Thoughts on Branding II

Continuing my thoughts about personal branding, first, personal branding is the perceptions and emotions maintained by someone other than you, describing the total experience of having a relationship with you. Trust, though considered in the previous blog, is a fundamental element of personal branding. Integrity, Intent, Capability and Result are all elements of trust, so fundamentally, having these elements would present an acceptable and successful brand. These elements can further be classified as character and competence. To be hired, a company would expect a staff with these three dimensions of trust: competence, benevolence, and a reliable staff. Competence is the ability to do something successfully or efficiently; therefore, the individual should be able to deliver on the job. Benevolence is about behaviour and intent. How selfless, kind and believable is this individual? Reliability is the ability to be dependable or to perform consistently well. It’s the act of being trustworthy. These three dimensions must be extended at work or in building a brand for the employer or customers. In essence, it is crucial to think about yourself as a product. The good news is that everyone has a chance to stand out to build a unique and worthy brand. The goal in building a personal brand is to steer and inspire perceptions and emotions to align with the brand’s vision and goals; a personal brand has its benefits.

The advantages of a personal brand are, first, creating differentiation. Developing a strategy involves capitalising on the brand’s uniqueness to gain a competitive advantage in a saturated market. Second, It increases your visibility. Increasing visibility is how well the individual has strategically placed the brand. What sort of things do you engage with, or what kind of discussions do you contribute to? Third, it shortens sales cycles. What is a short sales cycle? The sales cycle involves making a sale in a short period. They require fewer steps and typically take less than a month to complete. Short sales cycles typically involve repeat customers who already understand the brand and how it operates. Fourth, it improves confidence. Brand confidence is comprehending what the brand has to offer, how the brand intends to appeal to clients/prospects, and having a solid foundation to deliver solutions. That foundation includes tangible elements like business cards and internal elements such as reliability, consistency, and dedication. Lastly, it supports set goals and objectives. A goal is an achievable outcome that is generally broad and longer term, while an objective is shorter term and defines measurable actions to achieve an overall goal. They are both essential to planning and executing a project. Knowing your target audience can help you create branding objectives to reach, engage and impress potential and future consumers. Your target audience might encompass a variety of demographics, behaviours and traits, so it’s important to strategise how to make the brand appealing to all groups of people. These are my key takeaways from learning personal branding. My brand is my product. It should be treated as such. My brand is my story.

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