A personal brand is essential in the digital age.
But what is a personal brand and why is it important?
You as a brand – what’s your USP?
USP stands for Unique Selling Proposition and it means simply the thing that makes you different, distinctive or better from other people who do what you do.
A brand is a product or service with a unique or distinct territory or character that occupies a space in the minds and hearts of its target audience.
What territory do you or do you want to occupy in the minds of your target audiences, i.e. your current or future employers/clients?
With time so precious, it is key to create a clear differentiation for yourself through your qualities, skills, experience and/or knowledge because then it is easy for people to find a fit. If they find it hard to find a fit, then you may be side-lined, not because you’re not good, but because they can’t quickly and easily see how, where and when to use you.
This is especially true for freelance work where often quick decisions are made. However the danger is if your territory is too narrow, you’ll be typecast, so manage your brand carefully and keep track of market changes.
Gain clarity to the extent where you can answer the question, “the only xxx e.g. communications professional who…..”. Another way of describing what you aspire to is for someone to say, “Ah you mean xxx, the one who specialises in…”
Here’s some tips to help you get clear on what your USP is.
- Research market needs and trends – what are the emerging issues and competencies that are going to be in demand e.g. empathy with difficult clients, knowledge of innovative digital assets etc.
- Reflect on times in your life when you’ve found yourself ‘in-flow’, i.e. everything just works naturally. What were you doing at those times? What natural gifts were you exhibiting that you may not even be aware of?
- Ask people who know you well for their feedback about your skills and qualities
- Identify the link between current and future market and employer needs and your natural skills and qualities
- Do some training or studying to build upon your strengths
- Write a brand positioning statement and bounce it off people your trust
- Narrow your brand down to between 1 and 3 words
- Come up with an impactful audio logo/verbal business card, i.e. a short memorable phrase that you can respond with when someone asks you “What do you do?”
- Create an impactful and consistent brand experience through everything that you do and say. Ensure that your image expresses and matches your brand
Read how we help our clients
Reigniting passion and defining your personal brand
https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/reigniting-passion-defining-your-personal-brand/
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