A great personal brand can help you make better connections, secure more clients, get a better job, get more industry recognition and more. Millennials have brought a different perspective to working life and see themselves very much as a brand; something unique – they’re not asking themselves why companies should hire them, they’re asking: “is this company good enough to attract my brand; why should I work with them?” Here are some top Hey Tuesday tips to get yourself a personal brand that works for you.
Photo credit: Nicole for Hey Tuesday, London
A strong image
Casual photos that you took on holiday or around the house aren’t going to look professional enough to represent your brand. Strong, eye catching headshots form a key part of your brand image but that’s not all there is to it – think about what story you’re telling with your images too. Everything you put into your headshot shoot, from the clothes you wear to your mindset when the photos are taken will all contribute to your overall brand image. A strong image is one that shows who you are and what your brand is about.
A strong elevator pitch
If you were stuck in a lift with your ideal client, or someone you really want to impress, and they were to ask “what do you do?” what would your answer be? Can you answer this question convincingly, concisely and with passion in 60 seconds? Unless you’ve put effort into refining and practicing this, we’re going to bet that you’d waffle, stumble over your words and even forget what you actually do when you’re put on the spot like this. A good pitch quickly demonstrates your USP, shows your passion, leaves the listener wanting to hear more and is an essential part of a great personal brand. Get practicing so you don’t get caught out!
Photo credit: Nicole for Hey Tuesday, London
Copy that sells you
You’re going to need great copy at some stage – whether it’s for your website, business card, or the brochure for an event you’re speaking at. It’s very hard to write persuasive copy about yourself that sells all your best points and demonstrates why you’re better than the competition, so it could be a good idea to get a copywriter to help you out. Failing that ask some friends and colleagues how they’d describe you. Great copy is concise, punchy, has a tone that speaks to your target audience and has a strong call to action.
A strong network
If you’re well connected, you’ll have a little army of people who are out and about doing your marketing for you and selling your personal brand. For example if you’re a photographer, you want people you know to be singing your praises to others when you’re not there and commenting on how great your work is. Business networking is crucial to this; the more events you go to and the more well known in business circles you become, the more they’ll remember you next time someone mentions they’re looking for a photographer – you’ll be the person who springs to mind.
A regular presence
Building on the last point, a regular presence across different channels is crucial to a successful personal brand. People need to see you popping up regularly wherever they are, both online and offline. This helps to build trust, credibility and position you as someone they should be getting to know. Regular networking, speaking at events, writing blogs, and having a strong, frequent social media presence are all vital. The cumulative effect of seeing and hearing something or someone regularly is a key part of branding. If it’s a struggle to keep your social media channels up to date regularly, Hootsuite could help.
Self confidence
And finally, it’s that old adage – people buy from people. Your personality, how you come across and how you treat people are equally, if not more important than your skills and experience. If people believe in you and want to work with you, it’s amazing what gaps in experience they’ll be willing to overlook. Obviously you don’t want to be all style and no substance, but if you’re self confident, able to project your personality and can take people along with you, that’s half of the hard work done already. So believe in yourself!
Fab words by Lauren, cool photos by Nicole
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