Have you ever felt like you’ve tried everything to optimise and grow your personal brand, yet you still aren’t getting the recognition you desire as a leader in your industry?
You’re putting yourself out there, but you’re not getting cut through and it feels like nobody’s listening!
You already have your logo, brand colours, and brand core values. You’ve also set up your online profile, yet you still find yourself lacking opportunities and potential clients.
Building your personal brand is a process that requires courage, clarity and consistency. But once you commit to the journey, you’ll soon realize how much value it brings to your career or business.
So, you might ask yourself, “does personal branding really matter these days?” If so, what is the right way to start to craft my own signature brand?
Well, strap yourself in, as I’m here to guide you on this journey!
Does Branding Really Matter For Your Career Or Business?
The answer is a resounding YES!
Personal brands and businesses, whether big or small, still struggle to establish their edge in the market.
You have the talent, the expertise but if you don’t feel confident enough to effectively communicate your skills, your personal or business brand won’t shine in your niche or industry.
So, how do you stand out from the crowd?
In my years of providing personal and corporate branding strategies, I’ll let you in on one of the most untold secrets….
These days, people are looking for more than just a product or service. They crave an authentic connection with both personal and business brands.
This is where your personal branding comes in—it is the very tool that will set you apart from the competition, gives you a voice and enables you to make your mark!
You might also want to check: How To Get People To Love Your Image And Brand
Your personal branding goes beyond just having a logo! It’s a leadership tool that has the power to control how people will perceive you and your business.
In fact, it is a genuine representation of who you are, what you stand for and your greater purpose, which is why your personal brand must grow and evolve with you too!
To help speed up your personal brand’s growth and transform you into a more empowered leader, in this blog, I will help you fast track your personal brand’s growth by sharing with you the common personal branding mistakes that people don’t realize they’re making, and what you can do to fix it!
Avoid These Four Common Mistakes When Building Your Personal Brand
1. Having A Generic Description Or Introduction
In this fast-paced society, we are always bombarded with so much information and see so many different faces. So, for you to stand out, you must always have your best foot forward.
You only have a few seconds to make a lasting impression, which is why you always have to make every second count!
Strive to be unique, authentic and most of all, be able to show off your inner genius and gifts.
Opting for run-of-the-mill descriptions such as “great communicator” or “results-driven professional”, won’t make you any different from the rest.
Make your online profile summary or social introductions more memorable by adding more depth and breadth to it. Using a signature brand and leadership language paired with your personal tone will definitely make you sound more authentic and more relatable.
Create a bond with your target audience by sharing your story, talk about who you are, and what your vision is. In that way, you control the narrative and establish a personal image and a leadership style that is based on what YOU want to be known for.
Sharing your personal ‘secrets’ might be something you struggle with, but having the courage to do this will build the foundation of your brand and thought leadership!
If you can communicate all of these in a more compelling way, you are sure to stand out in all the ways that matter to you!
2. Separating Yourself From Your Online Brand
What most people forget is that who you are as a brand and who you are as a person should be one and the same!
Which is why your personal brand must be a natural extension of who you are in real life and be aligned to your virtual online persona. There should be no disconnection between how you sound, appear and present yourself offline to your online image and presence.
If you’re not portraying a consistent online professional image (i.e. you do not look like your profile photos online, or you don’t speak in the same way tone or voice), you risk diluting some of the most important ingredients for your personal brand, which are trust, credibility and connection!
So, How Do You Brand Yourself?
Take the time to evaluate your personal brand and find out what your personal brand says about you.
Take the Brand Strength Test here>> to reveal your current ability to influence others and attract high-profile opportunities.
Then, amplify your strengths and take measures to level up the weaker areas of my 9 key criteria to building a powerful personal brand.
Assess your brand core values so they resonate with what you are deeply passionate about.
For you to build your influence and authenticity, your sincerity must shine through. Your audience will soon sense if you’re not being authentic with your personal brand as inconsistencies on how you present yourself are bound to arise sooner than you think!
This is how ‘real’ women of influence build strong personal brands (as opposed to social media “influencers”) —by practicing what they preach and walking the talk!
You might also want to check out: Want To Build A Brand And Image That’s Undeniably You? Ask 3 Magical Questions!
3. Underestimating The Power Of Building A Personal Brand
Having a strong personal brand will open new doors and take your business to new heights.
If you think that building a personal brand is not for you, think again. Because underestimating the value of having a personal brand will cost you and your business more than you’d think!
Your Brand Is Not A Set And Forget Thing
You can’t expect your personal brand to grow by itself overnight! It takes time for it to grow and for it to mold into the brand you’ve always envisioned it to be.
Your personal brand is the forefront of your career or business, which is why you should invest in having a strong personal branding, and start building your online presence!
Showcasing your personal brand on social media, curating and sharing helpful content about your product and service will let your audience peek into your thoughts, insights, and ideas, but it doesn’t end there….
It’s not as simple as promoting your personal branding on a regular basis! A lot of other factors come into play in order to grow your credibility, recognition and influence.
A successful personal brand is a result of publishing regular quality content, networking, and your engagement online and offline. It takes time to be able to establish your brand and set it apart from your competitors.
Learn more: What I Wish I Knew When I Started Building My Personal Brand
4. Not Investing On Themselves To Learn And Grow
We often forget that learning doesn’t stop the moment we step away from schools or university. As you mature as a professional and go along with your career or business, you will realize that there is still so much for you to learn and grow.
Most of you might have already taken up business courses or consulted a business mentor to help you get a better grasp of your business and industry, but have you ever thought of investing in building your mindset muscles?
Wait, what are mindset muscles, and how do they affect your brand and leadership capabilities?
Yep, you heard me correctly! Your mindset muscles are real and must be exercised frequently to grow stronger! They are a successful leader’s best-kept secret.
Your mindset shapes your internal perspective, how you see the world and the energy you project. It also directly affects your drive, ambition, focus and fears!
Sit down and have a conversation with a high-performance woman who is tapped into fostering a growth mindset and EQ, and you will unlock a whole new world of leadership wisdom that other leaders lack.
Learning to cultivate a growth mindset and heightened emotional intelligence changes everything! It elevates your personal brand by raising your profile into the realms of becoming a thought leader and a change agent.
Build Your Personal Brand With Me!
As one of Australia’s top female executive coaches and image consultants specializing in image and brand building and enhancing your executive image, I would love to share with you my top leadership skills, corporate branding strategies and tools in my Woman of Confidence Members’ Club.
You’ll know more about building a strong brand image and honing your business leadership skills that will transform you into a resilient and unstoppable female leader, entrepreneur or business owner!
Other Useful Links And Resources:
FAQs : Why Is Personal Branding Important For Small Businesses?
How To Strengthen Your Personal Brand – The Best Tips For Massive Growth! + Download
Login>> to Woman of Confidence now to access my proven tips and brand strategies that will strengthen your brand image and bring out the powerful female leader in you!
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To your success,
