How to create a personal brand you're proud of

It's always a good time to work on yourself.

And I don't mean working on your fitness routine or giving you a new hairstyle. I'm talking about going all out to cultivate a personal brand you're proud of.

What is a personal brand?

A personal brand is how you choose to promote yourself. This is how you want to share your skills, personality, and experience with the world. A personal brand is about the visibility and values ​​that you represent outwardly in hopes of influencing public perception and having an impact.

Having a personal brand has several purposes, one being to advance your career by positioning yourself as an expert in a specific industry. By creating a personal brand, you can grow your following on social media, sell more products or services, and open the door to career opportunities. Moreover, you can use website builder software to make your personal website stand out from the crowd.

It's important to know that building a strong personal brand doesn't happen overnight. But it's important that you stay committed to creating one.

Why is it important to have a personal brand?

Having a unique brand can be important to you, both personally and professionally. Because your brand is how you present yourself to current and potential customers, you can make sure they see you the way you want them to, instead of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.

You can highlight your strengths, passions, and weaknesses so people can really get to know you, even if they've never met you in person. Besides helping you stand out, there are many benefits to having your own personal brand. Below are a few reasons why you should consider creating one.

Establish trust and authority

When people feel like they know you and understand your values, they are likely to trust you. A personal brand can lead to more career advancements and business opportunities. It's also how you can show that you have authority in a particular area or industry.

Build a network

A personal brand should clearly state who you are, what you do, and how you can help others. This lets those in a similar space see the value in connecting with you. Having effective branding to leverage and help you grow your network, both online and offline, can go a long way.

Attract more customers

You'll attract more people to your target market when you create a successful personal brand that you're not only proud of, but that positions you as the go-to expert in a specific niche, field, or industry. Then these people will hopefully become your ideal customers. And when you're the expert, those customers will likely recommend you to new customers, too.

Own your story

If you don't invest time and energy (and sometimes money!) in building an online brand for yourself, you're leaving yourself open to others doing them even assumptions about you. Define your brand and what makes you unique so you can influence how people perceive you and what you stand for, instead of someone else doing it for you.

Get featured in the media

If you find it difficult to pitch your business or ideas to online publications or podcasts, having a personal brand can make it easier for you. Some specific media outlets are always looking for the next big thing, a thought leader, or a specialized expert, and a strong brand and online presence makes it easy for media to find you so you can share information with their audience.

How to build a personal brand

When building a personal branding strategy from scratch, there are specific tactics you need to follow throughout the process. While ultimately how you build your brand will be unique to you and what you have to offer, there are still some basic steps you can take along the way.

1. Start with a solid base

The first step to creating a strong personal brand is to establish a solid foundation that you can build on over time. It is important to stay true to your authentic self. Instead of creating a fake persona as a facade, the foundation of your personal brand should be a true reflection of who you are.

Branding is not about positioning yourself as someone or something you are not, but about showing what makes you unique to your audience and potential customers.

To start here, take stock of the basics you already have. This includes things like:

Skills and credentials: What talents have you acquired throughout your life? What awards have you received or training have you...