Professional branding can be tricky but there are a few small, practical ways in which you can get yourself started in the right direction.
- Headshots. Don’t got ‘em? Well, you need ‘em!
You’re a professional now so your image needs to emulate such. No more selfies with red solo cups or duck lips with sunglasses (don’t look at my Instagram, please!) Smiling, standing tall, and dressing for your position make you appear more competent and you are more likely to gain influence over your social following (if that’s a goal).
- Make Your Presence Online
We live in the land of digital stalkers – it’s a reality these days and if you aren’t readily available for someone else’s instant gratification via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, Foursquare (my brain is exploding!) then they are likely to move on and find someone else for the job. Please don’t interpret this as a message to go out and profile yourself into every social media stream available – that would just be tiresome and perhaps a little neurotic. Cover the basics and be sure to use your real name optimizing the best channels for your line of work for premium discovery.
- Have Purpose
Do what you do best simply because it’s what you love. Professional purpose is more than just a Paycheck Friday.
- Be Open to the New and Embrace the Old
To have a well-rounded personal brand you need to be able to strike a balance between learning new, understanding old, and balancing what you thought you knew in-between.
Let me help you! Check out these interactive e-guides!
- Jot Your Thoughts
No matter your industry, writing will be a skill you need to master. Jot down your thoughts from time to time and slowly hone in on your skill.
- Digital Presence Presentation
Thought that was over, didn’t you? Not a chance. You need to keep those social profiles UpToDate. Be sure to add any new channels to other sites you maintain such as websites, email signatures, and other social profiles. You want to maintain a consistent digital presence.
- 30 Second Elevator Speech
I always hated this. Every position I ever had where I was employed for another company always preached the importance of a 30-second elevator speech and it wasn’t until I started my own company that I truly realized how important it was. You have 30 seconds to capture someone’s attention and draw them into what you do – what do you say?
Include your audience, mission, value, and avoid buzzwords!
- Know your Competition
Make an effort to know what others in your industry are doing and saying; creating and how they are making themselves more successful each day. We all learn and grow from each other.
- Embrace Experience
It is our own experiences that weave our successes and our failures. From this comes our professional narrative. Start crafting it.
- Social Media … Again.
It’s the digital age, what do you expect? Social media is great for boosting your discoverability and provides interactions with non-creatives and creatives alike who can help assist you.
