In a market that’s renowned for being highly competitive and oversaturated, businesses and individuals alike are struggling to make their way to the top. Fortunately for all, digital marketing is designed to give everyone a chance of success, regardless of how well-developed or funded they may be.
In other words, even an individual entrepreneur can stand tall among all the other competitors with the right strategy in mind.
One of the best marketing strategies in such cases is creating a personal brand. Branding is most certainly one of the best ways to make a name for yourself. It will help you become unique as well as help you differentiate yourself from other brands in the market.
However, creating a brand, especially a personal one, can be a tough challenge. There’s a lot of work to be had, and you must invest a lot of effort and dedication into it. With that in mind, here are a few steps to create a personal brand.
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Do some market research
Before you proceed with creating your personal brand, it’s of the utmost importance to get familiar with the market as much as you can. You know who you are and what you’re good at so now it’s time to determine how to make the most out of it and how to position yourself in the market.
Market research will help you understand how things work. The fundamentals of research are getting to know your target audience, determining the need for your services or products and understanding your competitors through and through. It seems easier than it actually is.
In order to successfully create a personal brand, you must know what your audience wants and know how to outrun your competitors. As for the products or services, being unique will get you the necessary interest and exposure but you must also be able to meet consumer needs and expectations. You simply can’t do that without research.
Tell your story
Every brand has a story, whether it’s a business brand or a personal one. Telling your story portrays who you are and where you come from. People need to know with whom they’re dealing with before they can engage. Your story has a greater purpose than just simply telling people about yourself.
In fact, your brand’s core values, mission statement and brand promise originate from the story you tell. Furthermore, it helps create a brand image or the way consumers will perceive you as well as brand identity or your personality and how you present yourself to your audience.
The more interesting the story is, the more consumers will relate to your personal brand. What’s more, your story will be the foundation for not just your relationship with your audience but also a foundation for your online presence, visibility and brand awareness.
Create an awesome website
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Your personal brand is nothing without a website. People want to get more informed and familiarized with who you are and what you do before they proceed any further. Your website, complemented with a blog, for example, is an ideal place to provide consumers with more information.
However, when building a website, you must have both consumer and your own best interest in mind. As for the consumer point of view, they expect a functional website filled with top-quality content. As for your own interest, you want a website that portrays your personal brand the best way possible.
Therefore, consider using your own name as your domain to make your website more recognizable, as well as a .me extension to further emphasize your personal brand. Other elements of your website are also important. For example, consider a color scheme that both yourself and your consumers will prefer. Also, consider a proper tone of voice, which you will use to address consumers through content and in public.
Become visible
Promoting your personal brand is essential but you have to get out there first so that people can start noticing you. That means that you have to become visible both in real and online worlds. Start with the online world because it requires more work. Once you have a website up and running, proceed to create social media profiles.
You don’t have to be everywhere. Instead, focus on networks that are relevant to you and build your presence there. Remember, you have a personal brand, which means you must portray it accurately and consistently across all channels.
Consider investing in some marketing strategies that will further boost your visibility and credibility, such as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), content marketing, PPC (Pay-Per-Click) and so on.
After you establish your online presence, it’s time for the real world. Networking events of all sorts should be your priority. You must show yourself to the public the same way you portray yourself to your online audience.
Offer something unique
Uniqueness is what makes brands stand out and makes them interesting to consumers, in the first place. If everyone offers the same thing, then there’s really no point in creating a brand, is there? Therefore, work on your unique selling proposition (USP).
A USP should be something no one else offers but still relevant and highly valuable to your audience. Align your USP with your personal brand and go with it.
Take Gordon Ramsay, for instance. He’s a well-known chef and his name is a personal brand. When you hear his name, you know that his restaurants will offer a unique experience as well as unique dishes, which earned him the three Michelin stars, to begin with. Do the same with your name and reinvent yourself to have something truly unique to offer to your audience.
Creating a personal brand demands a lot of work and creativity. However, if you’re imaginative enough, you can ensure that your name stands for something these days. Therefore, do a lot of research and determine the best way forward. Once you do, make sure you remain consistent at all times and you’ll eventually find your way to success.
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Related posts:
- 5 Steps to Create a Great Personal Brand - April 1, 2020
