Knowing who you are and the value you bring to the marketplace is what personal branding is all about. It enables you to be relevant, agile and adaptable in an ever-changing world where everyone is trying to get ahead. Just like investing time and money in advanced degrees, specialized certifications and executive coaching, creating an intentional personal brand is a wise and prudent part of self-development and taking your career as a learning and development (L&D) professional to the next level.
Your personal brand is the “secret sauce” that ensures that your target audience knows who you are, what you stand for, and for L&D professionals acting as consultants, why they should choose you over a competitor. Personal branding is not only about marketing, but it’s also about learning how to market yourself. But very simply, “a brand is a promise” that carries a unique identity and the story that your customers (the people you are hoping to attract) and the folks in your network will remember when they think about your company or your products and services. Brand identities shape people’s perceptions, and there are even psychology-based reasons why creating a unique brand identity is one of the smartest investments you can make. When you take the time to gain clarity on what your brand promises, it is more likely to command respect from peers and legitimate trust from your learners.
Why Personal Branding Is Worth the Investment
1. Standing out in the crowd: A well-developed personal brand give you a strong competitive edge and illuminates your brand as unique and original. Strategic branding helps shape people’s perceptions of you and what you do after you’ve left the room. Once people perceive value in your brand, it will ensure referrals, new opportunities and network expansion. Start by identifying the strongest and most pertinent aspects of the who, what and why of your personal brand. These prompts will not only help you hone your elevator pitch, but also will lead you to the how and the when of your strategy. Start by identifying the following:
- What are your core values?
- What is your personality?
- What is your expertise?
- What is your story?
- What is your WHY?
While there are millions of ways to execute the how and when of marketing your personal brand, think of the who, what and why as the essential cornerstones (i.e., the simple language people use to describe your brand promise) that support your brand’s foundation. Without this visionary branding blueprint, there is no brand or strategy to help you create customer preference in an overly saturated marketplace.
2. Leveraging your network to grow your reach. Elevating your brand presence can be a huge asset when it comes to connecting with two target audiences: The first one reflects your typical client archetype. The second one is an audience that is not being monetized in any way, the people in your industry. The more people who are aware of your personal brand as well as how you add value, the more visible you’ll become in terms of your target audiences. And there’s a ripple effect as your network will share your content with their own audiences and extend your reach to people you couldn’t have targeted otherwise.
3. Playing bigger: A well-defined personal brand helps you expand your reach in other ways by leading seekers to your unique message. If you have a website advertising your learning services, being intentional about search engine optimization (SEO) the process of making your site pop up first when people type in a Google search will help you to define your content pillars, the topics your brand is passionate about, while also humanizing the credibility you bring to the marketplace.
4. Creating a plan for growth: Strategic personal branding is essential because it requires that you capitalize on the impact you have on others (the gifts you bring to the world), your reputation (how others perceive you) and your legacy (how you add lasting value). When you integrate the goals for your business, or the business you work for, with your personal brand, you harness a powerful branding combination that can help you reach your goals faster and easier.
Ultimately, personal brand building requires both soul-searching and an internal deep dive into your who, what and why as well as becoming intentional about the unique differentiators that blend your skill set, personality and career goals, all of which solidify the blueprint of you. Personal branding is the essential golden ticket to networking with the right people, attracting the ideal clients and proving your value as a L&D professional.
