in touch.
Further reading –
I am My Brand – Kubi Springer
Belong – Radha Agrawal