Series for Success: Crafting Your Personal Brand

Most people are pretty savvy when it comes to slick marketing.  We can take a look at something a company puts out and can tell if it’s “on brand.” Brands include everything from logos to color schemes to messaging and more. 

But have you ever met a person with a brand? Though it’s not as obvious as a corporate brand, celebrities have personal brands. Regular people like you can also have a brand. It’s especially important when you run a business. Interesting fact; consumers are 82% more likely to trust a company if their CEO is active on social media. You may not be a CEO or a celebrity, but you definitely want to put your best foot forward when it comes to your business. 

What is a Personal Brand?

In broad terms, a personal brand is the public side of YOU. Who you are, the way you dress, how you speak, and more. It’s basically how you present yourself to the outside world. Most people build a personal brand through social media or even speaking to others. It’s something that all entrepreneurs should be doing, no matter the size of their business. 

When considering your personal brand, you want to do exactly what corporate brands do; decide what makes you different from others. Take the time to answer a few questions about yourself:

• What motivates you?

• What are your core values?

• What are you good at?

• What is your why?

Knowing those things is the start of creating your personal brand.

Define What You Want Your Brand to Be

All brands are about being consistent. Think of five words that describe who you are as a person. Do you think others would agree?  Is that how you want to be perceived?  If so, make that part of your brand.  

If there are any words on that list that you don’t like, simply don’t make that part of your brand. Maybe you’re an introvert. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! But part of having a personal brand is putting yourself out there. You might still be an introvert, but your brand doesn’t reflect it. 

Are there any words that you want on that list but they aren’t there right now? Let’s take the word “confident” for example. Maybe you aren’t super confident, but you want to be. Guess what? You can fake it! Your brand is how you are perceived, not who you actually are. Stand taller when you walk. Smile. Look people in the eye. Fake confidence! It’s possible that you get so good at those things that people assume you are confident. And maybe, at some point, you won’t have to fake it anymore.

Define Your Audience

All brands have a target audience, your personal brand is no exception. But it’s a little different when it comes to you as an individual. As an entrepreneur, you should know who your core client is. For example, if you are a Qyral consultant, your likely target audience is women, probably middle aged, she may have a professional career, and she cares about her appearance. You can picture your customer because you probably know her and others like her.

But when shaping your personal brand, you want to take things a step further and consider the people outside of the ones you are most likely to sell to. You want to inspire those people! For example, maybe a teenage girl is inspired by your ability to run a successful business. Or a guy who lives next door admires how you can easily talk to others. The woman who takes your order at Starbucks might not know you personally, but is inspired by the bright colors you tend to wear when you stop in for your latte. 

Of course you aren’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. You don’t want to bend over backwards trying to please everyone. But by defining who you are and what you stand for will give those people who are part of your target audience a taste of your personal brand.

Figure Out Discussion Points

Have you ever heard of an elevator speech?  The idea behind it is that you’re in an elevator with someone important and you only have so much time to present an idea or an opportunity. It’s generally a 30 second (or less) summary. If the person on the elevator wants to know more, the presenter has responses prepared.  

Part of your personal brand is knowing your stuff. What are some topics you want to be associated with? If you’re not an expert, work hard to become one. Take that expertise and humanize it- you don’t want to be a robot spouting off facts! Have stories or anecdotes that relate to your topic. It doesn’t have to be an elevator pitch, per say. But being able to talk about a topic you are passionate about openly and confidently will make that part of your personal brand. 

Take Pride!

When it’s all said and done, you want your personal brand to be something that you can be proud of. You definitely want it to encompass who you truly are, but at the same time, the way you present yourself is still carefully crafted. The idea behind your brand is that if your company goes away, will you go with it because that company defines you? Ideally, you’ll be able to rise from the ashes having separated yourself as your own brand. 

Qyral is a company that is working hard to empower people, women specifically, and that is a part of our brand. We want our consultants to be a good fit for us, but at the same time, maintain the individuality that makes them who they are as a person. You are the personal brand that will make the connections with the customers and we provide the products.  

If you’re interested in learning more about working with us, check out our website. We regularly hold meet and greet events where you can talk to our founder, Hanieh Sigari and some of our consultants. You can find out about those by giving us a follow on Instagram or Facebook!