When asked to think about branding, most of us never consider developing our own personal brand. It’s likely that consumer or celebrity branding come to your mind, and let’s face it, you’re not a highly successful social media influencer, so this concept just doesn’t apply to you, right?
Wrong! In this digital age, you’ll likely be signed up to at least one social media platform. Without even thinking about it, every post you make, every like and share, is saying something about you to the world. With each click, family, friends, colleagues, and potential employers, are building a picture of who you are. You’re unwittingly building your brand.
Cultivating your brand is particularly important if you’re actively looking for a new job. But even if you’re not, the current demand for quality candidates is such that employers are head-hunting for the next star to join their team. It’s becoming increasingly possible that you will get approached for a more interesting, higher paying, more flexible job opportunity. That is, if your brand appeals to the organisation offering those incentives!
So, it is advisable to put some thought into your personal brand and make sure you stand out for all the right reasons. I’m not suggesting that you ditch the way you currently use social media. Afterall, a major component of your brand is that it is genuinely and authentically you. I suggest you use social media to present a well-rounded, holistic view of yourself.
Most of us already have Facebook, but if you don’t already have one, you might want to consider a LinkedIn profile to compliment that. LinkedIn is where you can easily develop the professional aspect of your brand. Think about leveraging the power of influencers or industry leaders in the career fields you are interested in. Follow their pages and actively engage with their posts. You don’t have to comment on every post out there, but sharing or liking a post will demonstrate your passion for your chosen field.
Many employers refer to both Facebook and LinkedIn to inform their recruitment decisions. So, remember to keep your profile up to date and relevant. Also take time to set up your privacy options, so that you’re in control of who can see certain aspects of your online footprint.
In this article I’ve concentrated on branding in social media. But this should form a part of your holistic branding strategy. There’s a multitude of ways you to develop your brand, which can be as simple as resolving to always ask at least one question at each meeting you attend, which demonstrates you’re an engaged member of the team. If you feel like you’ve fallen into a branding rut, look for opportunities to get involved in projects that are outside your norm, or offer to present on a particular subject at your next team meeting.
Building your brand takes conscious time and effort but making the effort to strengthen your brand will pay off with its own rewards.
If you’re still not convinced that you should build your personal brand, I’ll leave you with this last thought; in an age where online information is readily available, if you don’t actively manage and define your brand, others will do it for you.
Tim O’Brien
Director and Business Talent Scout
Jobs In Central Queensland™
Connect with me for advice or assistance:
Email: tim@jobsincentralqueensland.net.au
Web: JobsInCQ.net.au
“Tap into our network of targeted brand and specialist services, to connect with the right talent for your CQ business”.