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Your Personal Brand
Whether you like it or not, you are essentially selling yourself when it comes to job hunting. In order to differentiate yourself from other candidates, it’s important to develop a clear personal brand through effective positioning strategies.
To create more opportunities, it’s essential to have a deep understanding of your own strengths and value proposition. What sets you apart from other candidates? What are you truly exceptional at? By answering these questions, you’ll be able to develop a unique personal brand that will help you stand out in the job market.
We all know a great positioning when we see it. Maybe it’s a product you love or that author that resonates with you. But few people think about their positioning. Intentionally developing your personal brand can pay off big. Those that do tend to develop a constant flow of opportunities. People see opportunity X and quickly know person Y is known for helping with it. It simplifies decision-making for the decision-maker. See X, call Y. Brands are powerful, and developing your brand will be powerful for you.
Tips for Developing Your Personal Brand
- Identify your unique strengths and skills that set you apart from others.
- Define your target audience and tailor your brand to appeal to them.
- Develop a clear and concise message that conveys your value proposition.
- Consistently communicate your brand across all platforms, including social media and networking events.
- Build a strong online presence through a professional website or social media accounts.
- Demonstrate thought
leadership by sharing relevant content and engaging with your audience. - Be authentic and true to yourself in your personal brand.
A hungry bear plants itself in one spot on the riverbed. If it’s in the right place, lunch will deliver itself. That’s the beauty of effective positioning. If you place yourself properly and stay there, opportunities drop in your lap like a wriggling salmon. If you don’t, you end up cold and wet, with nothing to show for it. Without sticking to a bold, strategically crafted personal brand that effectively differentiates you from the competition, growth grinds to a halt.
Ready to unleash your potential and stand out from the crowd? Discover the ultimate guide to mastering your personal brand and taking control of your career! #personalbranding #careerdevelopment #unleashyourpotentialClick To TweetThree Unique Concepts
So what makes for a great personal brand? A great personal brand focuses on three unique concepts to triangulate your position.
Why three? Two reasons: believability and memorability.
Researcher Suzanne B Shu and her
In a 2023 study published in the journal “Psychological Science,” Shu and her
There is a magic with three. Focus on your three core strengths and leave out the minor ones. The key to an effective personal brand is to be simultaneously convincing and memorable.
Key Questions
When considering what three aspects to focus on, ask yourself these key questions:
- What are my personal strengths?
- What are the needs of the marketplace?
- What are the strengths of my competitors?
- How bold do I need to be in order to stand out?
- How can I use specific words that will resonate with my target audience?
As you answer these questions, you’ll not only develop a laundry list of all your value propositions, but you’ll also figure out where to focus.
The more precisely you refine your personal brand, the more impact it will have. If you think of a few of your own favorite brands, you’ll see this to be true. See if you can get it down to three words or three short concepts. Once you get your three, cut the words. What are the bare minimum words necessary to convey your message? Once you have them, get clever. Can you make the concepts rhyme? Use alliteration? Rhyming and alliteration make things easy to remember. Clarity is a rarity. And, memorability matters.
Think back to the bear on the river. What if in its anxiety to catch fish it wandered back and forth to wherever it last saw a salmon leap? It would waste valuable time and give other bears the opportunity to carve out premium spots for themselves. The smart bear plants itself in a good spot and waits for dinner
Mo Bunnell is the Founder and CEO of Bunnell Idea Group, who has taught sales skills to over 12,000 people. You can learn Mo’s other techniques for growing influence in his new book, THE SNOWBALL SYSTEM: How to Win More Business and Turn Clients into Raving Fans, at snowballsystem.com and get a gratis, 8-part
Additional Resources:
Crush It! Why Now Is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion
Crush It!: Why Now Is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk – Practical advice on building a personal brand and using social media to achieve success.
In Crush It!,online marketing trailblazer Gary Vaynerchuk tells business owners what they need to do to boost their sales using the internet.
Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future
Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future by Dorie Clark – A step-by-step guide to developing and managing a personal brand.
Reinventing You provides a step-by-step guide to help you assess your unique strengths, develop a compelling personal brand, and ensure that others recognize the powerful contribution you can make.
The Brand Called You
The Brand Called You: Make Your Business Stand Out in a Crowded Marketplace by Peter Montoya – Strategies for building a strong personal brand in a competitive business landscape.
This invaluable guide teaches you the vital principles and skills of personal branding, including how to craft an emotionally resonant branding message, create top-quality branding tools, and attract a constant flow of business.
