How to Create a Personal Brand

Stand Out From the Crowd with a Strong Personal Identity

Sep 27, 2009

Individuals can follow the lead of successful organizations by developing their own personal brand.

Building a strong personal brand is a critical component individuals can use to stay competitive and thrive in a tough economy. As technology continues to change the way companies do business, building a strong identity can help individuals keep a job or find one in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.

What is a Personal Brand?

A personal brand highlights the strengths and talents of an individual to help him or her stand out from others. A personal identity is similar to branding used by corporations and companies. Think of brand names like Nike, Starbucks, Amazon or Google. Each of these brands has attributes and qualities tied to them that drive their success and connection with consumers.

How to Create a Brand Identity

Developing a brand takes thought and effort. In an ever-changing marketplace, building a strong personal identity is critical for individuals looking to stand out from the crowd.

Individuals can create a strong identity by highlighting aspects that set their talents apart from others. To create a personal identity, individuals should take a look at what components make them different from others.

To do this, individuals should call attention to any success stories obtained through professional, personal and volunteer experiences. Include any awards or certifications received as part of a personal brand identity. Strengths, personal mottos, leadership ability and other strong personality traits should be used to create a personal brand. Review past job performance reviews for common traits and skills highlighted.

Much like a company developing a new brand, individuals creating their own personal brand should evaluate their strengths and talents to develop a brief summary statement or sound bite that strongly conveys their identity. In essence, this brief statement is similar to a tagline or 15-second commercial used by top brands.

Once individuals have determined the unique benefits they provide customers and employers, they need to adopt these strengths as their own personal mantra. Focus on brand identity and stay true to it through every promotional outlet used.

How to Market Brand Identity

Technology and the Internet offer an unlimited amount of marketing opportunities for individuals to use to promote their own personal brand. From blogs, social networks to personal web sites, individuals can use multiple avenues to highlight their personal brand to gain new employment opportunities, build customer contacts and enhance professional networks. Individuals need to keep their personal brand message on focus and consistent in order to build a strong brand identity.

Building a strong brand identity is a critical component for individuals seeking to find a new job, building a home business or looking to climb the corporate ladder. Individuals can follow the lead of strong consumer brands to build a personal brand to separate their unique talents and skills apart from the competition.

Tom Peters (August 1997). "The Brand Called You". Fast Company (online) (Mansueto Ventures LLC.) (10): pp. 83

The copyright of the article How to Create a Personal Brand in Corporate Marketing/Branding is owned by Wendy Roltgen. Permission to republish How to Create a Personal Brand in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.