Let me take you to tins of sardines sitting on the supermarket shelf. Even though many brands have found their places on supermarket shelves, Ayam brand still tops it all.
There was a time where every household had a tin or two of the Ayam brand sardines in the cupboard as “backup dish” for rainy days.
It has a reputation of being a trusted alternative food item when fresh food is not available. That was the image that carried this brand through generations in Malaysia.
Similarly, this philosophy also applies to personal branding. Personal branding is an exercise to make you stand out, especially among high value professionals and experts.
However, for this to happen, you need to reflect on your existing image to determine what you can do to build the brand you want.
For instance, some of the personal brands include being up to date and knowledgeable in your field of expertise, being trustworthy (whether to standby what you say or be dependable) and to be efficient.
In addition to this, there are some corporate people even brand themselves as one of the most connected people in the industry. Clients are also likely to select them because of their network of contacts.
At a personal branding workshop conducted by D Jungle People for a local bank, the participants suggested that: “Personal brands need to be built on a foundation of values and principles.” They added that the idea of having a brand is to stand out from other people.
And rightly so as whatever brand you choose for yourselves it has to be founded on values and principles.
One of the more popular brands that experts pick is to be an authority in their field of expertise. To speak up and be visible or heard whenever there is new development in his field.
But whichever brand you choose you have to be genuinely good at what you do. Because the brand that makes you can also break you if you are found to be an empty vessel.
Being vocal through blogs, email advertising, social media and public speaking are some ways one can build a personal brand.
But research has shown that the most effective way to brand oneself is to publish a book or write articles. All these lead towards Search Engine Optimisation.
If you are not a writer then work with one who can write clear and concise statement. And to be able to translate technical terms for the understanding of the layman.
There are many more steps towards this exercise. You would need the help of a consultant and a strategy to chart a clear path.
Professionals with strong personal brands do not only have greater chances of being picked by the clients or being able to command a higher fee, the companies they work for or employers will also benefit from the effect.
