If you’re like me, some of the personal branding craze may leave you a bit turned off. A friend of mine recently emailed me asking how to explain the positive side of personal branding to his skeptical mother. This was my answer.
Branding Isn’t About Logos
A brand is just the collection of all the perceptions people have about something, and branding is about influencing those perceptions. Her work history, her choice of words, her clothing, her hobbies–these are things she pays some attention to, and it all affects how she is perceived.
In other words, everyone is already doing personal branding. Most just aren’t doing it well.
Approaching personal branding more deliberately helps improve the odds that the perceptions of others are 1. accurate and 2. favorable.
Avoiding Bad Hair Days, Food in Your Teeth
People Google each other these days, and what they find affects how they perceive you, whether you have built something for them to find or not. If you haven’t looked in the mirror and made some adjustments, you might just look like a mess. You definitely won’t look your best.
A blog gives you more control over what comes up. A well-written blog helps even more. If it’s got a nice design, killer content, and a community, then that says something powerful.
Everyone Wants a Good Reputation
It’s not just about blogs and Google, though. It’s anything that influences perception. While you don’t have to be governed by what others think, you should spend some time representing yourself the way you want to be represented. It’s not smoke and mirrors or LinkedIn or a fancy resume–it’s making sure people know about your best.
