What can you do to keep your personal brand alive and well in 2012? Simple: it needs to continue to grow. Humans are attracted to motion, growth, and change—and the world of business is no exception. An appealing personal brand is always developing. Like a good book, it holds the attention of its audience.

But for many business owners, the challenge is determining how to keep their brand interesting. They know that growth is important, but in which direction should it grow?

The key is thinking outside the box as you come up with interesting yet valuable new ideas for your audience. Below are some ideas to get your wheels turning:

1) Launch an industry-focused blog. Blogging is a fantastic way to build stronger relationships with your audience while increasing your expert credibility. A blog allows you to mix a bit of personality in with your business persona—giving your audience a chance to get to know you better.

2) Offer a new product or service. This requires a bit more time and planning, but the launching of a new product or service is a great idea—even if your customers are already happy with your current offerings. The launch of new products and services creates the perception of motion, change, and advancement. It positions you on the cutting edge of your industry.

3) Write a book. Very few initiatives will change your perception within your market as rapidly as authoring and publishing a book! As soon as you add the word “author” to your biography, your credibility skyrockets. You are no longer “just” a real estate broker or a financial advisor—you’re now an expert in your field.

The key to building a compelling brand over the long term is to keep it interesting. Yes, consistency is very important—so it’s critical that your new adventures don’t contradict the brand you have build in the past. But consistency alone won’t establish you as a leading celebrity expert within your market—so don’t get complacent! If you’d like to learn more, or if you are ready to take your personal brand to the next level, get in touch with us today!

Personal branding is great—but at the end of the day, nobody gets in to business because they want to establish themselves as a celebrity expert, or become memorable, or anything else along those lines.

The vast majority of business owners are in business for one simple reason: to make money!
And therefore, for personal branding to be a valuable pursuit, it must result in increased income.
Good news: it does. We wouldn’t be in business if it didn’t. Personal branding, properly integrated into your marketing plan, will result in more sales, better client retention, and ultimately, more income.

How can you effectively leverage your personal brand into your “big picture” marketing plan? Below are three steps:

1) Integrate your mass-media exposure into your direct marketing channels. At the Celebrity Branding Agency, one of the services we provide to our clients is helping them get exposure on TV and through major newspapers and magazines. But as you probably realize, appearing on a local TV affiliate may be great for your credibility, but it typically won’t result in a flood of phone calls—because only a tiny, tiny percentage of the TV audience are target customers. However, when you ARE marketing to your target customers (through your website, direct mailers, or whatever channel you may be using), incorporating your TV exposure into your pitch sends your credibility through the roof and gives you a much better chance to close the deal.

2) Tie your personal brand in to your website. Many websites these days have a “generic” feel to them. They may look great and have great content—but they often feel anonymous. This is a real problem, because one of the primary challenges of selling online is overcoming the cynicism that many online shoppers have developed. Incorporating your personal brand into your website gives it a personal appeal and makes your visitors much more likely to trust you and your business.

3) Create “raving fans” of your brand. Chances are, you know someone who is a devoted fan of Apple products. They own an iPad, an iPhone, and iMac—you name it, if it’s Apple, they own it. And they can’t stop talking about it! This is an extreme example of a raving fan—and it’s impossible to overstate the value of creating such fans of your brand. Raving fans generate authentic word of mouth referrals—and as a business owner, you know how valuable those are! If you can tie exceptional customer service and “WOW” moments into your brand, you’ll see your word of mouth referrals skyrocket.

At the end of the day, the key to bringing in more business and locking out the competition is to create a powerful and distinct personal brand for yourself—and then to leverage it effectively throughout your marketing presence. To learn more about creating and leveraging a powerful personal brand, please get in touch with us today!

You have heard us talk often in this space about the value of speaking when it comes to establishing credibility and expertise. Because of the fear most people have of public speaking, the simple fact that you are willing and able to give speeches on your industry establishes you as an expert in the minds of many people. However, speaking can be very intimidating… so below are three tips to help you overcome anxiety and give great speeches:

1) Thoroughly prepare your presentation / speech. The best antidote to nervousness is impeccable preparation. Don’t procrastinate—make sure that you have all of your content organized well in advance. This includes any slide shows, illustrations, or other visuals. Tailor your content to your audience and make sure that you’re confident in every element of the presentation.

2) Write a great introduction. Devote time to coming up with a great “hook” for your speech. You will be able to sense that you’ve drawn your audience in—and you’ll feel relaxed and totally in control. If you’re not sure how to begin, think about a statement that sums up a problem facing most members of your audience. If you’re speaking to retail store owners, a stat about employee theft will likely catch everyone’s attention!

3) Adjust your expectations. Much of the anxiety felt before a speaking event stems from a fear of mistakes. But here’s the thing: even the best speakers in the world make mistakes. Therefore, it’s inevitable that you will too. Whether it’s mispronouncing a word, losing your place in your notes, or losing your train of thought… you are going to make mistakes. When you realize and accept this fact, much of the pressure goes away. Don’t aim for perfection—just get up there and deliver valuable content to your audience.

You are an expert in your line of work. There is no reason that you can’t find opportunities to speak—whether it’s in an industry conference, a trade association, or other event. Speaking gives your personal brand a massive credibility boost—so don’t let your nerves hold you back. Contact us today to learn more!

While the concept of personal branding has become more mainstream in recent years, there are still many Americans who don’t understand what it means. As a result, there are a number of myths and flat-out falsehoods that are commonly circulated. In the interest of clearing up common misconceptions and making sure that businesses and individuals recognize the value that a strong personal brand can provide, today we are going to get to the bottom of four particularly common myths:

1) Personal branding is only for extroverts. This idea is very prevalent, and understandably so. Personal branding is all about shaping public image—so for an individual who does not enjoy the spotlight, personal branding may sound incredibly stressful. The important thing to remember, however, is that there are many channels for building a personal brand. While some focus on public speaking and TV appearances, others strategies such as publishing a book, writing a blog, and focusing on face-to-face relationships.

2) Personal branding is too expensive for a small business. Sure, investing big money into personal branding will lead to greater returns—but there are plenty of strategies for business owners with no room in their marketing budget. Take a look at my blogs and articles—you’ll find plenty of great, cost effective strategies.

3) “I don’t need a personal brand.” This line of thought is misguided—because like it or not, everyone has a personal brand. What do people think of when they think about you? Are you boring? Funny? Knowledgeable? That’s your brand. I don’t help my clients to create personal brands out of thin air—I help them define and shape their brands for maximum profitability.

4) Personal branding doesn’t generate results. A strong personal brand, properly leveraged, can completely revolutionize any business owner’s marketing systems. A strong brand differentiates the individual from the competition—and allows them to stop competing on the basis of price. Make sure to leverage your brand effectively with direct marketing—and you’ll see results you never through possible.

If you’d like more information about personal branding, feel free to get in touch with me today (http://www.jwdicks.com/contact)!

Personal branding is a unique form of marketing for many reasons—including the reality that, to create an effective brand, the individual must commit to truly living his or her brand. It doesn’t do you any good to halfheartedly commit to personal branding—because your brand must be consistently reinforced whenever you interact with your customers and your market.

At first glance, this may sound like a lot of work. And it can be a lot of work… if you fail to create a brand that reflects your personality and your values. On the other hand, if your brand is true to your personality and your values, you simply have to be yourself. I’ll give you an example—I enjoy fishing. If you’ve read my bio on my website, you know this. If you’re my client, you probably know this. If you’re my friend, you definitely know this. And while my love for fishing may seem to be a rather small part of my personal brand, it’s significant. And because it’s part of my brand, it is important that I live it out. Now… do you think it’s difficult for an avid fisherman to bring up fishing from time to time? It’s not—reinforcing this portion of my personal brand is easy and fun, because it’s a true representation of my personality and my values.

What do you value? Are you a passionate moviegoer? A devoted sports fan? Dedicated to social justice or charity work? Committed to your family, your friends, your community? Who are you—and what do you stand for? Those values should be built in to your personal brand—in fact, those values and interests, combined with your professional expertise, should be the core of your personal brand.

When your personal brand accurately reflects your passions, interests, and values, it becomes easy to live out. And when you are able to commit to living out your brand, it becomes believable and powerful. As you seek to build your personal brand, start by making sure that the brand you build is consistent with your personality and your values. Once you’ve done this, you’re well on your way to creating a compelling and effective brand!

For a business owner who has begun to develop his or her personal brand, with moderate success, there often comes a point at which they think “what’s next?” Typically, a personal brand is built in steps—first may be entering the world of social media, or simply focusing more on building relationships with clients and prospects. If you are in that situation, looking for strategies to take your brand to the next level, this article is for you. Below are four steps to help you create a dominant personal brand:

1) Write and publish a book. These days, it is hard to be considered an expert without writing a book. Conversely, being able to add “author” to your credentials provides an injection of credibility—even if few people read your book! Publishing a book discussing your industry and highlighting your expertise immediately takes your personal brand to a new height. And while the process of writing a book and having it published may seem daunting, it can actually be a simple process—enjoyable, even! If you’re interested, contact me and I’ll help you get started!

2) Seek out speaking opportunities. To further enhance your credibility and gain additional exposure, look for opportunities to speak on topics relating to your industry. Whether it is trade associations, conferences, or networking events, take as many opportunities to speak as you can. I understand that public speaking may seem intimidating—but trust me, after you’ve done it once or twice, you’ll start to enjoy it.

3) Appear on TV & radio broadcasts. Nothing screams “expert” like appearing on TV and the radio! And while you can’t simply walk to your local media outlet and ask them to let you on the air, it’s not as difficult as you may think to appear on these platforms. I’d be glad to tell you more about this process. Not only is a TV or radio appearance a great credibility booster—but it also introduces you to a large audience that likely has never heard of you. It’s a win-win situation!

4) Create a comprehensive internet presence that establishes your credibility. These days, most people who are looking for professional service conduct a Google search before doing anything else. If a prospective client searches for your name on Google, what will they find? Will they find a professional website with plenty of valuable content? Will they find a confusing mess of information and an unprofessional site? Will they find nothing at all? If you don’t have a great website, it may not matter how well-established you are as an expert in your field. Don’t take that chance—make sure that you have an internet presence that reflects your expertise!

These four steps, if properly executed, can help you create a personal brand that allows you to dominate your market. However, remember to stay consistent and true to the core of your brand. If you’d like help planning and executing any of these strategies, contact me today! (http://www.jwdicks.com/contact)

As technology rapidly develops, video platforms such as YouTube have exploded in popularity. But if you are serious about building your personal brand, YouTube needs to be more than simply a source of entertainment in your spare time. As a business owner, YouTube offers an invaluable channel by which you can enhance and broadcast your personal brand. Considering the affordability of recording equipment, there is no reason you and your business should not be active on YouTube. Below are three reasons why you need a YouTube presence:

1) Face-to-face communication establishes trust. It’s one thing for a prospective client to read the content of your website or of articles you have written—it’s quite another for them to be able to sit back and watch and listen as you speak to them. Video is the next best thing to face-to-face conversation—and if you aren’t utilizing it to reach customers and prospects, you are missing out on a prime opportunity to build trust and establish a strong relationship.

2) Video allows you to express your personality in a way no other medium can. Writing is great, for many reasons—but it limits the ease with which you can communicate to your audience. With video, every facial expression and every inflection of your voice is captured. You can vary the speed and volume with which you speak. You can get your audience excited. Video allows you to communicate the essence of your personal brand in a way that no other form of media can.

3) YouTube is a great way to bring potential customers into your marketing funnel. YouTube is rapidly becoming a search engine in its own right—many people utilize the site to search for tips, advice, and information. If you provide valuable content, you can bet that potential clients will be intrigued—and in many cases, they’ll visit your website or even give you a call.

It’s simple: if you are serious about your personal brand, you need to have a presence on YouTube. Don’t put it off—get started today!

In my last article, we began examining the critical elements that make up a successful branding campaign. While no two branding campaigns are exactly the same, the reality is that virtually no branding campaign will succeed if it is lacking in any of these elements. Previously, we discussed the first three components: a branding campaign must boost credibility, increase visibility, and have a strong appeal to the selected target market. Today we are going to discuss the final three elements that must be present in a personal branding campaign if it is to be successful:

A strong personal branding campaign must brand the individual as an expert in his or her industry. Think about the last time you had to choose a doctor, a tax accountant, a lawyer, a financial advisor, or some other service provider. If your choice was between three average professionals and one recognized expert, which would you choose? For most people, the answer is obvious—whenever possible, we prefer to do business with experts. Your personal branding campaign must brand YOU as a recognized expert in your industry. Consider the legendary small business consultant Michael Gerber, the author of E-Myth. He didn’t settle for writing a bestseller—he parlayed that success into a personal branding blitz that includes radio shows, television appearances, speaking gigs, and much more. He is an unquestioned expert in his field—largely because he has been proactive in branding himself that way. For many business owners, the world of social media is a fantastic place to begin branding yourself as an expert—in fact, recent statistics show that out of every six minutes spent online, one of them is spent on a social network. It’s a rapidly growing audience—get your message out there!

An engaging personal branding campaign incorporates personality. There is more to personal branding than making an individual into a highly visible and credible expert. In addition, it is important to create a memorable brand. It doesn’t do much good to be considered an expert if everyone you meet forgets about you the very next day, does it? To address this challenge, a well-crafted personal branding campaign incorporates the individual’s personality into the brand that is being built. This can be done by focusing on your hobbies, your favorite sports teams, or your sense of humor, to name a few. The idea is to let your audience get to know your personality as well as your business acumen—so that you remain in the forefront of their mind long after you’ve met. A great example of this is Dallas Mavericks owner and entrepreneur Mark Cuban. There are 29 other owners in the NBA, but none with anywhere close to the name recognition as Cuban. What makes him different? He hasn’t been afraid to express his personality in the public square.

An effective personal branding campaign stays consistent. This is an area in which many branding campaigns go off track. Remember that the goal of any branding campaign is shape the way an individual, product, or company is perceived by their audience. And while the first impression you make goes a long way towards establishing your brand, it takes consistent repetition to firmly establish any brand. If you are always changing up your brand, before long you won’t stand for anything. Once you have identified the brand you are seeking to build, it’s crucial that you stay consistent. Keep hammering your message home—and before long, your audience will perceive you exactly the way you want them to!

There are plenty of tactics to choose from when it comes to creating a personal branding campaign. But whatever route you decide to take, make sure that your campaign accomplishes these six critical goals!

Personal branding is all about differentiating yourself from the competition by positioning yourself as an expert in your field. But there is another goal that must be considered, as well. Your personal brand must be memorable. It doesn’t do you much good to be considered the most skilled dentist in your town if people forget your name thirty seconds later. We’ve focused recently on building the credibility and expert status that are so important to a powerful brand—so today we are going to examine strategies by which you can ensure that your personal brand is memorable.

1) Focus your brand on a small number of attributes. In order to make your brand stand out, it is important that it is tightly focused. You can’t brand yourself as a marketing guru, a financial expert, and a great doctor all at once. Now, perhaps you are an overachiever and DO have expertise in a wide variety of fields. That’s great—but your personal brand still needs to be focused on a small number of attributes. You can’t be an expert at everything—otherwise, you end up standing for nothing. And that’s a sure way to be forgotten.

2) Highlight the value that you and your business provide to your target customers. As you are constructing your brand, make sure to highlight the values that have the greatest value to your market. As an accountant, for instance, emphasize relevant traits such as your experience and your excellent eye for details. When you give your target audience a reason to remember you, they are much more likely to do so. Everyone has needs, and by positioning yourself and your business as the best solution for those needs, you can ensure that you’ll come to mind as soon as the need arises.

3) Be a leader—not a follower. Too many business owners fall in line with the rest of their industry. As a result, every business in the industry looks the same. Whether you’re a doctor, a dentist, a CPA, or a retirement expert, don’t settle for the status quo. We’re not just talking about marketing, either—if you have an innovative idea for your products or services, pursue it. Become a leader, not a follower—and you’ll be the name that stands out in the minds of your audience.

4) Incorporate your personality. It is easy to ignore personal brands that seem artificial and contrived. Nowadays, we are extremely cynical—so it is important that your brand feels authentic. The best way to do this is to actually make it authentic! Incorporate your sense of humor, your love of sports, your hobbies, and your personal life. Make your brand feel authentic, and you don’t have to worry about being written off as just another salesman.

It is not enough to build a brand that positions you as an expert in your industry if nobody can remember your name! Is your personal brand memorable? If not, these four steps will help you fix this problem in a hurry!

This article was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1789411/keys-to-personal-branding-success-part-one

What does it take to execute a successful personal branding campaign? As you can probably guess, that answer is long and fairly complicated. However, while there are too many details to discuss in this space, there are several important concepts which are essential to any personal branding effort. Today, we are going to focus on three key elements—stay tuned later this month for part two, which will feature three more essential elements.

A successful personal branding campaign builds credibility. The idea behind our personal branding strategy is to help business owners establish themselves as celebrity experts within their market. No, we aren’t trying to make them into international superstars like Justin Bieber or Johnny Depp. We are trying to make them experts within their market. For instance, we would help a real estate agent in Atlanta become THE sought-after, well-known real estate guru in that market. The first step in accomplishing this goal is to build credibility for the business owner—and there are many ways to accomplish this. We encourage (and help) our clients to write and publish a book. We help our clients appear on local TV broadcasts, and we help them publish work in such prestigious newspapers as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. We encourage our clients to speak publically on topics related to their areas of expertise. Establishing credibility is a critical first step in building a strong and dynamic personal brand.

A successful personal branding campaign boosts visibility. The strongest personal brand in the world won’t do you any good if nobody sees you. It’s not enough to position yourself as a celebrity expert—you need to develop an audience! We help our clients accomplish this through a variety of media channels, as mentioned above. We also help them to build a dynamic website—and to attract targeted traffic. We teach our clients effective social media strategies and help them to build relationships with target customers within their market.

A successful personal branding campaign has a strong appeal to your target market. If your personal brand is going to lead to business growth (and really, why else would you be interested in branding?), it’s essential that it is finely tuned to appeal to your market. Your brand should reflect your personality and your skill set, but everything should be filtered through the question “does this appeal to my target customers?” What qualities do your customers value? Is it a sense of humor? Is it a non-stop, relentless work ethic? Is it your ability to take complicated issues and turn them into black and white, common sense terms that make sense? Tailor your personal brand to attract your target customers, and bringing in new business will be easier than ever before.

As discussed above, there are many elements that go into a successful branding campaign. But every strong branding campaign will boost credibility, increase visibility, and appeals to its target market. Stay tuned later this month for more keys to creating personal branding campaigns that really work.

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1786381/time-for-a-checkup-is-your-personal-brand-healthy

How strong is your personal brand? Today, rather than sharing tips to build a stronger brand, we are going to turn the focus onto the current state of your personal brand. Below are several questions for you to answer. Be honest—and remember, even the strongest personal brands usually have room for improvement.

1) Are you staying consistent? Consistency is one of the most important elements of building a strong brand. You need to be consistently interacting with your audience, and you need to be doing so in a consistent manner. You shouldn’t be Mr. Amateur Comedian one week, and the next week present yourself of Mr. All Business. Are you consistent?

2) Is your brand focused? Similar to point number one above, it is essential that your brand stays focused on the core of your brand. You can’t be everything to everyone, so don’t try. If you’re a forensic accounting expert, don’t branch off and spend time talking about how to beat the stock market. Are you sticking to the core of your brand?

3) Is your brand relevant? Take a moment and consider you target customers. Does your brand appeal to them? How does your brand identity compare with others who are successful in your market? It’s good to think outside the box—but not so far that you are no longer relevant to your customers. Does your brand appeal to your target market?

4) Is your brand actively evolving? Too many business owners have created a static personal brand. It never changes, never evolves, never moves. And that’s just not appealing. Your audience is attracted to authenticity, and that includes growth. Is your personal brand evolving?

5) Is your personal brand engaging? Does your audience find you appealing? Do they want to follow you Twitter in order to hear what you’re up to? Do they want to attend your speeches and read your book?

Now that you’ve answered these questions, how did you do? If your answer to each question was an emphatic “YES”, good for you. And if not, you know what you need to do to create a stronger personal brand. Good luck, and feel free to get in touch with me (http://www.jwdicks.com/contact) for further information!

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1782941/personal-branding-secrets-dont-go-with-the-flow

The goal of every personal branding campaign is to help the individual stand out amidst the competition. If you are a financial advisor, we want to help you become the premier financial advisor in your market—the go-to guru. If you are a dentist, we want you to become a local celebrity—the clear choice for any patient who wants the best treatment. So how do we accomplish this? A personal branding campaign has many elements, of course, but they are all focused on helping business owners stand out. In other words, we don’t want you to go with the flow. Below are several tips to help you stand out from the competition:

1) Make your personality part of your personal brand. There are plenty of competitors that offer similar products or services to yours. But none of them, not one single person, has your personality. So harness it! Make your personality a visible part of your brand—whether that means showcasing your sarcastic sense of humor or your impressive attention to detail. Your blog and your social media accounts are great platforms for this type of expression—and of course, in face-to-face conversations you should do your best to express your personality to everyone you meet.

2) Don’t hide your hobbies. When I tell clients to make their hobbies part of their brand, I often hear things like “but why would anyone care that I collect coins?” And yes, they are right—a potential customer is unlikely to become a client solely because of your hobby. But that isn’t the point—the point is that by sharing your hobbies, you give prospects an extra bit of information about yourself. And every bit of differentiation you can provide makes it easier for you to stand out in the minds of your prospects and customers. The point of sharing your hobbies isn’t directly to attract more business—the point is to make you and your business memorable for everyone you come into contact with. Ultimately, that memorability will lead to more business!

3) Don’t be afraid to stir the pot. Many business owners are so afraid of making a mistake when it comes to branding and marketing that they end up with a vanilla brand that looks just like everyone else’s. And while it is generally important not to offend anybody, don’t be afraid to push the envelope. If you can perform a service better than anyone else in your market, say so! If you have ideas that may shake up your industry, don’t hold back. And if you have opinions that may raise eyebrows, share them! Just make sure that you are staying true to your values and to the brand you are trying to build.

When it comes to personal branding, standing out from the crowd is always the goal. We have covered three great ways to do this—if you would like further information or if you would like help building a strong and distinctive brand, please contact me (http://www.jwdicks.com/contact) today!

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1780828/personal-branding-secrets-lessons-from-nfl-superstars

The NFL regular season has just kicked off, much to the relief of football fans everywhere who were worried about the lockout that consumed the summer. But the NFL has more to offer us than just football… in fact, we can learn valuable lessons about personal branding from some of the players. Below are three personal branding secrets we can learn from NFL superstars:

1) Social Media is a great way to bypass traditional media and connect directly with your audience. NFL stars such as Chad Ochocinco (@ochocinco), Arian Foster (@ArianFoster), and Mike Vick (@mikevick) have built tremendous followings and have used the platform to engage with their audience. Chad Ochocinco, in particular, is a prolific tweeter and is able to interact with his fans in ways that traditional media doesn’t allow.

2) It’s never too late to turn around a struggling brand. Just recently, Mike Vick signed a new contract worth $100 million dollars. Yes, this is the same Mike Vick who, only four years ago, was convicted of dog fighting and spent time in jail. He was on the verge of bankruptcy and his professional career appeared all but over. But instead of giving up, Vick took responsibility for his mistakes and set out to make things right. He has become an advocate for animal rights and a contributor to many charities. By and large, his audience has forgiven him and embraced his return to superstardom.

3) Sometimes, branding can even trump performance. Last year, Denver Bronco quarterback Tim Tebow started only one game in the NFL. Despite that, he led the league in jersey sales for 2010. That’s right—Tebow sold more jerseys than Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback who led the Green Bay Packers to the Super Bowl title. He outsold superstars such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Adrian Peterson. Why? Because of the power of his brand. Tebow is no doubt working hard to make a real impact on his team in football terms… but the power of his brand is unquestioned.

NFL players aren’t only strong, fast, and talented—some of them are branding geniuses. We would all be well-advised to pay attention to the tactics they employ!

This article was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1778400/personal-branding-have-you-identified-your-niche

If you are at a shooting range, what comes first: aiming your gun or pulling the trigger? For your safety and that of everyone nearby, I hope that aiming is the first step! While this is an obvious concept when it comes to shooting a gun or throwing darts, it’s an often overlooked step in many branding campaigns. An effective personal branding campaign starts by asking one question: who are your target customers? Once this question has been answered, a plan can be constructed to most effectively reach these customers. Often referred to as “finding your niche”, the process of identifying your target market is an all-important first step in any marketing and branding campaign. Below are several questions to ask in order to identify your ideal target market:

1) To which customers will your products and services most appeal? Most businesses have a wide range of potential customers—and many business owners make the mistake of pursuing all of them. The problem with that approach, from a personal branding standpoint, is that a strong brand can’t appeal to every single potential customer. Instead, it is important to identify your “bread and butter” customers, who will make up the core of your business—even if these customers don’t currently represent a majority of your total business. Once you have identified these customers, customize your brand for maximum appeal.

2) What attributes distinguish your business from the competition? In order to effectively position yourself within your marketplace, it is important to identify the traits that separate your business from everyone else. What does your business offer that no one else in your market can? Answering this question will enable you to emphasize your unique value proposition while constructing your personal brand.

3) What common frustrations or needs do your services or products address? How does your business solve a problem or find a solution for your customers? In particular, do you solve problems that nobody else can? These solutions should be an integral part of your personal brand. Along the same lines, try asking your customers what they appreciate the most about your business. Make their answers a focus of your branding and marketing campaigns.

4) How much competition are you facing? Finally, before settling on a target market and crafting a brand to reach that market, ask yourself the all-important question: how much competition will you be facing? If you can help it, avoid entering a hotly-contested market—because you’ll be fighting an uphill battle. On the other hand, if a less competitive niche isn’t available, don’t surrender. Instead, focus on differentiating yourself from the competition in your market. You can succeed in a market, no matter how competitive it is, if you can find a way to provide more value than anyone else—and if you can communicate this value proposition to your market.

If you haven’t yet identified your target market, take a few moments right now to do so. Without a clearly defined niche, your personal brand won’t be effective. Feel free to contact me for more help in this area!

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1776113/are-you-making-these-three-common-branding-mistakes

Over the years I’ve spent working as a personal branding consultant, I have seen plenty of mistakes made. The reality is that mistakes are inevitable—what is important, as a business owner, is that you learn from your mistakes and that you do not repeat them. That said, there are several personal branding mistakes that I have seen pop up time and time again. I am going to cover three of the most common mistakes below—take a moment and ask yourself if you are making any of them.

1) Inconsistency. This is perhaps the most common personal branding mistake that business owners make. The temptation is to alter your message and change your approach on a regular basis, in order to attract the prospects you are most interested in at the time. Unfortunately, over the long run, that approach leads to a weak personal brand. Once you have identified the personal brand you are seeking to create, stick to it!

2) Failure to evolve. If you are hoping to engage your audience and create interest in your brand, it is important that you tell a story. Too many business owners construct a personal brand, but fail to let it grow. Tell a story. Share experiences with your audience. Give your market a living, breathing personal brand that they can connect to.

3) Failure to establish expertise. For a business owner, establishing expertise should be the most important part of any branding campaign. If you are a tax accountant, your brand should position you as a leading expert in your field—the go-to accountant for clients who need to work with the best. Whether it is modesty or insecurity, I have found that many business owners are hesitant to brand themselves as an expert. This is a huge mistake—positioning yourself as an expert allows you to charge higher rates, attract more business, and lock out the competition.
Take a few moments to evaluate your personal branding efforts—are you making any of these mistakes? If so, now is the opportunity to take corrective action and get back to building a dynamic and powerful personal brand. Contact me if you have any further questions!

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1774215/personal-branding-101

We have been taking an in-depth look at a variety of personal branding strategies over the past several months. Today we are going to take a step back and review the basics of personal branding.

The idea is simple. Personal branding seeks to shape the way an individual is perceived by his or her audience, whoever that audience may be. That typically includes seeking to brand oneself as an expert in a particular field. It should also include efforts to make the individual stand out from the crowd—this is often done by highlighting hobbies or unique talents.

The first step is defining your brand. This means sitting down and setting your goals—how do you want to be perceived? Obviously the answer to this question depends on the market you are targeting. It doesn’t do a marketing guru any good to brand himself as an accounting prodigy. If you provide support services to restaurants, for example, you’ll want your brand to be relevant to restaurant owners and managers. At this phase it is also important to identify your points of differentiation—how can you separate yourself from the competition? There may be plenty of marketers out there—but how many are there that specialize specifically in marketing for small accounting firms?

Once you have identified your area of expertise, you next need to figure out how to make your brand memorable. This can often be done by highlighting aspects of your personality—maybe you have a great sense of humor, or are a passionate sports fan. Highlight a trait or an ability that will help your brand stick in the mind of your audience.

Now that you have identified the brand you are seeking to build, the next step is creating and implementing a plan. There are nearly infinite choices when it comes to tactics for building a strong brand, including media campaigns, networking, and your social media presence. Carefully evaluate your options and settle on the approach that will best suit your brand.

The final, ongoing stage consists of review and adjustment. After you launch your campaign, regularly assess the effectiveness of your efforts. Be aware of your market—many people fail to pay enough attention to their market and end up building a brand that doesn’t resonate with their market the way they expected it to. At this point, you are like a pilot guiding his plane in for a landing. As the wind and other factors change, you need to make tiny adjustments to keep your brand on track. Don’t overreact—simply make the necessary adjustments as you grow your brand.

Personal branding is not a difficult concept to grasp. Basically, you want to be known as an expert in your area of expertise, and you want to stand out in the minds of your audience. Accomplishing that goal takes understanding of your market, your target customers, and of effective tactics for building your brand. And it takes commitment. If you’d like more information on personal branding, feel free to get in touch with me today!

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1772592/personal-branding-dont-get-stale

Building a brand isn’t like constructing a skyscraper, or finishing a race, or completing an audit. Your brand, no matter how powerful it may be, is never “done.” If you begin to think that way, your personal brand will start to grow stale. What was once innovative and exciting will become routine. The traits that once set you apart from others in your market will be imitated, and soon you will look just like everyone else. How can you avoid this fate? Keep the following tips in mind:

1) Tell a story. In addition to being known as an expert in your field, you want your brand to tell an ongoing story. Keep your audience up to date on your latest adventures, whether related to business or your personal life (as long as you are staying true to your brand!) Let your audience see you grow.

2) Keep it interesting. Nothing kills interest in a brand as quickly as a total lack of personality. While it may be “safe” to build a completely vanilla, politically correct brand, it will also be boring. You don’t want to offend anyone or step over the line, but don’t be afraid to stir up controversy every once in a while. Your audience may not agree with every single thing that you say, but they will be interested enough to keep paying attention!

3) Don’t lose touch with your market. The biggest mistake many business owners make is failing to keep connected to their target market. Just as disco balls and psychedelic rock fell out of favor as the Seventies gave way to the Eighties, so can traits that once appealed to your customers. Just because your brand resonates today doesn’t mean that it will next week—so make sure you are connected well enough to make any necessary adjustments.

Branding is a process—it is never done. If you have built a strong personal brand, congratulations! But now is not the time to sit back and enjoy your victory. As soon as you take your foot off the gas, your brand begins the slow process of going stale. Keep it interesting and keep your brand on top!

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1769746/celebrity-branding-what-if-im-not-special

As I tell my clients over and over, your personal branding campaign should be primarily centered on the goal of branding yourself as a celebrity within your market. The key phrase here is “within your market.” You don’t need to become the next Hollywood superstar, you just need to become the go-to guy in your field, within your market. And as you know if you’ve been paying attention, that involves branding yourself both as an expert and as an interesting individual. Why interesting? Because it’s not good enough simply to be considered good at what you do; you also need to be memorable. You need to stick in the minds of potential clients, so that when they need your services, you are the first person they think of. For some clients I’ve spoken to, this seems to present a problem. “There’s simply nothing memorable about me,” they say. If you identify with that notion, pay attention, because today I’m going to show you that anyone can brand themselves as an expert and a celebrity if they are willing to commit 100% to that goal.

A common misperception about celebrities, whether in the entertainment industry, in business, or in sports, is that they are generally superior to the rest of the population. Many people perceive celebrities as not only talented, but also smart, good looking, ambitious, funny, and so on. The truth, in most cases, is that celebrities are just like the rest of the population, with some minor differences that make all the difference. The average NFL player is extremely good at football, but that’s probably the only thing separating him from the rest of the population. Warren Buffet is extremely gifted when it comes to finance. Justin Bieber is a great musician. Do you see what I am getting at here? Becoming a celebrity doesn’t mean transforming into a totally different person. It means getting extremely good at one thing. That sounds much less intimidating, right?

Of course, getting good at something doesn’t help you if nobody knows about it. And that is where celebrity branding comes into play. Let’s walk through the process together. Who are you, and what are you good at? What gifts, skills, or knowledge sets you apart from the competition? The answers to those questions point us to the essence of your personal brand. Whether you’re a forensic accountant or a beauty consultant, your brand should position you as an expert in your field, and it should reflect the specialized skills or knowledge that your competition doesn’t have, or doesn’t communicate.

The next ingredient to an effective personal brand is memorability. What will make you stick in the minds of potential customers? To answer this question, step away from your business qualifications for a second and think about your personality. What makes you unique? Your hobbies? Your sense of humor? Your passion for music, movies, or sports? Identify two or three personality traits that make you unique, and you’ve identified the “personal” part of your personal brand.

Branding yourself as a celebrity sounds intimidating. But as we’ve seen, it is something that most business owners can accomplish if they are serious about it. Do you have an area of business expertise? Do you have hobbies, passions, or interesting personality traits? That’s all it takes. With commitment, hard work, and the right guidance, you can become a celebrity within your market.

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1768997/personal-branding-why-you-need-a-coach

As a personal branding expert, I’m often asked what it takes to build an effective brand. Specifically, many people wonder if it is something that they can do by themselves, or if they need expert guidance. My answer to this question is yes … it is possible to do it by yourself. You don’t need a coach. But I mean this in the same way that you don’t need an accountant to do your business taxes, or that you don’t need a lawyer to draw up a seven figure contract. You can build a brand without a coach, but it’s not going to be efficient, and in many cases it is not going to be successful. Below are three major reasons to seek out a coach when it comes to building your personal brand:

1) Personal branding requires knowledge not found in books. Sure, you can learn the basics of branding through Google or through a textbook. But there is a difference between what works in theory, and what works in the real world. An experienced coach knows what works and what doesn’t, and will save you many setbacks along the way. Do you want to learn the hard way, or do you want to learn from someone who has already learned the hard way?

2) Personal branding requires an outside perspective. By definition, personal branding relates to the way others see you. It’s not about how you see yourself. A coach will be able to give you honest and realistic feedback that you can’t possibly discover on your own.

3) Personal branding requires consistency and discipline. If building a brand was something that you could do in a week, you wouldn’t need a coach. But it’s not something that you can ever finish. As soon as you stop building your brand, or as soon as you stray off course, the brand begins to weaken. Building your brand requires work on a regular basis–and a coach will keep you focused and on task. Without a coach, most business owners give up within a couple of weeks.

If you are serious about building your personal brand, the first step is to find a coach that will keep you focused, motivated, and on course. If you’re ready to make that commitment, I’d love to have a conversation–feel free to get in touch!

This article was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1767796/common-personal-branding-mistakes-to-avoid

The internet and modern technology means that, in 2011, we humans have more information at our fingertips than any other civilization, ever. This is an incredible privilege—but unfortunately, we also have to be careful, because there is as often as much bad information out there as there is good. Whether it is bad information or simply a lack of knowledge, there are certain mistakes I see repeated over and over when it comes to personal branding. Today we’re going to take a look at several common personal branding mistakes… are you making any of these?

1) Inconsistency. Building a powerful brand requires a strong focus on the precise brand you are seeking to create. It is essential that you zero in on your brand—and then keep hammering it home. You can’t be an expert financial planner one week and an eye-opening marketing consultant the next week. Either of those identities could make for a powerful brand—but if you are bouncing back and forth, you are not going to stand for anything.

2) Lack of focus. Don’t be vague. Whatever your profession is, I’m willing to bet there are plenty of people who more or less do what you do. Simply being another generic face will not get you noticed. You need to own your niche within your market—and to do this, you need to focus like a laser on that niche. You aren’t a lawyer—you are an expert legal advisor for emerging non-profit organizations, for instance.

3) Lack of benefit. The core of your personal brand can’t be what you do… the core of your brand must be what you provide to your customers. Do you see the difference? Shoppers don’t buy paper towels because they love paper towels… they buy them because they want to clean up spills! Apple does a fantastic job with this concept. Have you ever seen an Apple commercial focused primarily on the technical specifications of their products? No—because they focus on the convenience, the power, the “coolness” of their products. It’s not what you do, it is the benefit you provide to your customers!

4) Lack of originality. Branding is all about differentiation. I work with my clients to help them stand out from their competitors. Of course, they can’t do this without an element of uniqueness. Your brand must reflect you as a person as well as your professional identity—what makes you unique? Do you have any hobbies? Are you a huge fan of a certain TV show? Are you an obsessive sports fan? Make these traits a part of your brand! The goal is to make your brand unique and memorable—and to do this requires mixing in elements of your personality.

Are you consistent in your branding efforts? Are you focused on your niche? Is your brand about benefits? Is it original? If so, congratulations—you are well ahead of many others. If not, you still have plenty of time to make corrections! Don’t make these common mistakes.

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1767023/make-the-right-impression

It is often hard to quantify precisely what a strong brand consists of. It’s hard because a powerful brand creates equally powerful feelings in the minds of its market. We pay plenty of attention to important branding tactics utilizing social media, websites, and other media. But I believe that many business owners overlook the power of the “vibe” they create in person.
Whatever you may think of Bill Clinton’s politics, just about anybody who met the man spoke of his charisma and the command he had of a room or a conversation. Do you think that ability helped him reach the Presidency of this country? Of course it did … and you may not be planning on running for office, but the impression you create on those around you will go a long way towards defining your personal brand–for better or for worse. With that in mind, below are some tips to help you make a strong first impression. Some of these may be review–but we can all use a refresher course every once in a while!

1) You need to look sharp. It’s that simple. This means clothing that is appropriate to your profession and the occasion, it means being neatly groomed, and it can even include smelling great!

2) Be confident. A first impression is not the time for modesty. You are an expert. You are the best at what you do. You are an authority in your field. Now act like it! Walk like it. Talk like it. We are all drawn to confident leaders … confidence attracts followers (and customers!)

3) Make eye contact. When you meet someone, look them in the eyes. Making eye contact indicates warmth and confidence–while avoiding it can make you appear weak, or, even worse for a business owner, it can make you seem like you are hiding something.

4) Take a moment to think, if needed. Many people, when they are nervous, will stammer or repeat “um” thirty times per minute. If you are caught off guard, don’t blurt out a poorly conceived answer. Take a couple of seconds to process, and then speak. You will be amazed by the difference this can make!

The first impression you make on a potential client plays a large role in defining your personal brand to that person … so make sure it is positive!

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1765584/personal-branding-tips-be-yourself

Personal branding doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, the best way to ensure that your personal brand is unique and vibrant is to incorporate your personality into the brand you are seeking to build. In other words, be yourself! If you are a fanatical sports fan, let that become part of your brand. Not only does branding become more fun when you are being true to yourself, but your audience will be able to sense that it is genuine and will pay more attention. Below are ways to incorporate your personality into the personal brand you are building:

1) Make your hobbies a visible part of your brand. Whether it is a love for your favorite sports team, your fishing habit, or a less-common interest such as coin collecting, your hobbies are a great way to give your personal brand some life and help stand out from the crowd. Incorporate these passions into your blog, your social media presence, and your “Bio” page on your website. It will make you seem more genuine, more interesting, and it will give you a chance to bond with clients or prospects who have similar interests.

2) Show off your family. If you are married and/or have kids, your family is a major part of your life. Make them a part of your brand–don’t hesitate to post family pictures on Twitter, for instance. Once again, including your family as part of your brand makes you appear much more “real” instead of one-dimensional.

3) Don’t be shy. Many people are afraid to share opinions, ideas, or even their sense of humor. While you do need to be sure that you aren’t offensive or inappropriate, don’t hesitate to express ideas that aren’t pure vanilla. You’ll become more interesting and more engaging–and you’ll find that your clients appreciate getting to know the real you. Injecting a touch of humor into your blog posts, emails, and social media updates is always a good idea as well.

Many people make the mistake of believing that their personal brand should be sterile, clean, and one-dimensional. That’s simply not the case! An effective personal brand is based largely on personality–so don’t be afraid to let yours shine through.

This article was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1765056/personal-branding-what-can-we-learn-from-lebron

Even if you are not a sports fan, it is highly likely that you have heard the buzz surrounding LeBron James as the NBA playoffs wrapped up earlier this month. He has been a dominant topic of conversation for several months now–and not for the reasons that he would prefer. In case you haven’t heard, he made headlines last summer when he announced that he was leaving his previous team in Cleveland and heading to Miami to join the Heat. Unfortunately for him, after making his announcement and in the months to follow, he was transformed from a likeable and talented player in the public’s eye to Public Enemy Number One. Where did he go wrong, and what can we learn from his mistakes as they relate to personal branding?

1) Don’t always deliver bad news in public. If your press release or announcement can hurt or embarrass someone, the wise thing is to take the high road and not call attention to it yourself. Last summer, rather than informing the Cleveland Cavaliers that he would not be returning to their team, he went on live TV to publicly announce the decision. Cleveland’s management was humiliated and their fans were heartbroken. Simply by handling his announcement more tactfully, LeBron may have spared himself national scorn. This principle is very relevant to business as well–whether it is laying off an employee or ending a business relationship, always do your best to spare the other party embarrassment. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also keeps you from looking bad in public.

2) Don’t appear arrogant. LeBron James has been a star since high school, and has good reason to be confident. Unfortunately, thrust into the national spotlight after his decision to join Miami, his confidence began to look like arrogance. In a preseason rally he predicted multiple championships and stated that winning games would be “easy.” The fact that he refers to himself as “King James” doesn’t exactly scream humility, either. In America, we appreciate confidence and we love to watch talented individuals work, in sports or in business, but arrogance rubs us the wrong way. You want to be seen as an expert in your field, but there is a fine line and when you cross over from confidence to arrogant, you will lose more than you gain. You want to be considered humble, open, and teachable.

3) Don’t let others define you. Perhaps the biggest single mistake LeBron made was letting the media and his critics define his brand. After his announcement on live TV that he was leaving Cleveland, LeBron could have immediately apologized for embarrassing Cleveland. After he predicted multiple championships, he could have made a statement explaining that he was excited and got carried away. Instead, he largely remained silent–allowing his critics to portray him as arrogant and out of touch. This happens often with media that control your sound bites. If what is being conveyed isn’t accurate, be quick to correct it.

4) Surround yourself with talented advisors and confidants. A major factor in the fall from grace that LeBron experienced over the last year appears to be his lack of good advice. While experienced PR professionals could have stopped LeBron before it was too late, he prefers to surround himself with personal friends and family members. There’s nothing wrong with involving friends and family in important decisions, of course, but it’s essential to seek out experienced professionals before making big decisions–in any line of work.

In the scheme of things, LeBron James will be just fine. He’s incredibly talented, not to mention wealthy. However, the level of public criticism he received this year had to take a painful toll on him. While very few of us will ever command his level of attention, we can all learn from his mistakes and apply them to our own branding efforts.

The technological breakthroughs we have experienced in the last twenty years have made it possible for anyone with an internet connection and a good plan to build a strong personal brand. That said, the ease by which any of us can interact with the outside world presents challenges as well. Staying consistent can be difficult. Think about it for a moment—most business owners have a presence on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Virtually all of them communicate with clients and prospects via email, phone conversations, and face to face meetings. Most businesses have a website, many have additional marketing materials, and some of you may run larger-scale campaigns including billboards, radio commercials, and TV spots. On one hand, it’s incredible to have so many platforms by which you can engage your market. On the other hand, from a personal branding standpoint, it’s incredibly easy to send mixed messages. And as you know, it is impossible to build a strong personal brand without being consistent.

How can you stay consistent? The first step is to have a clearly defined personal brand. We’ve talked about that in depth elsewhere—so all I’ll say here is that you should have a very short list of attributes that make up your personal brand. Every time you engage the outside world, no matter what the platform may be, ensure that the message you are sending reinforces the brand you are trying to build.

We must also acknowledge that there is a big difference between Twitter and a billboard, for example. The style of your communication must change depending on the platform, but your message should not. Yes, you may use incomplete sentences or phrases on Twitter that you’d never use in an email. That’s fine—as long as the message you are sending reinforces the brand you are trying to build.

Staying consistent across various platforms doesn’t have to be difficult. But it does require the right mindset. It’s critical that you view your branding campaign from a big picture perspective—in other words, recognize that your Facebook page and your billboard advertisements are intertwined not separate from each other. Each platform is an element of your branding strategy—and only by coordinating your presence can you be successful.

In today’s world, it’s easy for a branding strategy to become incoherent as you spread your message across a broad range of platforms. Don’t fall into this trap. Make sure your brand is clearly defined. Recognize that each platform is an element of your strategy, not a separate entity. Change your style of communication to fit each platform, but keep the message consistent. If you can stay focused, you’ll be able to build a powerful, dynamic personal brand capable of engaging your market—wherever they may be.

Most businesses today have some sort of Facebook presence, and with good reason. Facebook is an incredibly popular social platform and is picking up thousands of new users each day. Unfortunately, it seems that many business owners don’t know how to truly engage this massive audience—many business people I have spoken to have created a page for their business, but don’t know where to go from there. I have some good news for you today—creating a strong Facebook presence is easier than you may think. In fact, your objective essentially boils down to a single concept: seek to create a community of users united by their common interest in your business—and make your community fun.
How can you make your presence fun? Here are some ideas:

1) Be creative. When you are posting something to your wall, don’t write in the same way that you would if you were preparing an annual report. The vast majority of Facebook users aren’t interested in boring, stuffy information—but if you make it funny, exciting, or outside-the-box, your audience will be much more receptive.

2) Offer special Facebook-only deals. Saving money is fun. Offer short term deals or discounts on your page (i.e. “10% discount on all products exclusively for our Facebook fans. Enter promo code ABCXYZ when you’re checking out.) This strategy can be a great way to boost sales—but even if most of your fans don’t make a purchase, you can bet that you will have their attention going forward. If you can make it clear that your Facebook presence can be a valuable money-saving resource for your fans, they’ll be much more interested in everything you have to say.

3) Look to build community. This is an area where many businesses get it wrong. Your Facebook presence isn’t a soapbox for you to lecture from. You can approach it that way, but your audience will quickly tune you out. The real value of your Facebook page is the interaction between you and your audience. So do your best to engage them. Ask for feedback on products. Start conversations that may not even be about your business. Comment on the activities of your fans. Don’t make it all about you—if one of your fans or friends has a question or needs advice, share your input.

4) Be active. Even if you are creative, work to build community, and offer great deals to your Facebook fans—you won’t accomplish much if you aren’t regularly active. Posting twice a month simply isn’t enough to build a real connection with your audience. Remember, most of them are on Facebook for hours each day… so make an effort to participate frequently.

If you can make your Facebook presence fun and valuable, you won’t have any problems attracting an audience. The vast majority of Facebook users aren’t looking for a sales pitch and aren’t interested in boring company data. They are interested in interacting with others, having a good time, and getting great deals. Make your presence fun—and the rest will take care of itself.

What is the difference between a generalist and a specialist, and why does that difference matter in your personal branding efforts? As you will see, the difference between branding yourself as a specialist instead of a generalist can literally be the difference between the success and failure of your business.

A generalist, quite simply, is somebody that is good at many things. In the context of our discussion, a generalist would be a professional with many specialties. For instance, a lawyer whose practice areas include criminal law, family law, business law, and tax law is a classic generalist. Another example would be a financial planner who dabbles in retirement planning, business consulting, tax services, and investments.

A specialist, on the other hand, is focused on a core specialty. An personal income tax advisor, a Volkswagen mechanic, a divorce attorney—these are specialists.

Which is better for business purposes? Many people think that it is best to be a generalist—because then you can attract a wider range of clients. The lawyer we used in our first example could bring in all sorts of business—those facing criminal charges, businesses, individuals pursuing divorce. On the other hand, our specialist lawyer would only attract those considering divorce. Clearly, it’s better to appeal to many people than to appeal to only a few, right?

Wrong.

It’s better to do one thing, and to do it well, than to dabble in a wide variety of services. To understand why this is the case, put yourself in a customer’s shoes. Let’s say you need to speak to a retirement planner. You have two choices—planner A is a generalist. He does a bit of everything, from corporate consulting to tax preparation. Planner B is a specialist who works exclusively with retirees and those planning for retirement. Everything else being equal, which planner will you choose? Clearly planner B, right? Because he is an expert in precisely the service that you need, whereas planner A juggles so many different services that he cannot possibly be as knowledgeable when it comes to retirement planning.

What does this mean for your branding efforts? It means you need to zero in on your core services and eliminate everything else. (Note: this doesn’t mean you can’t ever do work outside of your area of expertise—it just means those additional services should not be part of your brand.) Branding yourself as a “business consultant” is too broad. Instead, brand yourself as a marketing consultant for small law firms, or a management consultant for large construction firms. The key is to specialize—and then to become known as the expert in your specific specialty. When you do this, your target customers will be naturally attracted to you. You will not have to go door-to-door looking for any type of work you can get—you’ll have customers knocking on your door looking for the expertise that only you can provide.

As you are working on your personal branding plan, never forget the importance of establishing yourself as a specialist, not a generalist. With time, you will find that it is easier to attract business than you ever would have imagined. Resist the urge to be a jack-of-all-trades… brand yourself as a specialist.

I share many strategies and techniques in this space, including many that take a “big picture” approach—in other words, they may not pay immediate dividends. Like most things in life, a great personal brand cannot be built overnight. Today, however, I’m going to take a different approach and share several personal branding tips that you can put into practice immediately.

1) Take a look at your business cards. Are they sharp, professional, and distinctive? In many cases your business card may be the only connection you have with a potential client—so make sure your card represents you and your business well.

2) Control your name online. Even if you don’t yet have a website or a social media presence, it’s wise to plan for the future. Check to see if YourName.com is still available, and if so, purchase the rights to the domain. It will cost you less than $15 per year. In addition, register your name on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

3) Work on your elevator speech. Every business owner needs to have their “elevator speech” honed to perfection. You should be able to tell potential clients, partners, or employees about your company in 20-40 seconds—and you should be able to do it compellingly. Evaluate your elevator speech right now. Do you have one? Is it effective? If not, get to work.

4) Think about your first impression. How do you come across when you meet someone for the first time? Confident? Friendly? Nervous? Ask for some opinions—friends, colleagues, and family members can probably give you an accurate picture of the impression you make. If it isn’t what it should be, spend some time thinking about how you can improve.

5) Tell your story. Remember that branding comes down to painting a picture of yourself for the world to see. So take a moment to think about your interactions with the outside world. Are you reinforcing your brand at every opportunity? Or are you contradicting the brand you’re trying to build? Evaluate your branding efforts and make changes, if necessary.

While personal branding is an ongoing process that is never “done”, the ideas I’ve just listed can make an immediate impact. Put them in to practice today!

If you own a business and employ others, it’s important that your staff buy in to your personal branding efforts. If not, you run the risk that your team will undercut your branding efforts. On the other hand, once you explain your brand and your strategy for building it, your staff will play an active role in strengthening your brand. Today we’re going to cover critical ways in which your employees can help you build your brand.

1) By believing. First and foremost, effective branding is about conveying a certain “feeling” to customers and others that interact with your business. This feeling is intangible—there is no way for your team to express it unless they understand and buy in to your concept. Two great examples of this belief in action are the employees at Walt Disney World and at the Apple store. At Disney, nearly every employee you encounter will be smiling, energetic, positive—and willing to do whatever he or she can to make your visit more magical. Meanwhile, the staff at an Apple store is virtually guaranteed to be passionate believers in their products. Apple customer associates are genuinely excited about what they are selling, because they’ve bought into the premise that Apple is truly making lives better one customer at a time.

2) By working your logo and branding identity into everything. Your accountant is sending an invoice to a client? It better be branded! Shipping a package to a customer? Same thing—there had better be a logo on the package. Why? Because branding is all about repetition. Every chance you have to get your logo in front of a customer or a prospect is a chance you need to take. If you run a large organization, it’s impossible for you to personally inspect every correspondence that goes out—so make sure your team knows the drill.

3) By answering the phone properly. This may seem trivial, but in many cases the first contact someone has with your business will be over the phone. That means whoever answers the phone is creating the first impression for your business—which will go a long way in conveying your brand effectively or not. Your name (or your company’s name) should always be in the greeting, and whoever answers should speak clearly and cheerfully. Even details like the type of music playing while a caller is placed on hold must be considered—and remember, the goal is to convey your brand at every opportunity.

If you hope to build a strong personal brand, it’s important that every member of your team understands what that brand is and how they are to contribute. Branding be done intellectually—you can’t simply tell a customer what your brand stands for. Your brand is essentially a reflection of how your customers see your company—and in many cases, your staff will do more to shape their perception than you do. So make sure you have the whole team on board!

Whatever your personal brand may look like, it’s important that the central component be your expertise in your field or occupation. If you are a landscaper, you are THE expert landscaper in your city. A retirement planner? You are THE expert retirement planner in your area. It’s a simple concept, but it’s critical if you’re hoping to translate a strong personal brand into more business. You can have the strongest personal brand in the world, but if it doesn’t include expertise in what you do, it’s not going to lead to more clients. This concept holds true no matter what platform you are using for your branding—billboard advertisements, social media, direct mail campaigns, or whatever else you may use. If the central message behind your brand isn’t “I’m the best at what I do,” you need to reevaluate. Below are three ways to incorporate your expertise into your branding efforts:

1) Break down the news. One of the absolute best ways to establish yourself as an expert is to break down news that impacts your business and your customers. Don’t simply parrot the news, analyze it. If you’re a landscaper and the weather forecast is calling for an extremely hot and dry summer, provide tips to your clients to help them keep their plants healthy. By interpreting the news and explaining the impact to your clients, you quickly become a trusted expert in your area of work.

2) Play the part. You’ve heard the old cliché “a man should dress for the job he wants,” right? That concept holds true for marketing purposes, too. You’re an expert—so act like one! Look for opportunities to speak, whether to trade associations or high school students. Write a book, publish a blog, try to get quoted in the newspaper.

3) Stay focused. Remember that you cannot be everything to everyone. You’re not going to be regarded as an expert landscaper, architect, marketer, and accountant. Don’t overdo it—focus on building your expertise in your field of practice.

A strong personal brand can bring you plenty of new business—but only if your brand is centered around your unique skills and abilities in your line of work. It’s easy to focus on being funny, knowledgeable, or any number of other things. And that is ok—just make sure that when all is said and done, you’re an expert first… and everything else second.

Close your eyes, clear your mind, and think about McDonalds. No, I’m not trying to make you hungry—but I bet I can tell you exactly what came to mind: Happy meals, French fries, or maybe the iconic golden arches. Now repeat the exercise, but this time the word to consider is Microsoft. What came to mind? This time it’s a lot harder—Windows may be the answer for many, but many others would point to Bing, Excel, Hotmail, X-Box gaming consoles… the list goes on. What’s the difference between McDonalds and Microsoft? Clearly both companies have been incredibly successful—but McDonalds has a much more powerful brand than Microsoft. Why? Simple—focus, and consistency.

McDonalds is a fast food joint, plain and simple. Microsoft makes operating systems. And search engines. And productivity software. And gaming consoles. See the difference? Microsoft doesn’t stand for anything in particular. Now, as a multi-billion dollar company, their lack of a focused brand won’t kill them. But for a small business or an individual, the difference between a focused brand and a diluted brand can literally be the difference between success and failure.

Let’s make this personal now—what is your brand? You’re THE go-to marketing consultant in your area? Then focus on repeating that message, hammering it home time and time again. Resist the temptation to branch out with your brand—for instance, adding and advertising management consulting services to your current services may seem like a good business decision, but what will the impact be on your brand? Suddenly your audience, who has come to know you as the marketing guru, is hit with a conflicting message. Who are you—the marketing guy, or the management guy? You simply can’t be seen as an expert in every subject—and if you try, you end up not being seen as an expert in ANY subject.

Here’s the bottom line: you can’t be everything to everyone. If you try, you’ll end up standing for nothing. So resist the temptation to branch out. Focus your branding efforts around the key components of your personal brand and keep hammering the message home.

I’ve spoken to many businessmen and women over the years on the topic of personal branding. And I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard some variation of the following statement: “I understand that personal branding is important—but I just don’t have any room in my budget.” My aim today is to blow that excuse out of the water once and for all. The truth is that you don’t have to spend huge sums of money to create an effective personal brand. In fact, some of the most effective branding tools today are available for use completely free of charge. Below are some excellent tools and strategies to help you build your brand without busting your budget:

1) Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. The emergence of social media over the last ten years or so has completely reshaped our culture. And it’s completely revolutionized the world of personal branding. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn each have a different audience—but each is an ideal platform for building your personal brand. And best of all, all three services are totally free. If you haven’t entered the world of social media, don’t delay any longer. And if you are engaged in the world of social media but haven’t figured out how to leverage your presence to build your brand, I’ve covered these platforms in depth in previous blogs and articles.

2) YouTube. Twenty years ago, the notion of recording a video and quickly reaching a global audience would have been considered absurd. Now that technology is common—and cheap. And that means that you have the ability to be seen and heard by a vast audience—what better platform for branding could you dream of? If you’re not sure what you’d talk about, think about your area of expertise. What can you share that many people don’t know? If you’re a tax accountant, create a video series discussing the impact of a new law. Make it as interesting as you can and throw in some humor if possible—and voila, you’ve created a powerful branding tool. While it’s not a necessity, it is wise to invest in some quality recording equipment if possible.

3) Make yourself available to the media. This may sound farfetched—but you’d be surprised at how often reporters need insight from an expert in some field or another. Organizations like HARO (Help a Reporter Out: http://www.helpareporter.com/) exist to connect experts in their field to media sources. Getting quoted in a story or on television will provide an incredible boost in your branding efforts—and once again it won’t cost a time.

4) Rethink the way you and your staff answer the phone. How many phone calls does your office receive each day? Each and every call represents a golden opportunity to build your brand—and the first impression you leave is critical. A cheerful greeting that includes your name and your company name has a bigger impact that you may think.

From cutting edge technology such as social media all the way down to old-fashioned telephone etiquette, the bottom line is that you have an opportunity to build your personal brand every time you interact with the outside world. You don’t have to spend a fortune—you just have to make personal branding a priority.

In an ideal world, each of our personal brands would consistently grow as time passes. In reality, it’s easy to lose track of our branding efforts, or even to see them grow in an undesired direction. This can happen as a result of simply being busy—let’s face it, none of us have time to get everything done every single day. It can also be a result of choosing poor branding strategy that you later come to regret. In any case, today we’re going to discuss strategies for refocusing or rejuvenating your personal brand. If you’ve been neglecting your branding efforts, pay attention!

1) Take stock of your brand. What does your brand stand for? How active have you been in terms of broadcasting it? Are you happy with your brand? Are you exposing your brand to a wide enough audience? The main goal here is to determine your course of action—do you need to redefine your brand, or do you simply need to get it out there more effectively?

2) If your brand has been damaged, begin by addressing the damage. Has your personal brand taken a hit? Whether it’s online complaints about you or your business or negative PR as a result of a failed initiative or poor performance, ignoring the criticism is rarely a wise course of action. Instead take responsibility for your mistakes, take the appropriate corrective actions, and move on. If you don’t address negativity, it will continue to hang over your head and will threaten your future branding efforts.

3) Refocus. It’s not uncommon to see a personal brand drift off course. Keeping a brand focused requires conscious effort, and many people slip up from time to time. The most common problem is drifting from being an expert in your field towards being a “jack of all trades.” As you know, you can’t be everything to everyone. Focus your branding on what you do best, not simply on whatever comes to mind.

4) Look for lost opportunities. Once you’ve gotten your brand refocused to your satisfaction, it’s time to make sure that you are taking every opportunity to get your brand out there. Is your website up to date and consistent with your brand? Are you including links to your blog, Facebook page, and Twitter account in your email signature? When your office answers the phone, are they cheerful, helpful, and pleasant? Are your invoices and other communications with clients branded with your logo and your colors? Each of these instances represent a valuable opportunity to expose your target market to your brand—make sure you’re taking advantage of them.

Branding is an ongoing effort. This is good news for anybody who has ever let their brand get away from them—because it means that it is never too late to get back on track. So be honest and evaluate your efforts… and if you know you aren’t doing as well as you should be, commit to getting back on top of your personal brand starting today!

As you know, building your personal brand is an ongoing process. Creating a powerful brand requires action on a regular basis—and if you fail to make it part of your routine, your brand will slowly lose its power. The problem is that you’re busy—so how can you make sure that you’re dedicating sufficient time to branding? There is only one answer to this question as far as I’m concerned—you need to make it part of your routine. Eventually it will become a habit, just like checking your email in the morning is a habit. Below are tips to help you incorporate your personal branding efforts into your routine:

1) Schedule your branding activities. Hopefully blogging is a part of your branding, along with a social media presence. Schedule these activities into your week—for instance, make blogging the first thing you do each Tuesday and Thursday. When branding becomes another item on your agenda, instead of an “extra” task to do when you have time, you’ll find that you become much more effective.

2) Make it fun. Are you a good public speaker? If so, seek opportunities to speak on topics relating to your area of expertise. If you’re a great writer, look for opportunities to contribute an op-ed to the local paper, or even write frequent letters to the editor. Branding doesn’t have to be hard work!

3) Seek accountability. It’s hard to keep yourself motivated and on schedule. This is true in just about every situation—whether you’re trying to get into shape by working out at the gym, or trying to build your personal brand. Find a partner and hold each other accountable. This could be a friend, a colleague, or even an employee. It could be someone who is similarly struggling to devote time to branding, or it could be an individual that needs to be held accountable and encouraged for a different purpose. You don’t need a branding expert—you just need someone to call you up and say “how’s it going?”

Building your brand requires constant work. And like a houseplant that needs to be watered regularly, if it is neglected it will wilt and eventually die. It’s vital that you create a system for your branding efforts. Address your personal brand regularly and you’ll be reaping the benefits for years to come.

Why is personal branding such a big deal? The fact is that a strong personal brand means different things for different people, though it is valuable for everyone. Today, I’m going to answer the question from the vantage point of a business owner. Below are some of the many benefits of a strong personal brand to a business owner:

1) Credibility. When a potential client comes across your website, what will they find? Are you Johnny Q. Smith, one of five hundred landscapers in your city? Or are you Johnny Q. Smith, THE landscaping expert in your area? As a customer, which profile is more appealing? Obviously, any customer would rather have an expert working on their yard. So how can you establish yourself as an expert? You guessed it—that’s what a strong brand will do for you.

2) Command a premium price. As we discussed in point number one, customers and clients will always prefer an expert in their field. A consequence of this, of course, is that experts in their field can command higher fees. A strong personal brand allows you to make more money in addition to attracting more clients.

3) Make yourself memorable. Contrast these cases: Let’s say you’re working on a short-term project for a customer. In case A, you do a solid job, collect your payment, say goodbye, and move on. In case B, you do a solid job, demonstrate the traits that make you unique as the expert, collect your payment, and continue to keep in touch after you have done your job making sure the client is happy with the work you delivered. In which instance are you more likely to get a call for a repeat job six months down the road? Case B, of course. If you can stand out in the mind of each of your clients and follow up to make sure they got what they need and are satisfied with your work, you’re much more likely to get repeat business. And a strong personal brand and good customer relations will help you stand out to each one of your clients.

A strong personal brand creates instant credibility, allows you to command a premium price, and enables you to stand out in the mind of your clients. Each of these abilities will directly contribute to your bottom line—and that’s why personal branding should be very, very important to you.

What does your personal brand represent? When coworkers, potential clients, or customers see your name, what do they think of? Hopefully you’ve identified the brand you want to project by now—if you haven’t, browse through my blog entries and articles to get a crash course. Today, I want to give you tips for ensuring that your brand is unique—in other words, that your personal branding helps differentiate you amongst your peers and competitors:

1) Take a survey. Step one is identifying the current state of your brand. Find five coworkers or friends and ask them to write down the top three words that come to mind when they think of you. Once they’ve finished, look over the results. The words they have chosen should give you a pretty good idea of how people perceive you. What do the results say? Are the traits they’ve identified generic and boring, or are they unique and interesting? Now that you have an idea of what your brand stands for, you can begin working to strengthen it.

2) Identify traits that make you unique—but also valuable. For many people, the hardest part of building their personal brand is determining what that brand should consist of. It’s important that it be unique and somewhat memorable, but it’s also important that your brand sends the right message. The challenge is identifying memorable characteristics that also add value to your brand. This might seem challenging, but it’s not. Why should potential customers choose to do business with you? What do you have that very few others can match? Answer these questions and you’ve identified the core of your personal brand.

3) Use your personality. Your brand can be more than your work experience or your education. Your sense of humor, your ability to focus, or your superior communication skills can be a valuable component of your personal brand. This requires an effort on your part, however— it doesn’t happen automatically. Whether that means inserting some humor into blog entries or making a point to seek out public speaking opportunities, emphasizing the skills that set you apart from the competition will make your brand stand out. What makes you unique?

Your personal brand is what you make it. If you’re content with being just another generic consultant, or lawyer, or whatever you do, so be it. But if you want to build a brand that truly allows you to stand out from the crowd, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Start by identifying the current state of your personal brand. Then identify traits or attributes that set you apart from the competition while also adding value to your brand. Once you’ve done this, it’s simply a matter of repetition and exposure. Take every opportunity to build your brand—including your business card, your social media presence, your blog, and the rest of your public persona. If you’re willing to put in the work, you will reap the benefits!

I had the opportunity to attend the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles earlier this month. It’s always an exciting event, but it’s more than that—it’s an opportunity to see some of the most powerful and effective personal branders up close and personal. Most celebrities are talented individuals, sure, but talent alone doesn’t get you nominated for a Grammy. So what’s the secret? There’s no exact recipe, but personal branding plays a huge role. So today we’re going to examine the personal branding strategy of an up-and-coming international icon—Justin Bieber. You may not be a performer, but if you are serious about your personal branding efforts you will find something of value in his approach. Below are several of his strengths that are particularly impressive:

1. Consistency. Justin Bieber is nothing if not consistent. His appearance, his clothing, his mannerisms—he’s the same guy day in and day out. Bieber reinforces his brand across a huge range of platforms, ranging from televisions to social media, and he does a remarkable job of staying true to his brand.

2. Social media. Yes, Justin Bieber uses Twitter effectively. Then again, so does every other celebrity and entertainer out there. But Bieber has gotten more mileage out of social media than just about anybody, ever. Without YouTube, Bieber might still be sitting on his couch in Ontario, Canada. At a young age, Justin’s mother began recording his performances and posting them on YouTube—which is where a talent scout stumbled upon them. The agent quickly set up a meeting, at the rest is history.

3. Cross branding. Bieber made a point of associating himself with other stars early in his career, including such notable celebrities as Kim Kardashian and Usher. By doing so, not only did Justin expose himself to their considerable fan bases, but he gave himself an additional boost in credibility. At this point in his career, Bieber does not need “help” from anyone else, but it wasn’t that long ago that the general public was unsure if they should take this teen sensation seriously. The fact that other celebrities respected his talent was a critical boost to his brand.

4. Appeal to his target market. This is the most important point to be made here. Justin Bieber‘s personal brand has been carefully crafted to appeal to his most passionate supporters—namely, teens and young women. His appeal cuts across all demographics, but Bieber’s persona has been perfected to the point that it’s hard to find a teen girl who isn’t head-over-heels for him. By positioning himself as the ideal “product” for his target market, Bieber was able to create such a sensation that the rest of society was forced to take note. The lesson here is simple but critically important: give your target market what they want, and the rest will take care of itself.

Justin Bieber is a talented performer, but that’s not why he’s an icon even among other celebrities. More than anything else, Bieber and his managers have branded him perfectly. We may not have the charm or the vocal ability, but Justin Bieber’s branding success should be an inspiration and a lesson to all of us.

What makes a celebrity? As I discussed in a recent article, talent is not the answer to that question. There are probably thousands of female vocalists with more talent than Lady Gaga, but she’s on the cover of every magazine and they aren’t. It’s more than talent—it’s connections, it’s luck, but a huge part of it in my opinion is personal branding. So what can we learn from the personal branding habits of celebrities?

1) Stand for something. It doesn’t matter what it is—if you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to stand for something. Simon Cowell will call it like he sees it, whether he’s offensive or not. Whatever you think of Sarah Palin’s political views, you’ve definitely heard of her. Eminem is notorious for the violent lyrics in his songs, but he’s managed to parlay his notoriety into commercial appearances for major national brands. Now, I’m not suggesting that you morph yourself into a polarizing or outrageous character—but I am telling you that if you don’t stand for something, you’re not going to develop a powerful brand.

2) If you want to be a celebrity, act like one. Justin Bieber grew up in Ontario, Canada. If he had chosen to stay there, would he have blown up into the international phenomenon he is today? Of course not. Part of making it in his line of work is moving to Hollywood, or New York, or Miami. Does Rihanna still dress and do her makeup the same way she did before she burst on the scene a few years ago? I can’t say for sure, but it’s highly doubtful! The point is this—to be taken seriously as a celebrity, one must act like a celebrity. If you want to be taken seriously as an expert in your field, you need to act like one. Write a blog. Publish a book. Speak in public.

3) Don’t try to please everyone. Taylor Swift is wildly popular, but there are plenty of music fans who hate her music. The same goes for just about every celebrity out there—even a figure with such universal appeal as Bono of U2 is certain to have his fair share of detractors. It’s a simple concept, but it’s often overlooked: You can’t please everyone. You can’t be an expert at everything. So don’t try. Instead, focus on what you do best. Work to give your target market exactly what they need, and don’t worry about the rest of the world.

We’ve talked before in this space about the value of your blog in positioning yourself as an expert in your field. And obviously, establishing your expertise is a big part of establishing your brand. But your blog is more than simply a place to establish credibility, it’s also an opportunity to broadcast your personal brand as a whole. It can be used to convey your sense of humor, your non-work interests and your passions. Used effectively, your blog can be a great vehicle to truly connect with your readers as you build your personal brand. Below are tips to help you get the most out of your blog’s branding potential:

1) Choose an appropriate layout or theme. Whether you’re designing your blog from scratch or using a theme, it’s important that the layout of your blog conveys your brand. If you’re branding yourself as a serious, dedicated professional, you should probably stay away from a sports-themed blog. Conversely, if “sports fan” is a big part of your personal brand, a sports-oriented layout may be perfect. The key here is that your layout should reflect the brand you are trying to build.

2) Make sure to include a picture of yourself. Even if you’re camera shy, it’s important to include a picture of yourself on your blog. After all, your blog is all about building a personal connection with your audience, and it’s hard to do that if they can’t see your face.

3) Display your sense of humor. Your readers aren’t expecting your blog to read like a textbook. While you want to stay focused and professional, don’t hesitate to show off your sense of humor.

Whether it’s a link to an article you found amusing, a joke you want to retell, or just some sarcastic commentary throughout your posts, don’t be shy. Not only will it make your blog posts more fun to read, but your readers will be seeing the “real” you. And that’s what personal branding is all about.
Your blog is a powerful tool for building your personal brand. Make sure that you are making the most of it.

How many different business cards do you have in your wallet or near your desk right now? Twenty? Fifty? One hundred and fifty? Whatever the amount, you can understand my point. Most businesspeople are inundated with business cards. The challenge becomes, from a personal branding standpoint, how do you make your cards stand out from the rest? You need to think outside the box for this one—but it’s a challenge because you really can’t stray too far from the accepted standards for a business card. After all, your cards still need to be able to fit in wallets, purses, rolodexes, etc. Below are some of my favorite suggestions to help your cards stand out in a sea of business cards.

1) Size your business card irregularly. The standard size of a business card is 3.5 inches wide by 2 inches tall. As I mentioned earlier, you can’t stray far from this standard, but there is some room for flexibility. In particular, slightly reducing either the height or the width (but not both) of your card is a great way to make it stand out from the pack without going too far.

2) Consider laying your card out vertically. Most business cards have a horizontal layout. Designing yours to be read vertically changes the feel of your business card.

3) Altering the shape of your business card. Stepping away from the standard rectangular shape of most cards can be a great way to stand out. Even a simple effect like rounding the corners can make a dramatic difference. If you’re brave, a circular shape or an industry-specific shape can be a great route to go.

4) Use creative materials. The texture and feel of your business card is important. Simply by using top-of-the-line paper and dyes, you can help your card stand out amongst the lower quality competition. Or if you want to go further, consider using plastic or some other material. Designing your card to double as a refrigerator magnet is another good idea, and the possibility that it will end up on a fridge instead of in the trash is a major bonus!

As you can see, there are a variety of options when it comes to differentiating your business cards from the competition. It is important to remember, however, that your card needs to send the right message about you and your company. Thinking outside the box is great, but make sure you stay true to who you are and what you do. A tax accountant, for instance, probably wants to stay away from a card shaped and colored like a tropical fish—though such a card might be a great idea for a travel agent.

Oftentimes, your business card is the only connection that a potential client or customer may have to you. If that’s the case, the benefits of having a memorable card are obvious. Take a few moments and look at your card. Does it need to be improved? If so, the tips above should get your creative wheels turning.

As personal branding becomes more of a mainstream topic, there’s an objection I’ve been hearing lately: “I’m too shy to build a personal brand.” Do you feel that way? If so, this blog entry is for you. First of all, let’s be clear: you do not have to be an outgoing person to build a personal brand. There are many, many different tactics that can be utilized to create your brand—you don’t have to appear in YouTube videos, you don’t have to become a public figure, and you don’t have to plaster pictures of yourself all over the internet.

The misconception that you have to be outgoing to build a personal brand springs from a misunderstanding of the concept of your personal brand, so let’s review. Your personal brand is simply the way that others see you. Whether you know it or not, you have a personal brand right now. Ask ten people to describe you in one word—their answers will give you a great idea of what your brand is. Personal branding is simply the process of taking control of your image and ensuring that the outside world perceives you as you want to be perceived.

The first step is to determine what you want your brand to be—I’ve covered this elsewhere, so I’m not going to spend much time on it here. But essentially, you need to decide what you want to be known for. Maybe you want to be seen as a creative problem solver with a great sense of humor. Or maybe you want to be thought of as a strong leader who leads by example. Whatever you want your brand to be, the key then becomes broadcasting it efficiently. And there are countless ways to do this, many of which I’ve written about in the past. Social media is a great starting point. But you also send branding messages in your daily life—how you dress, how you talk, how you go about your business. In short, every single interaction you have with the outside world is impacting your personal brand. Take a couple of moments and evaluate whether you’re sending the messages you want to be sending. Once you’ve figured out any changes that need to be made, make it a priority in every single interaction you have going forwards. Personal branding doesn’t have to mean TV appearances or big public speeches—it’s about everyday life. So no more delaying—start building your brand today.

As we’ve discussed in the past, Twitter is a powerful tool for anybody looking to build their personal brand. It’s a simple, user friendly service with vast potential. If you haven’t jumped in yet, it’s time to take the plunge! In recent months I’ve answered many questions from clients and colleagues who are beginning to get involved, and today I am going to share some of my favorite tips for using Twitter to build your personal brand.

1) Put thought into your profile picture. What type of brand are you seeking to establish? If you wish to appear professional and businesslike, make sure the picture you use reinforces that image. On the other hand, if you’re going for a casual, laid-back vibe, don’t choose a picture of yourself in a suit and tie. Your facial expression is important too—try to find a picture that makes you look friendly and engaging.

2) Consider an application such as Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, or Cotweet to help you manage your account. As we’ve discussed in the past, it’s important to have a regular presence on Twitter. A single tweet three times each week is simply not going to have much of an impact. At the same time, when you have a busy schedule it can be tough to tweet several times each day. That’s where an application like Hoobsuite or Tweetdeck can really help out—they allow you to schedule tweets in advance. Spend 30 minutes scheduling tweets in advance, and you won’t have to worry about it on a daily basis.

3) Promote your Twitter presence. Make sure you have links to your Twitter page on your email signature, your website, and anywhere else it’s appropriate. The more followers you have, the more impact you’ll have with each tweet.

4) Add value to your tweets. Why should anybody pay attention to your tweets? If you don’t give your followers a reason to pay attention, they won’t. Share interesting, relevant links. Make recommendations. Answer questions that other people have been asking. By providing value to your followers, you ensure that they will continue to pay attention.

5) Strive to build relationships. At the core, Twitter is about relationships. The best way to utilize it effectively to build your brand is to develop relationships with your followers. Not sure how to start? Begin by retweeting a post of somebody you follow, or compliment them on a job well done. Twitter users love to be noticed—simply showing interest on somebody else’s profile is a great way to lay the foundation for a strong relationship.

6) Pay attention to trends. Twitter has a great feature that allows you to see which topics are popular currently. Keep an eye on these trends (the list is located on your Home page), and if you have something to say about a topic that is currently trending, do so! It’s a great way to pick up more followers—and more importantly, it keeps you plugged in to the always interesting world of Twitter.

Twitter is a powerful tool—how many other platforms are there that allow you to potentially reach millions of people instantly, and for no cost? Make sure you are using it as effectively as possible! These tips should get you going in the right direction.

I’ve shared many strategies relating to building your personal brand in this space. Today, I’m going to focus on some of the many benefits of a strong personal brand:

1) Expert status. Once you’ve established yourself as an expert in your field, you’ll be privy to opportunities that wouldn’t have come your way otherwise. This might mean new job offers, promotion, new clients or invitations to industry events.

2) Control of your image. Creating a strong personal brand gives you control of your perception to the outside world. You can highlight the traits that you want seen, and you can keep other information less visible. You’re not dependent on other people to build your image—it’s all in your hands.

3) Referrals. Once you’ve branded yourself as the go-to-guy (or gal) in your industry, you can count on receiving a steady flow of new business. People love to share their experiences—positive or negative. When your clients and customers view you as THE best choice in your line of work, they will be falling all over themselves to spread the word to their friends.

4) Credibility and trust. Even if prospective clients, colleagues, or potential employers don’t know you personally, an established personal brand provides instant credibility and trust. You’re not a nameless, faceless individual on the other end of a phone conversation. Because you have a strong public presence, people trust that you’re going to deal with them fairly.

5) More money. As an established expert in your industry, not only will you be able to attract new clients and new opportunities, but you can expect more compensation. Because you’re the expert, clients will be willing to pay more for your services. If you work for someone else, your expertise will increase your value to your employer, putting you in position to make a higher salary.

6) Marketability. If, for whatever reason, you need to either find a new job or bring in new clients to your business, a strong personal brand makes it much easier. A strong personal brand makes you a known commodity. New opportunities will be much easier to come by—after all, everyone knows what you bring to the table.

This list represents a very small sampling of the benefits of a strong personal brand. A strong personal brand can be the difference between the success and failure of your business. A strong brand can open career opportunities that never would have existed without it. The time you devote to building your personal brand is one of the greatest investments you’ll ever make.

Personal branding has been a hot topic of discussion lately, and with good reason. It’s gained mainstream acceptance to the point that most professionals are at least aware of the basics. However, there still seems to be a misconception out there that personal branding is important for executives, business owners and celebrities—but not for everybody else. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Personal branding is an essential tool for all of us—entry-level employees all the way to CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Effective personal branding will enhance your value to your employer, can increase your chances of promotion, and will position you as an expert in your line of work. And personal branding doesn’t have to be difficult—in fact, the tactics we’ll cover today can be done without walking away from your computer.

Think about your current job—when do you expect to be offered a promotion or a new opportunity? What is HR or management waiting for? In many cases, they’re waiting until they feel you have the necessary experience, or until you’ve developed sufficient expertise, or until you’ve shown the proper level of dedication to your job and your company. Now, strong personal branding won’t by itself accomplish any of these goals—but used effectively, your personal brand can showcase your talents, your knowledge, and your dedication to the outside world.

The first step is to determine the central components to the personal brand you want to build. When management hears your name, what do they think of? Are you young and energetic? Wise, experienced, and a proven winner? What about your expertise and your level of passion… do you love your job? Are you constantly soaking in knowledge, whether at work or at home? Are you up to speed with current developments and events that have an impact on your job? And what is your personality like? Are you laid back, calm and collected under pressure? Or perhaps you’re passionate, driven and determined to succeed in your every endeavor. Once you’ve identified two or three traits that you want to emphasize, you can begin building your brand.

The first step for professional personal branding should be LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a networking site that allows you to essentially display an in-depth resume and portfolio. You’ll want to upload a current version of your resume, as well as provide the additional information to display on your profile. Remember, as you are completing your profile, the personal brand that you are trying to build. Make sure that the information you are listing doesn’t take away from this brand. Every element of your profile, from your picture to your ‘specialties’, should enhance your brand. Once you’re happy with your profile, you can begin ‘connecting’ with colleagues, management, clients and others.

Twitter is another great online tool for professional personal branding. It’s important to remember, though Twitter is much more casual than LinkedIn, that your goal is still to build your personal brand. Make sure you choose an appropriate profile picture and write a professional-sounding blurb about yourself. Before you tweet anything, ask yourself “what would management think if they saw this?” Great tweet ideas include links to breaking news that impacts your job and your company, thoughts and insights relating to your areas of expertise, and personal thoughts or opinions that further advance your personal brand.

Social networks such as LinkedIn and Twitter are powerful tools for building your personal brand. Used wisely, they can emphasize your best qualities to the outside world—enhancing your chances of promotion, increasing your value to your employer, and positioning yourself as a true expert in your field.

When prospects and clients hear your name, what do you want them to think of first? Among other things, most people want to be thought of as great at what they do. If you’re an accountant, you want to be known as a great accountant. If you’re a DUI attorney, you want people to consider you an expert DUI attorney. There are many ways to build this perception of yourself, but today we’re going to focus on one of the most powerful: your blog. Below are several blogging tactics to help you establish yourself as an expert in your field.

1) Break down current events in your field. Are you a tax accountant? If so, what better way to demonstrate your expertise than by analyzing the tax impact of a new law passed by Congress? Not only will it make you appear up to date and savvy, but you’re also likely to attract extra traffic—any time news breaks, you can bet people are going to Google to find out what happened and what it means to them. The key is not to simply report the news, but to perform and publish your own analysis. Doing this well establishes that you’re truly an expert in your field.

2) Explain difficult concepts in simple terms. Experts are expected to be able to break down complicated concepts in a way that laypeople can understand. If you’re a criminal defense lawyer, writing a blog full of confusing legalese doesn’t make you look like an expert… after all, any lawyer can write in legalese! But if you can take a complex ruling and explain it in plain English, it’s obvious that you have a true grasp of the subject matter.

3) Write guest blogs — and host guest bloggers. Constantly keep your eyes open for guest blogging opportunities. Obviously you don’t want to post on just any blog, but if you have the opportunity to guest blog for a well respected blogger or website, seize the opportunity! Being featured as a guest blogger on a well-regarded site gives you instant credibility—after all, why would they seek out your wisdom if you weren’t an expert? Conversely, allowing a well-respected blogger to post on your blog makes you appear connected and respected by other thought leaders.

Your blog provides an incredible opportunity to build your personal brand and establish your expertise. Take advantage!

There are many ways to build (or tear down) your personal brand. We’ve covered many of them in depth, so today we’re going to focus on less obvious opportunities to build your personal brand. Remember that every interaction you have either build your brand or weakens it—so ignore these opportunities and your own peril!

1) Your email signature. How many emails do you send each day? 10? 30? 100? Though writing emails has become a mundane part of the day for many of us, each email sent represents an opportunity to build your personal brand. That’s because your email signature is an incredibly valuable branding opportunity. Along with your name and contact information, your email signature is a great place to insert a quote or word of wisdom. With just the slightest bit of technical savvy you can insert a picture of yourself or a logo. And you can advertise your social media presence by providing a link to your Twitter profile, Facebook page or LinkedIn profile. But the best part of a branded email signature is the repetition. If you can create a signature that truly conveys your personal brand, it will be broadcast countless times every single day. Clients that you correspond with regularly will see it often enough that it will sink and create, in their minds, the perception of you that you want them to have. It doesn’t get any better than that from a branding standpoint!

2) Phone conversations. Conversations on the telephone, whether they’re business related or not, are another great opportunity to build your personal brand. It starts with your greeting— a good greeting will make you sound cheerful, welcoming and professional. Conversely, it’s easy to come off as cold, irritable or unprofessional without even realizing it. From now on, pay attention to how you answer your phone! Casual small talk is another opportunity to build your brand by projecting your personality. What are you saying about yourself when you’re talking about the weather, or the stock market, or the local sports team? Are you optimistic? Witty? Cynical? Negative? Whether you know it or not, the person on the other end of the phone is subconsciously shifting their perception of you based on what you say and how you say it. This is particularly true of contacts who haven’t met you in person.

3) Your wardrobe. Have you thought about how your clothing impacts your personal branding? Do you dress appropriately for the brand you’re trying to project? Oftentimes the clothes you wear define the first impression you make while meeting somebody face to face. This doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy a $700 suit—it just means that the way you dress should be consistent with the brand image you are trying to create. Think about color as well—are there certain colors you’d like to be associated with? If so, wear them often!

As you can see, building your personal brand is an ongoing process. To create a powerful brand, you need to pay attention to the less obvious branding opportunities in addition to the more obvious opportunities. Doing a great job in the three areas we covered above will help you establish your personal brand in the minds of your customers, colleagues, friends and contacts.

We’ve talked about the importance of Twitter for personal branding in depth.  Today, I’m going to share three success stories—companies and individuals that have used Twitter to effectively build their brand.

1) Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh. Zappos was a very early adapter of Twitter, and as a result has built a very strong presence.  CEO Tony Hsieh, in particular, has used his twitter account (http://twitter.com/zappos) to infuse his personality into his business.  Contrary to the approach that many businesspeople take with Twitter, Hsieh isn’t hesitant to tweet about personal thoughts, opinions and activities that may have nothing to do with his business.  Rather than approaching Twitter as a giant billboard to advertise for Zappos, Hsieh uses it primarily to express his personality and connect with his followers.  When he does tweet about his business, he doesn’t make a sales pitch.  Rather, he shares interesting background details with his followers, or invites them to suggest improvements to various facets of his company.  As a result, followers stay engaged because Hsieh isn’t simply trying to sell them products.  In the long term, this results in customers with a strong connection to both Zappos and Tony Hsieh—and that is personal branding at its best. 

2) Comcast’s Bill Gerth. Comcast was another early adapter of Twitter, but they took a very different approach than Zappos.  In order to counter the perception that they were out of touch with their subscribers, Comcast created a Twitter account (http://twitter.com/comcastcares) specifically to help out frustrated customers.  In order to add personality to the account, Comcast assigned employee Bill Gerth to be the face of the operation.  This allowed followers to develop a personal connection—subtly countering the notion that Comcast is a large, bureaucratic, inhuman corporation.  Their customer service team uses the page to assist customers that are having issues— technical, billing, or others.  A glance at their page reveals a steady stream of correspondence with customers, immediately conveying that Comcast is dedicated to satisfying their customers.  Their Twitter presence serves two purposes—first, it’s an efficient way to provide customer support; and second, it presents Comcast as a customer centered company that truly cares. 

3)Southwest’s Christi Day. Southwest has been on Twitter since 2007 and has built a dynamic presence.  Run by employee Christi Day, Southwest uses their profile (http://twitter.com/SouthwestAir) for a variety of functions, but all have brand-building as their central purpose.  Common tweets include correspondence with travelers experiencing problems (a tweet earlier this week to a delayed flier read “I’m so sorry for the delay tonight. Hopefully we’ll get everyone outta there soon, hang in there!”) as well as announcements, information and contests.  This month, Southwest is holding a “12 days of LUV” contest in which they are offering 12 $1,000 Southwest gift cards to contest winners.  The contest asks followers to participate in various challenges, such as dressing their pet festively for the holidays.  Participants send pictures, and the winner is announced via Twitter.  These interactions paint a picture of Southwest as an engaged, fun-loving and customer oriented airline—branding at its finest.

You may not own a Fortune-500 company, but there is nothing stopping you from building a strong personal brand through Twitter.  The companies we covered above found great approaches that work for them—what will your approach be?

A concern that I’ve heard often regarding the usage of social media for branding is the potential for negative publicity. The openness of social media platforms make it a great place to build your personal brand, but that openness also means that it’s easy to take public criticism. Whether it’s a blog, Twitter page or Facebook account, the possibility that an upset customer will deliver a scathing complaint is unavoidable. So how do you respond?

While your first impulse may be to simply ignore (or even delete, if possible) any negativity that comes your way, that’s a mistake. Rather, take the opportunity to turn a negative into a positive. Respond to the complaint immediately—if it’s a comment on your blog, respond with a comment. If it’s a post on your Facebook wall, respond in the same place. If it’s a “mention” on Twitter, reply to the tweet. Your goal should be to make the situation right—apologize for the problem and ask what you can do to fix it. Stay in touch with the customer throughout the process, and follow up to make sure he or she is satisfied. You’ll impress the client or customer, but that’s not the best part. The true benefit of publically responding to a complaint or a disgruntled client is that everyone else will see the lengths you went to in order to make things right. You’ll be powerfully branding yourself as a company or individual that is truly committed to customers service and that is willing to do whatever it takes to make things right. That type of publicity is incredibly valuable—because let’s face it, nobody is perfect. Whether or not your blog has any negative comments, potential clients know that you’re bound to make a mistake sooner or later. Everybody makes mistakes. The “news” being delivered isn’t that you’re less than perfect—the newsflash that clients and prospects will receive is that you’ll do whatever it takes to make them happy. And that is a great message to send!

If you’re worried about negative publicity harming your personal brand, don’t be. If you’re in business long enough, an unhappy client is inevitable. Don’t focus on the negative—instead, turn an unfortunate situation into a positive branding opportunity.

You have heard me talk in depth about the importance of twitter for personal branding. And for good reason—after all, twitter is perfectly suited for projecting your personal brand. From time to time, however, I do hear questions about what to tweet. And based on the amount of twitter accounts that have been created but are not active, I have a feeling that many people share the same dilemma. Below are six suggestions to help you find your voice on twitter:

1) Comment on popular topics within your industry. Twitter is all about cutting-edge developments. Demonstrating your knowledge of recent events is a great way to show your expertise.

2) Questions for your followers. Twitter is a great resource. If you’re stumped by a challenge, or simply looking for a new perspective, tweet a question to your followers. Not are you likely to get some great answers, but you’ll be building your relationship with your followers.

3) Links to news and opinion within your area of expertise. In addition to demonstrating your own knowledge, linking to interesting articles and opinions in your industry shows that you are connected and up to date. However, you want to be careful that you are not promoting a competitor—for instance, if you’re a graphic designer, it may not be the best idea to link to a great blog post by another designer.

4) Links to your blog posts. Many people use twitter primarily to promote their own blog posts. Linking to your blog is a great way to drive traffic—but your twitter profile will be more interesting if you use it for more than blog promotion. Use this type of tweet in moderation!

5) Tweets announcing special deals. Tweeting special deals for your followers is a great way to keep them engaged and drive traffic to your site. Include a special promo code in your tweet and your followers will feel like they are receiving an exclusive deal.

6) Personal thoughts & interesting statements. Finally, mixing in some of your own opinions can make for great tweets. Whether it’s sharing an inspiring quote or telling your followers what you’re up to, these tweets are a great way to express your personality to your audience.

As you can see, there are many topics to tweet about. The list I’ve provided is just the tip of the iceberg—but it will get you pointed in the right direction. Have fun and remember that twitter is all about expressing your personal brand to the world.

If you pay attention to the world of sports, you’ve no doubt heard plenty about Michael Vick’s record setting performance last Monday night. Vick, the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, had an incredible game while becoming the only player in NFL history to throw three touchdown passes and run for two more in the first half of a game. Headlines across the nation paid tribute to his incredible performance—starkly contrasting the headlines that ran in 2007, when Vick was arrested for animal cruelty and other charges. I’ve spoken to many individuals who have been on the receiving end of negative publicity because of their own or other’s mistakes. In many cases, they feel hopeless and are ready to give up. Michael Vick’s story is a great illustration of the reality that it is never too late to begin recuperating your brand and overcoming mistakes. While Vick still has many detractors and a long way to go to make us all forget about his crimes, the fact that he is back in the public eye, making millions of dollars playing in the NFL, is amazing. So how has he begun restoring his brand, and what lessons can we take from it?

1) Take responsibility for your mistakes. Own up, apologize if necessary, do what you have to do to make it right—and move on. In Vick’s case this meant prison time… for most people, this may mean an apology to a customer, employer or boss. If a client complains about your products publically online, for instance, don’t ignore it. Instead, engage the unhappy customer and offer to work with him or her to make it right. Not only might you win the customer back, you’ll also have turned the negative publicity into a positive. Without your response, potential customers that saw your unhappy client’s complaint might have been frightened away. By responding, you’ve ensured that even if potential clients do see a complaint about you, they will also see how hard you’ve worked to make it right.

2) Address the issues that caused the problem. For Vick, this meant finding a new circle of friends. For others, it may mean being careful about what they post and say on Twitter and Facebook, or it may mean terminating or retraining an employee. The bottom line is that you need to fix the problem and make sure it doesn’t happen again. In general, people are willing to forgive and forget about a mistake. But repeating the same mistake over and over will make it very hard to recover.

3) Remember that nearly everything you do contributes to your brand. You may not think that how you answer your phone is important—but it often forms the first impression that somebody has of you. When you’re trying to recuperate your image, every interaction with a customer, colleague, boss or employee is important. Think about how you dress, what you say, and how you say it. Are you sending the right message?

4) Give them something else to talk about. Last Monday night, Mike Vick changed his public perception by performing at an incredible level. You may not be an NFL quarterback, but you are capable of exceptional performance in your field, whatever that may be. Do what it takes to impress those around you with your skill, determination, knowledge or whatever assets you possess.

Dealing with negative publicity or a bad reputation can be depressing. It’s a horrible feeling to see your name or your company’s name associated with negativity. But it is never too late to turn your reputation around. The steps we’ve discussed above will get you started in the right direction.

Five years ago, if you told me that I would spend time each month “tweeting” I would have thought you were crazy. Today, most people are aware of the power of Twitter for networking, website promotion and communicating… but have you thought about the impact Twitter could have on your personal brand? Twitter is an ideal format for personal branding—users have the ability to choose a color scheme, upload a picture, and send messages to an unlimited number of followers. Below are five tips to get you started:

1) Think about your layout. Your profile doesn’t have to be a great work of art, but it does need to be consistent with your personal brand. Choose a picture that shows you at your best. Resist the urge to use a company logo or some other image—it’s important for your followers to see your face. When it comes to the colors of your profile, try to use the same colors as you have on your website, blog or other branding materials.

2) Engage experts in your field. Follow experts in your field and look for opportunities to contribute to their conversations. If they reply to you, you can bet that many of their followers will follow you. This will give you instant credibility.

3) Don’t self promote—too much. Many experts suggest that no more than 20% of your tweets should be self promotion. More than that may make you look like a spammer—and that is not the brand any of us want to convey! In addition, even when you are promoting your blog posts, web site or special deals, make sure that you choose your words carefully. Twitter is not a place for an in-depth sales pitch.

4) Tweet at least once each day. You need to build relationships in order to convey your brand—and that takes more than two tweets per week. Tweets don’t have to be deep, meaningful statements, so don’t spend all day thinking about them. Just make sure that whatever you’re going to say represents your personal brand.

5) Let your personality shine through. Don’t be boring. Display your sense of humor! Share some opinions! You don’t want to be overly controversial, obviously, but an interesting opinion is a great way to catch the attention of your followers.