We’ve all been told over and over again about how we should be building personal brands online and via social media, but many of us have dragged our feet, preferring to stay focused on our work, hoping people will notice and recognize our expertise. In this exclusive interview with personal branding coach and growth strategist Kasey Jones, she shares why now is the ideal time, even if you tend to be aggressively humble, to invest in building an authentic personal brand that can help you develop your career and grow your business.
- Now is an ideal time for personal reflection
Perhaps the most important step in building an authentic personal brand is doing the work to define what you want to be known for and the kind of impact you want to have on your industry and community. Given the challenges we’re all facing during this global pandemic, it’s likely that you have spent more time considering the kind of life you want to lead.
If you can, go deeper and create a vision for the kind of role you want to have in your community. Use this work to direct your personal branding efforts and ensure the image you present is one that is aligned with your values and dreams of your future.
- Time to Invest in your personal growth
Many of the founders and leaders I work with at first resist investing in their personal brand because they feel like they need to brag online which makes them uncomfortable. But some of the best personal branding content you can create is to share what you’re learning or how you’re growing, so investing in your own personal growth can give you ample opportunity to engage your audience so you can evolve together.
Because most digital content providers are offering steep discounts or free versions of their work right now, you can invest in that growth and share your journey without breaking the bank. If there’s a book you’ve wanted to read, a course to take, or a skill to hone, now is a fantastic opportunity to develop as a person and professional and then share the experiences, lessons, and insights you’re learning.
- People are consuming more digital content
Right now, because much of the world is still facing at least partial shelter-in-place orders, people have a little more time on their hands. As a result, audiences are consuming more content and are more engaged across all platforms. This means that now more than ever, you have a greater chance at building a personal brand with genuine impact by cultivating a following, making connections, and growing your influence.
The key is to understand your target audience. Think through where they source the best content and the formats they prefer. Then work to produce content that not only satisfies their desire to learn but also matches the style that works best for them. If you’re unsure of how to do this, study the influencers in your industry and research the kinds of content they produce. You’ll quickly gain a sense of what types of information perform best for your audience.
- Tons more digital content is being created
Because people are consuming more content, digital creators are making more of it, which means you’ve got a great opportunity to reach out to influencers in your industry and pitch ideas for co-marketing initiatives and digital collaborations. One of the most effective ways to grow your personal brand is to partner with other thought leaders in your space and build trust with their audience.
Do your research to find ideal partners, then craft customized emails pitching them on why a collaboration would benefit them and their audience. Make sure to follow up at least once and in no time, you’ll land podcast interviews, joint webinars, and guest posts.
- Building a personal brand is less expensive than ever
Gone are the days when you needed to invest in a fancy camera to become a youtube star or a complicated sound system to start a podcast. Not only is the equipment vastly more affordable — and probably fits in the palm of your hand — but the courses, training, and education to learn the many tricks of the trade are also much more easily accessible than they used to be. Plus, since we’re all working from home, your audience is more likely to understand why you’ve got a casual recording set up for videos or photos.
Once you have a better understanding of the kinds of content you want to create or the communities you want to reach, do a self-assessment to evaluate what expertise you need to hone. Then do some research to uncover the resources that can help you level-up your skills and build a personal brand you’re proud of. There are free online courses that teach you almost anything and even free communities like Our Galaxy where you can join a group of other professionals working to become industry thought leaders and learn together.
Kasey Jones, founder of A Better Jones Coaching and the Our Galaxy thought leadership community, is a personal branding coach and growth strategist who helps aggressively humble entrepreneurs accelerate their personal and professional development to become thought leaders in their industry. Follow her work on all social media channels @abetterjones
Company name: A Better Jones
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Website URL : https://www.ourgalaxy.co/
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