7 Smart Ways to Build A Powerful Brand

7 Smart Ways to Build A Powerful Personal Brand

Developing and building a personal brand has received some level of relevance today. Branding as already discussed in my last post is not a ‘thing’ exclusively for the big companies and organisations. Developing a personal brand means that branding is also very necessary for you as an individual in whatever career path you are following.

One of the overriding factors for building a strong personal brand given by John White is the reason that stronger individual brands have much more influence on individuals than organisational marketing according to research. So why don’t you follow these 7 steps outlined in this article and develop a reputation and a personal brand taking advantage of digital and social media channels.

Identify what you can do best

It is better to be branded as ‘competent’ and seen as a master of your craft than be seen as a mere mediocre in your field. It is therefore important to decide carefully and identify what you can do perfectly so as to merit good reviews and referrals by people you come into contact with. If you have a passion or an eye to brand in a field you love but have little knowledge of, consult and learn from the right sources. The simple message here is ‘COME OUT PREPARED!

Perform an assessment on your personality

O yes! It is important to assess the way people perceive your personality in order to reposition and draw up new strategies to brand effectively. This is similar to performing a brand audit in the case of big and corporate brands. You can just ask honest friends and associates about their perception about you. If the feedback is in line with what you want to achieve then you continue in that light. If you are using social media which is very indispensable in branding these days, then assess your personal branding perception from your online communities and groups. You can also study the trend and tone of comments people leave on your posts, it gives you leads into the general perception about you. Just Google your name and see what images and information Google presents about you, mind you this is very relevant to building a powerful personal brand.

Develop brand attributes

Your characteristics, physical appearance and core values all constitute your brand attributes. Your personal characteristics will have a reflection on your personal branding. On account of this it is important to develop and adopt positive characteristics so as to influence your brand positively in the long run. How accessible (amicable, resourceful, helpful, considerate and approachable) is your brand?  How consistent and sustainable (loyal, honest, professional, practical, etc) is your brand?

Develop a brand culture

What are the standards, vision, mission and ethos you want to be known for? You must imprint a regular standard and must radiate a particular branded level of experience to your clients or associates whom you engage with. The brand culture ought to be developed on positive values and must also be regular and consistent in all spheres of your operations. Sustaining your brand culture helps you be consistent and thus people get to see that you are communicating the values of your brand. If the brand culture is attractive and acceptable, your followers get to understand it and participate in it. The message simply is ‘What standards do want to be identified with?’

Choose comfortable communication mediums

You can be the best singer but nobody might know. Yes! The truth is that if you do not expose yourself to the world how does the world get to know you? Stay relevant by adopting the most comfortable communication medium. Since I am a consultant in digital/social media marketing and seeing the huge potentials it offers to brands against the negligible cost associated to it, I advise you to select a combination or one or two of the online marketing platforms. If you can project your brand on Facebook, then go ahead! You can choose instagram, blog, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, and a host of other vital social media accounts to project your brand. One benefit of using such mediums is that it has a very wider reach than traditional marketing mediums. Make sure you build a following and join communities that is relevant to your personal brand. Remember to build relationships with your followers by responding to their messages and replying their comments, it makes them feel part of your brand.

Tell a Story with your brand

Using social media platforms to build your personal brand is almost the perfect decision you can take. The best way to maintain and gain more followers is to write about what you do and provide the necessary pictures and videos to support your story telling. Being consistent with this wets the appetite of your followers and makes them expect more from you. It is important to note that people like to see and know if you are really competent in what you do before trusting to engage your brand. Telling a story of your brand with interesting contents only makes you relevant, consistent and might influence your brand equity in the long run. One beautiful thing about sharing interesting stories of your brand on social media is that it may go viral if followers find your contents interesting.

Associate with stronger brands in your industry

There are always people who have the first mover advantage and experience in your industry. These may be the stronger brands. It is important to build relationships with these brands, it will first of all expand your network and also increase your experience so you may learn from these stronger brands.

In a different light you can enhance your brand by providing your services or products to stronger brands who may need your services to also provide goods and services. They will in turn refer and commend you to other brands.

By; 

Richard Abakah-Akumah (MC Afedzi)

Professional MC

Online/Digital Marketer

Singer &|Writer