One-a-day steps to get your personal brand into fighting shape.
Take small, consistent steps each day to build and refine your personal brand and professional network.
Monday: Google Yourself
It takes about three seconds, yet only 56 percent of us have done it, according to the Pew Research Center. Would a prospective employer get the right impression of you by looking at the first page or two of results, or did you find content that doesn’t represent your brand very well? “The good news is that if you create great content on the Web, you can influence what the world sees about you,” says David Meerman Scott. Blogging on LinkedIn is particularly useful.
Tuesday: Give Yourself A LinkedIn Makeover
Include your headshot and:
- A nonchronological work history. Think of your profile as a portfolio, not a résumé, says Nicole Williams, LinkedIn’s career expert.
- A three-phrase headline: your job or industry, then the value you bring.
- A two-paragraph summary of who you are professionally and how you got there.
- The logos of companies you’ve done business with.
Wednesday: Make Your Brand Consistent
Don’t be known as “J. Smith” on one platform and “Smith, Jennifer” on another, says Karen Kang, CEO of BrandingPays. Choose a signature hue; color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent. See what shade expresses your brand best here. Then, apply your chosen shade to your website, make it your Twitter theme color, inject it into your email signature, and put it on your stationery.
Thursday: Align with Other Strong Brands
Connect with people and institutions that are well respected to show others that you’re a high-quality professional. “Start with the three c’s: company, college, colleagues,” says Shama Hyder, CEO of the Marketing Zen Group. Your shared experience with fellow alumni is a great starting point for building relationships. “Contribute to an alumni newsletter or submit a guest post to the company blog,” Hyder says.
Friday: Build Your Network
Create a list of people to reach out to—fellow professionals you admire potential clients. Now, commit to meeting them in person. You might decide to dedicate an hour a week to networking. Or, each week, invite a colleague in a different department to lunch. Over the course of a year, you’ll build relationships with 50 new people, giving you a broad-based perspective and helpful connections.
Saturday: Keep Refining
Find the niche within your profession that you can own. Think about where there are gaps or where you can offer a unique point of view. “You have to differentiate yourself in a way that’s meaningful to your audience,” says Kang. It’s great to be an attorney, but it’s even better if you can become the go-to person for nanotechnology start-ups. Or perhaps you’re a health coach who differentiates herself through an emphasis on traditional practices.
Sunday: Renew And Develop Yourself
Your personal brand is never a final product. Decide today how you’d like to grow, and take a half hour to work toward your goal. You won’t reinvent yourself overnight, but you can make steady progress if you commit to small, regular doses of self-improvement.
Building a strong personal brand takes time and effort, but following these simple weekly steps will help you craft and nurture a professional image that accurately conveys your talents, values, and goals. With consistency and focus, you can establish yourself as a leader in your field.
This story first appeared on More.com. Nadia Quinn is an actor, singer, writer and producer who can often be found being weird in public places. Follow her brand on Twitter @nadiaquinn.
