Quick Personal Branding tips that leaders suggest - and how I help
Before the social media became a vital part of our lives, a professional’s sphere of influence was limited to the people we knew in person and who we had opportunity to talk to. Unless you were a public figure, it was unlikely to reach to new people.
Today, a finely tuned personal branding with a much larger audience is possible - even needed.
Personal branding has a very basic and famous description: “What people say about you when you are not in the room...” I think this description is not valid anymore because last 2 years we are rarely in the same room with someone. So how to make the definition a bit differently and up to date? How about this one that I will try to compose:
“Personal Branding is what people think of you, and what social media images that they remember of when think about you”
I will try to share my thoughts (as a former manager in a global corporate in my past career) how I think you can grow your influence. After every bullet point I will add a sentence how I can help you as a professional photographer.
Speak publicly.
To become someone that people consider as a credible resource you need to exist in public speaking engagements. It can be addressing to your organization, or a briefing to your customers.
You can have professional photos of your public speaking activities. This will help showing such activities to your followers on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook or Instagram.
Google yourself.
Happy with the results?
Your clients, potential customers, potential employers find those photos when they look you up online. Google yourself and think about what to keep and what to replace. Maybe you need to get rid of bunch of unnecessary and misleading photos and get new ones.
In Personal Branding, I create an overall social media makeover. When you have the photos from me and share them online in the right platforms that I can suggest about, your online presence will give the right message to your audience.
Embrace your Dysfunctions.
Be open to share your not so perfect side. Don’t be share -occasionally- some of your failures, lessons learned and how you claimed most of your victories. This helps build trust. As humans we empathy with other people that have the same experience and dysfunctions as ourselves.
In Personal Branding your photos and templates share a story. A stort that has roadbumps, battle scars and how you got over it! In my social media management approach, it is not only photos but also messages and templates will help you coming closer with your audience.
Your brand = Your company’s brand = Your brand.
M. O’Connor from Career Pro Inc. says “Instead of just looking at shiny ideas outside of work, find ways to align your personal brand with your organization.”
That makes sense to me. Someone who is aligning their brand with the company looks more reliable from a career perspective. I have worked with global leaders and they were all reflection of their companies. When they changed the company, their personal brand was also re-calibrated.
In Personal Branding, I offer corporate photoshoots. This helps you to align with your company and helps the companies to offer their employees a photoshoot day in their office so everyone will have the same identity - the company’s identity. It is also a fun day in the office!
What you do, be the Number 1. Or at least try.
For people to be influenced by you, you should be expectional. Someone standing out from the crowd. Someone that looks, functions, speaks and leads differently.
Think about one skill that you have and focus on it, get better in it and show it. For me it was the photography so I stepped out to be the best one and I am striving to be it every day.
What’s yours?
In Personal Branding I can help showing this to your audience. A tailor-cut plan to create your visual identity also includes showing the best of you.