Big companies understand the importance of brands. Today, in the Age of the Individual, you have to be your own brand. Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. Here is a list of 8 laws that should help you will create an effective – and lucrative – personal brand:
1. Specialisation: A great personal brand must be precise, concentrated on a single core strength, talent or achievement.
2. Leadership: Endowing a personal brand with authority and credibility demands that the source be perceived as a leader by people in his/her domain or sphere of influence.
3. Personality: A great personal brand must be built on a foundation of the source’s true personality, flaws and all.
4. Distinctiveness: An effective personal brand needs to be expressed in a way that is different from the competition.
5. Visibility: To be successful, a personal brand must be seen over and over again, until it imprints itself on the consciousness of its domain or sphere of influence.
6. Unity: The private person behind a personal brand must adhere to the moral and behavioural code set down by that brand. Private conduct must mirror the public brand.
7. Persistence: Any personal brand takes time to grow, and while you can accelerate the process, you can’t replace it with advertising or public relations.
8. Goodwill: A personal brand will produce better results and endure longer if the person behind it is perceived in a positive way.