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Establish your own personal brand
We've written about the idea of becoming a thought leader in the
business world and the next step is to establish your own personal
brand.
It's not a new idea. Madonna showed us how it was done back in the
1980s and celebrities have been doing it ever since. But it's also
something that business people can utilise to their own benefit and
not just to bolster their own ego.
The first step is to define who you are and your unique abilities.
Try to define yourself in a single word or concept, much like you
would for a product or service. You also need to understand how
other people perceive you. Think about the impressions you make on
others. Take the time to speak with different people to understand
how they perceive your strengths and then use this information as
you create your personal brand.
Your brand is portrayed in many ways including:
- Business cards
- Resume/cover letter/reference documents
- Portfolio showcasing your work
- Blog or website
- LinkedIn profile
- Facebook profile
- Twitter profile
- Wardrobe
- Email address
From a public relations perspective you should also consider:
- Speaking opportunities - speaking at industry events and
conferences
- Media comment - getting to know journalists who are
reporting on your industry and offering yourself for regular
comment. Make sure you are available and prepared when they call
- Bylined articles - drafting and submitting articles to
relevant online and offline publications about your area of
expertise
- Blogging - starting your own blog which allows you to
regularly speak about your industry knowledge.
Don't be afraid to have an opinion. As a true expert you need to
bring something new and refreshing to the table rather than rehash
what others are saying. Be clear about your point of view but don't
be controversial if it's not necessary.
Above all, be persistent. Your brand will not be developed
overnight.
Time to reflect
 In
the past couple of months our blog has been a bit quieter as we
recover from the prolonged Australian silly season.
Dennis wrote about the controversial
Whitehaven coal hoax media release and reflected on the
credibility or otherwise of media releases in the Internet world.
Gill said farewell to DRPR and her PR career of six years and shared
with readers how she'll
continue to use her PR skills no matter what job she fulfils
in the future.
In a great show of optimism Nicola shared her thoughts on
focusing on the positives for 2013 and suggested we need to
stop 'blaming' other people for our own destiny..
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