Whether you know it or not, you already have a personal brand. Everything you do, write or say, changes the perspectives of those around you, and in the age of the Internet and Social Media, you are already on a public stage.
Take control of how you are perceived and use your brand to boost your career and attract new opportunities. By proactively and intentionally managing your personal brand you can shape your own reputation, showcase your knowledge and increase your visibility in the job market. Ready to start crafting your executive image? Here are our 8 top tips to build that unbeatable brand:
1. Become a Go-To Thought Leader in Your Industry
To create a successful personal brand as an executive, you need to become recognised as an expert in your industry. Get started by writing blog posts from your unique expert perspective to publish on LinkedIn and commenting on topical news articles on social media. Then grow your brand even further by being quoted in the media as an expert and speaking on expert panels or at other live events. This will set you apart from your competition and identify you as the number one go-to expert in your area.
2. Be Authentic
With personal branding, authenticity is key. The key to authenticity is creating trust, a feeling of transparency and meaningful relationships within your industry and community—all of which help people understand who you are as an executive. Being honest and open also is a smart business tactic to open the door to more opportunities and boost your own professional success.
3. Have an Opinion
To be truly influential, you need to have an opinion and courage in your convictions. Make sure you have a point of view on topical, relevant issues and new industry development, and share interesting insights that others can leverage.
4. Identify What You Stand For
As an executive, you should have your own mission and your own set of values that stir your career path and professional decision making. Make sure you thoroughly understand your values and what you hold important, and try to convey this to your audience through your personal brand. This will build integrity and help you communicate more effectively.
5. Be Consistent
You can’t become a thought leader from a single blog post or tweet. Thought leadership, authority and noted expertise are developed over time through consistent, well-written communication and from being involved in industry conversations. Make time in your schedule to post regular content at consistent intervals that work with your calendar.
6. Understand What Makes You Different
To stand out in the realm of thought-leaders, you must have a unique voice and a unique selling point to set you apart. Dedicate some time to understanding what makes you different, what makes you successful and how you can leverage it for your professional advancement. Differentiation is key to making yourself memorable and visible to the right people.
7. Follow Examples of Successful Executive Thought-Leaders
If you need some inspiration to help you get started, there is already a plethora of executives using thought leadership and personal branding to their advantage. Take a look at what established executives are posting, what proves popular and what doesn’t. make notes and build your strategy using these exempla executives to help guide the way, but...
8. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
It’s easy to feel intimated by the high calibre of content shared by established executives and thought leaders, especially when you are just starting work on building your brand. Don’t be perturbed, see what you can utilize and put your own spin on, then dedicate some time to putting your new personal brand strategy into action.