What Is Personal Branding?
Think of Oprah, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Tony Robbins, Richard Branson. They all have one thing in common; powerful personal brands.
Personalbrand.com defines personal branding as “the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a larger impact.”
In simpler terms, it is what you actively do to position yourself as the thought / industry leader in your profession / field / industry. It is an intentional process of marketing yourself as the most competent, credible and reliable option so that more business or career opportunities are presented to you.
Everyone has a personal brand, whether they like it or not. It could be at your work place, or with your family, or in your industry. For instance, you may be known for always delivering timely results as a sales executive, or for consistently showing up late and missing deadlines as a journalist. You could be the media’s top choice for interviews on finance-related topics, or be one of the best financial advisors in your firm, but totally off the media’s radar.
Personal branding is how you take the initiative to influence the general public perception of you and get noticed by those that matter. Positioning yourself as the authority in your field or on a subject opens you up to opportunities like public speaking engagements, job promotions, brand sponsorships, media collaborations, book publishing deals, consultancy opportunities and so much more.