2 years ago to this date I wrote a blog post about my struggles and successes when developing my ResearchGeek personal brand and I had eye roles and comments that it’s just one of those personal brand blog posts.
Personal branding is who you are, no matter what your current job is, what project you happen to be working on at any one time or whatever the priority happens to be today. Keep in mind the impact you leave on others and remember all we have is our own reputation and that’s our brand.
There are now a lot of people scrambling for job security or even a new job due to the effects of Covid-19. According to Social Media Today, LinkedIn has seen a 3x increase in the amount of individuals using LinkedIn Learning to advance their skills, career prospects as well as improving their personal profiles since COVID-19.
4 years ago, when I started my ResearchGeek blog, creating a personal brand was daunting, and a mythical task. And one of the easiest ways to get lost in the process is to not know where to start.
I’m all about results though so let me firstly tell you what you should be aspiring to achieve:
1. People talking positively about you when you are not even there.
2. People don’t ask “Who are you?” but “Thank you for being here”
Why I started my personal brand?
I was looking at my CV and I also looked at someone else’s who wanted to go into the same type of industry. I will never forget what my first CV looked like. It looked completely the same as my friend’s. We used the same terminology from quantitative and qualitative research, data analysis, presentation skills, Microsoft office; the list could go on. Both CV’s looked identical, the only difference was our names!
That’s when I knew it was going to be competitive when finding a job or a role, so I had to bring something different to the table, something which would put me on the map.
But how can you create a niche that separates you from others in the sector?
It is becoming more and more important as the modern-day audience trusts individuals more than company brands or large corporations.
A client will go to an individual in a company to discuss an opportunity, not necessarily the business first. Therefore, your personal brand is crucial. It allows you to create a reputation and an identity in the industry that offers your audience a personal level of trust.
You might be thinking…
How on earth can I create a personal brand whilst working full-time?
Good question.
You have to work hard throughout your career and go the extra mile that will pay dividends in later life. The top tips I am going to share with you are used by myself, that I use continually alongside my full-time market research role at Newgate Research, so if I can do it, so can you.
- Have focus
Keeping your message focused for your target demographic will make it that much easier to both create content around your personal brand and have others define you. Keep your message and content consistent to one niche topic to become memorable within a targeted community. The narrower and more focused your brand is, the easier it is for people to remember who you are. - Don’t copy off others
I personally think you don’t have to be a master of your craft, skill-set or industry before starting a personal brand. You simply just have to have an opinion about it. There is no right or wrong answer. But what you can’t do is copy off someone else. Its really easy to copy off someone’s products or services, but its impossible to copy off someone’s personal brand because its who they are. - Be consistent
Being consistent is very similar to having a narrow focus—it’s much easier to get recognised for one topic if you consistently create content and a brand voice around it. Ensure you stay consistent both online and offline. For example, if you want to be a fun enthusiastic character online, make sure you are the same person when people see you at events or in meetings. - Be ready to fail
Failure is tough, and all of us generally want to avoid it, that’s human nature after all. However, to have a personal brand that rises above the rest, you need to have a failure. According to CBS News, Walt Disney went from failure to success. When he failed during his first attempts before creating a world leading animation brand. - Have a succession plan!
This will help you to form your own trend.
I would recommend using some of the following points below:
- What tools do you need to help you succeed?
- Who are your key contacts and influencers you need to talk to about the idea?
- How will it help your organisation?
- How can you track its influence and ROI?
So, there you are, your next mission is to create your personal brand in the sector and make a name for yourself. Have the determination to be an expert in your field, whilst it might take time, there are defiantly rewards to gain.
Over to you!
