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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.