Also called personal marketing, personal branding aims to promote one’s own image and skills in order to attract clients or recruiters. The individual then builds and shapes his brand image like a company in order to enhance its value on the market.
As you will have understood, it is the art of building your digital reputation that we are going to study today, so prepare your glasses and happy reading!
The importance of its digital reputation and its brand (branding)
Having a strong personal brand has several significant benefits:
1- Differentiation : In a competitive market, a strong personal brand makes it possible to stand out from other professionals in the same field. This can increase your chances of being noticed by potential employers, clients, or business partners.
2- Confidence : A good personal branding inspires confidence . When you clearly communicate your skills, accomplishments, and values, it’s a way to build others’ trust in your expertise and ability to meet their needs.
3- Professional opportunities : Your digital reputation can open up new professional opportunities for you. You may be asked for collaborations, interesting projects or even higher positions of responsibility.
4- Extensive network : Develop a solid and influential network in your field of activity. People who are attracted to your personal brand can become valuable business contacts and contribute to your success.
5- Recognition : Make you recognizable in your industry. People can associate your name with a specific expertise, which can increase your credibility and visibility .
In summary, this offers you a multitude of advantages, ranging from differentiation in the market to opening up new professional opportunities and developing a solid network.
How to build your personal branding?
Carry out an introspection
Personal branding is a long process that involves asking yourself what your strengths and weaknesses are. It starts with you, your company, your values and your vision.
Strengths and weaknesses are identifiable by yourself or by asking your family or friends for example.
This step is essential to effectively build the next ones.
Know how to set goals
Whether short, medium or long term, it is advisable to think of a good strategy . To monitor the latter, we recommend that you set yourself objectives accompanied by indicators to carry out a good follow-up. These are diverse and varied, number of appointments, evolution of subscribers, the turnover to be achieved…
Your objectives must obviously be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Achievable and Time-bound). All of this will ultimately allow you to create an action plan that can be followed easily.
Offer content with high added value
It is important to have in mind an editorial line that suits you, it may seem cumbersome to set up but it simply corresponds to the content and form of your personal branding. The bravest will create graphic charters (colors, typography in particular), however this is not always necessary.
After that, all you have to do is determine the people you are targeting (we also talk about persona marketing). So you can use the right channels and adapt your style.
But that’s nothing if you don’t create content. It’s not necessarily easy because you have to know how to engage your community
Interact with its ecosystem (responsiveness, fair, masterclass, etc.)
On the one hand, there is all the work you can do on the digital sphere, but there is obviously a physical presence to ensure . Participate in events, conferences or discussion groups in your field of activity. Build relationships with other influential professionals and share your knowledge and ideas to boost your visibility.
The power of storytelling in its branding
Authenticity is undoubtedly the keystone of personal branding to create a link with your audience. Stories are assets to communicate in a captivating way to reinforce your personal brand and stand out from the competition .
Thus, telling personal stories highlights your skills, your achievements or your significant professional experiences. Storytelling is a powerful way to create an emotional connection with your target audience. By using these strategies in a consistent and targeted manner, you will be able to promote your personal brand and boost your visibility with your target audience. Bringing personal content to your value proposition helps engage your audience . The latter will even have a lasting impression by reading/listening to inspiring stories.
For example, if you’re an entrepreneur who wants to inspire others to follow their dreams, your goal might be to chronicle your journey from your beginnings to current success, highlighting obstacles overcome and lessons learned along the way. .
Babakar WADE (CEO and founder of Les Bons Buffets) and Amélie PRATS (founder of Lusis Conseil) have understood this well, by participating in our web series “Les Voltigeurs” . They revealed themselves in front of our cameras during an intimate interview. This is also the heart of the concept: telling your story.
Click on the photos to discover our video series “ Les Voltigeurs ”.
Conclusion
Developing your personal brand is an essential part of being successful in your field. By showcasing your skills, values and authenticity, you can differentiate yourself from other professionals and grab the attention of your target audience.
A strong personal brand builds trust, opens new professional opportunities and creates lasting relationships. By effectively managing your image and adapting your branding to different audiences or industries, you can maximize the impact of your personal branding.
ESCadrille can accompany you to build this strategy via a communication plan for example.