… it’s the new buzzword in business, but what does it actually mean?
A new phrase has been circulating fiercely through our business circles for the last couple of years – but what really is personal branding, and how am I incorporating this new trend into my work as a graphic designer and brand identity specialist?
Let’s start at the beginning. What is personal branding?
Put simply, personal branding is how you promote yourself to the world. It’s how you tell your own story; how you show off your unique skills and personality to the people who should be buying into you.
Aaron Orendorff, the editor in chief at Spotify Plus, was quoted as describing personal branding as “the story people tell about you when you’re not in the room.” I think that’s a brilliant way of summing up the concept, and I’m sure it’ll give you plenty of food for thought, too.
What are your colleagues and clients saying about you when you’re not there? And are their opinions in line with the image you’re trying to portray of yourself?
Why is it important?
Business leaders are increasingly using their own personal branding to differentiate themselves from their peers and competitors. These switched-on individuals are keen to make sure they make the right impression on other people, and to do so, they are maintaining complete control of their marketing assets (which could be everything from their business cards to their social media profiles).
They’re not leaving anything to chance. They’re actively choosing how they come across to their current and potential clients, not waiting for these people to form their own opinions of them.
And they’re doing this by sharing well-considered content with their audience, using professional headshots, and, crucially, creating visuals that are a true reflection of themselves and their ambitions.
So, how can I help you develop your personal brand?
In the same way that I can help businesses come up with a beautiful, professional and unforgettable brand, I can help entrepreneurs discover exactly what makes them stand out from their peers, then help them communicate their unique traits through their online and offline marketing assets.
The brand development process is essentially the same as it is for my corporate clients. When you first contact me, I’ll sit down with you to discuss what you want to achieve from your personal branding exercise. Together, we’ll explore your values, your main drivers, and your career history to date. We’ll talk about why your personal image matters to you, and discuss the way in which you want to present yourself to your customers and your industry. Then, finally, we’ll settle on how you’re going to start crafting a stronger brand for yourself, and the assets that you’re going to need in order to make a positive impact on the people who matter to you.
The kinds of visuals you need will vary depending on your goals. Typically, though, I can help you develop fully branded:
- Business cards
- Leaflets, flyers and brochures
- Websites and microsites
- Banners and graphics for your social media profiles
- Images for your social media posts
- Infographics for your blogs and articles
- Covers and illustrations for books, whitepapers and other resources
I can even create a bespoke logo for you if you’re serious about standing out. And I can of course enlist the help of my trusty content writers, photographers and videographers if you want to put together a bank of branded materials for your own website and social channels.