Think of your favorite company, whether it be a clothing store, fast food chain, or sports team. Their logo, colors, and slogan probably come to mind. The American Marketing Association defines branding as the approach companies use to establish a unique identity, values, and perceptions that differentiate them from competitors. Companies have been using the power of branding for decades; however, it can also be used to create a personal brand for yourself.
Do you want to learn more about the importance of a personal brand and how to build one? If so, keep reading, as Boardman Training Center outlines five steps to help you create your brand!
What Is Personal Branding?
Personal branding allows you to create and maintain a specific image of yourself, similar to the branding efforts of large companies. Your personal brand defines who you are, your strengths, goals, and values. In short, it is the story of you beyond your skillset.
Why Is Personal Branding Important?
Having a solid personal brand is especially important in the age of social media. Creating a cohesive image on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram can appeal to hiring managers and people looking to build their network. Personal branding is also an excellent way to connect with yourself, delve deeper into your goals, and build self-confidence.
How To Build Your Personal Brand
In order to begin creating your personal brand, you have to decide what you want your personal brand to be. This is your brand identity and how people perceive you in the workplace and your personal life.
Follow these five steps once you are ready to build your personal brand!
Step 1: Align your personal brand with your professional goals
At this point, you should have some idea of what your professional goals are and the steps you need to take to achieve them. Aligning your personal brand with your professional goals is a solid way to establish your credibility in your field. For example, let’s say you are a student entering the medical field. Developing your personal brand might involve networking with healthcare professionals in your community and establishing yourself as an expert in your field.
Some important questions to ask yourself when working on aligning your professional goals with your personal brand are:
- Why are you creating a personal brand?
- What are your professional goals?
- What do you want to be known for?
- What are you passionate about?
- What are your strengths?
Step 2: Choose your platforms
Because of the growth of social media, creating a personal brand is now more accessible than ever. Anyone can create and promote their personal brand from anywhere, at any time. With so many options, it can be challenging to decide which platforms would best suit your goals.
To decide which social media platforms you should utilize when creating your personal brand, you need to ask yourself: Who do you want to see your brand, and which social media channels do they use?
For example, if you are a medical student who wants to reach potential employers, Facebook and LinkedIn are two solid platforms on which you should begin your personal branding efforts.
It is also important to note that keeping an appropriate online presence is important, regardless of whether you are using a platform professionally. Many employers search for a potential employee’s name before hiring, and you don’t want an inappropriate post to be what they see. Taking a moment to consider how your posts can affect your future career can help you avoid a potentially bad image.
Step 3: Network with other professionals
Once you have established your personal brand and built your social media channels, now is the time to begin developing relationships with others in your industry. The best way to start is to find people and accounts relevant to your field and community. Commenting and sharing their posts is an excellent way to begin to build these relationships.
Local healthcare leaders, potential employers, industry organizations, and medical experts are great examples of people to follow. Connecting with your peers, instructors, mentors, and coworkers is also a great way to strengthen your network.
Step 4: Share your knowledge and expertise
Sharing content on your social media accounts is a great way to showcase your knowledge and expertise and build your personal brand. Some good examples of content to create are photos, videos, infographics, blog posts, status updates, and story posts.
When creating content that aligns with your brand, consider what types of content your audience likes to view. In our previous example of a student in the medical field, sharing videos performing hands-on skills would be a great piece of content to share.
Step 5: Be yourself
Remember that being yourself is the best route when creating your personal brand. Even on social media, people tend to connect more with genuine and authentic people. Let your personality shine through your personal brand!
Put Your Career On The Fast-Track
Now that you know how to create your personal brand, elevate yourself with healthcare training from Boardman Training Center! Get started today by calling our admissions team at 330-729-9244 or requesting information!