When it comes to building a strong personal brand, it is crucial that you start by understanding your market. You have heard the saying that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”… and in this case, it is your target market that serve as the “beholder.” It is your job to figure out what they are looking for so that you can create an appealing brand.

A classic example is Donald Trump. He has created a brash, loud, sarcastic brand that plays very well in New York (and on TV!). But if he were a real estate developer in the South instead of cosmopolitan NYC, his brand may not be so effective.

Below are three questions to ask yourself as you evaluate your personal brand:

1) What traits are most important to your market? What are your customers looking for? It is vital that you answer this question. Are they looking for confidence and experience? Are they looking for energy and youthfulness? Insight? Hard work? Low prices? If you don’t know what your audience is looking for, you’re flying blind. Answer these questions and begin creating your brand in a way that will resonate with your target market.

2) What are your competitors doing well… and what are they doing that you can improve on? Evaluating the successes of your competition is a great way to understand what works and what doesn’t in your market. But don’t just try to imitate the competition—look for ways to elevate your brand and differentiate yourself from the rest of the market.

3) What are the most common hopes and the most common fears in the mind of your target customers? What keeps your customers awake at night? What do they imagine in their wildest dreams? Understanding their hopes and fears gives you the ability to create a brand which addresses their fears while appealing to their hopes. For instance, most retirees fear out-living their money—and as a result, many retirement advisors emphasize their ability to create stable, consistent income.

It’s important that your personal brand reflect your true self. But it’s just as important that your brand appeals to your target audience. Does yours?

One of the challenges when it comes to personal branding is achieving memorability. Or in other words, making sure that your brand is remembered! This is a critically important topic and can make a huge impact in the overall profitability of a business. It’s a simple concept—a memorable brand means that, when a prospective client needs your help, your brand jumps to the top of their mind. If your brand isn’t very memorable, they’re just not going to think of you.

So how can you make your personal brand more memorable? Here’s one answer: by telling stories. Stories that subtly reinforce your abilities and your points of differentiation are very effective. You can tell these stories in many different ways—at a lunch meeting, in a blog post, on social media, in a book, etc. Here are a couple of examples to get your wheels turning.

1) Tell a success story. How have your products and services made a difference in the lives of your client? Find a specific story and tell it! For example, “I had a client who used to struggle with XYZ… but now he is able to XYZ…” Obviously the variables represent the problems your clients face and the results they get from your services. Make your stories specific so that your audience can relate!

2) Tell a story about a lesson you learned the hard way. Consumers like to feel like they’re working with an expert. To reinforce your expertise, talk about some of the lessons that you have learned “the hard way” over the years. These stories are often amusing and ultimately make the point that you’ve “been there, done that” and can be trusted to handle just about anything.

3) Tell a “horror” story. Can you think of an example of a client who didn’t heed your advice and ended up regretting it? These stories can be a great way to subtly remind your audience of why they should do business with you. But remember to make it specific and educational as well—otherwise it can feel like you’re just giving a sales pitch.

In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with information from every direction. Cell phones, blogs, cable TV, email, the list goes on and on. One of the biggest challenges for many business owners is simply to cut through all of the noise and create a memorable brand. Telling stories is a great way to accomplish this. Contact me today if you’d like to learn more!

You have heard me say it over and over again – “people buy people.” Consumers want to do business with people that they know, like, and trust. And they’re usually willing to pay a premium to do so. Of those three traits I just listed, the hardest to inspire is generally trust. In today’s world, business owners and consumers have to be cynical—because there are just so many scam artists out there.

So today, we’re going to take a few moments to discuss the process of establishing trust. Below are four specific tactics you can use:

1) Be yourself. Authenticity is important. People can usually “smell” a phony from a mile away. That’s why it’s so important that you stay true to yourself. As you’re building your personal brand, don’t try to become someone you’re not. Don’t feel that you have to fit into a certain mold to succeed. Be yourself!

2) Under promise, over deliver. The surest way to lose the trust of your market is to disappoint them. So do everything in your power to avoid disappointment! The principle of “under promise, over deliver” is very valuable here- it basically means that you’re understating your products or services so that your customers are pleasantly surprised when they receive them. This philosophy allows you to beat deadlines instead of missing them—a sure way to inspire confidence and trust.

3) “Live” your brand. This is another way of telling you to practice what you preach! For instance, I spend a great deal of time in this space discussing the value of publishing books and appearing on TV. If you wanted to learn more about me and discovered that I had not, in fact, published a book or appeared on TV myself, you’d be right to question me. Live your brand… don’t just preach it.

4) Don’t compromise your principles. This is less about branding and more about personal integrity—though integrity is an important part of your brand. Don’t compromise. Do what you know is right. Be true to the principles you believe in. At the end of the day, if customers and colleagues can depend on you to be honest, straightforward, and principled—you’re going to do just fine. Your integrity is everything, so don’t compromise it!

Most small businesses work with a limited marketing budget—and as a result, many business owners are hesitant to invest in building their brand. To some, branding implies huge media campaigns that are simply too expensive. But the truth is that effective personal branding can be done with a limited budget. In fact, below are four “hidden” branding opportunities that you can leverage without stretching your budget:

1) Make the most out of your email signature. Do you and your team communicate with clients, customers, and prospects via email? If so, every time they read your email, you have a golden opportunity to build your brand. At minimum, you should include a logo. You should also include a creative tagline, if appropriate, as well as links to your website, your blog, and your social media profiles.

2) Stand out from the crowd during the holidays. Nowadays, receiving an actual physical card or a letter is unusual. Take advantage of our digital overload and send your clients some type of tangible card or gift—this is guaranteed to make you stand out from the crowd!

3) Examine your attitude. This is particularly important for business owners who interact with clients regularly—and yet, it is often overlooked. Are you an optimistic, can-do, anything-is-possible type of person? Even if you aren’t, try your best to adopt this attitude—because the positive “vibe” you create for your clients is more powerful than you may think.

4) Answering the phone. Believe it or not, how you and your team answer the phone speaks volumes. When the phone rings at your office, whoever picks it up needs to use a cheerful, pleasant tone—and should use the name of your business in the greeting if possible. Don’t miss this easy opportunity to keep driving your brand identity home.

As you can see, effective branding doesn’t require you to spend millions of dollars. These four steps can make a real difference when it comes to building your brand. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to contact us today!

At the end of the day, personal branding is all about defining yourself to your market. It’s about deciding how you want your audience to perceive you, and then creating that perception. Today, we’re going to go through an exercise which will allow you to determine how you are currently perceived, and then determine what changes you’d like to make, if any.

Right now, take a few moments to prepare a test. Create a short questionnaire and share it with trusted clients, friends, and colleagues. Ask them to answer the following:

• When you hear or see my name, what feeling comes to mind first?
• What are three of my most valuable skills?
• What is one trait that makes me different from everyone else?
• In three words, how would you describe my personality?
• What am I most passionate about?

Once you’ve analyzed the results, you’ll have an accurate picture of how your audience perceives you. Remember, the larger your sample size is, the more accurate of a picture you’ll have.

Are you satisfied with your brand? If so, great! If not, that’s okay too! The great thing about personal branding is that it’s an ongoing process. It’s never too late to change direction or turn over a new leaf.

So what to do if you’re not happy with the state of your brand?

The first question to ask yourself is “what do I want to be known for?” When potential clients are exposed to your brand for the first time, what do you want them to see? Maybe you want to be known as friendly, trustworthy, and dependable. Maybe you want to be known as an elite professional, successful and sophisticated. Maybe you want to be known as no-nonsense, down to earth, and realistic. There’s no right or wrong answer—as long as it’s authentic. Trying to brand yourself as something you’re not just won’t work, so stay true to yourself!

Your personality plays an essential role in defining your brand as well—do you have a great sense of humor? Are you persistent in the face of challenges? Or maybe you’re proud of your laser-like focus. By now you probably see a theme emerging. You should be able to identify the primary attributes that you want to be known for. That’s the core of your brand.

But keep in mind that your brand can encompass much more than just your professional life. Are you a family man? Actively involved in your community? A huge sports fan? These elements of your personal life play an important part in defining your brand and adding a touch of humanity. Often, the traits that stick in the mind of a client or a customer aren’t even work-related—it may be your love of fishing, golf, or the local sports team that they remember first and foremost.

Jot down some of the traits that you most want to be known for—from your personality traits to your professional reputation to your non-work interests. This list represents the core of the personal brand that you can work towards creating. If you’d like some help along the way, please get in touch!

The Super Bowl is rapidly approaching, and for millions of Americans, the excitement is as much about the commercials as it is for the game itself. And who can blame them—the Super Bowl has become legendary for the creative and often hilarious ads that premiere between breaks in the game action. And granted, as a small business you’re probably not planning to shell out millions for a 30 second spot… but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention. Because the truth is, there is a lot to be learned about personal branding from the Super Bowl Commercials. Below is a short list:

1) A good Super Bowl commercial (and a good personal brand) is memorable. More than anything else, it seems that the goal most Super Bowl ad producers have is to be the most talked-about ad the next day. Advertisers go to incredible lengths to be memorable- whether that means being humorous, poignant, or shocking. As a business owner, you should do the same with your brand. If it’s not memorable, it’s going to be forgotten. It really is that simple.

2) A good Super Bowl commercial (and a good personal brand) is relevant. It’s not enough that an ad is memorable—it must also be relevant. From time to time, we see brilliant Super Bowl ads that we can’t stop talking about… but we also can’t recall what the heck they are even advertising. That’s a disastrous outcome for an advertiser. As you’re creating your personal brand, remember that it must be relevant to what it is that you and your business provide.

3) A good Super Bowl commercial (and a good personal brand) is created with the target market in mind. Super Bowl advertisers know exactly who they are appealing to with each ad—whether it’s moms in their thirties, males under 25, or seniors. Their ads are created to appeal to that target market. Similarly, your brand must be created with your target market in mind. If you’re a retirement planner, for instance, your brand had better be appealing to seniors.

This year, when you gather around the TV with family and friends to watch the big game, pay special attention to the commercials. Ask yourself… is each ad memorable? Is it relevant to the brand it’s promoting? Does it speak to its target market? And then, think about how you can apply these concepts to your own brand. I’d love to hear what you think!

One of the challenges of personal branding is staying focused. As we’ve talked about in the past, an effective brand is focused on a small number of traits or qualities. When you think Lexus, you think “high quality, reliable cars.” If Lexus began offering a model at $12K, their brand would be destroyed. Imagine the impact on Apple’s brand if they began selling low quality laptops for $500. Or imagine if Subway began selling greasy hamburgers. In each of these cases, a strong, focused brand would be weakened by trying to do too much. The key to a strong brand is focus… and that goes for your personal brand as well. As you establish your personal branding habit, it is critical that you stay true to your brand!

As you build your branding habit, it is important to start by reviewing the traits and qualities that your brand consists of. These may include your personality, your passions, your unique products or services, or anything else that makes you different. Create a list of the key components to your personal brand—and then you can focus on driving them home consistently. The key here is focus. Each interaction that you have with a customer or prospect is an opportunity to broadcast your personal brand—and that means you have many, many opportunities on a daily basis to stray from the core of your brand. Do your best to avoid sending mixed messages—if your brand is upbeat and friendly, it’s important that you live out that brand when you meet with customers, prospects, and others in your market. Stay true to your brand in each and every interaction with the outside world.

The key to establishing your personal brand is consistency. Determine what you want your brand to stand for and resist the temptation to stray from these attributes. Focus on the core of your brand and drive it home… over and over and over. In time, you’ll have a personal brand that truly represents your business and places you in a separate category from all the competitors in your market.

Arguably the most important principle to keep in mind when you’re developing your personal brand is focus. It’s easy to lose focus and end up watering down your brand—and that’s a mistake you can’t allow yourself to make.

An effective brand is focused on a few traits or qualities. When you think Rolex, you think “expensive, high quality timepiece.” If Rolex sold twenty dollar watches, their brand would be destroyed. Imagine the impact on the Harley-Davidson brand if they began selling cars, bicycles and mopeds. Or imagine if McDonalds began selling thirty dollar steaks. Pretty soon, the golden arches wouldn’t stand for anything. The key to a strong brand is focus… and that goes for your personal brand as well.

Each interaction that you have is an opportunity to broadcast your personal brand—and that means you have many, many opportunities on a daily basis to stray from the core of your brand. If you’re trying to brand yourself as cheerful and upbeat, you can’t allow yourself to be harsh or negative within earshot of a patient—even on your worst day. And if the aim is to be seen as successful, sophisticated and exclusive, your lobby should be decorated accordingly! Cheap lamps that you found at a garage sale simply won’t cut it in your situation. Stay focused on your message and don’t contradict the brand you are trying to build!

For many, the toughest part of establishing a personal brand is the realization that they can’t be everything to everyone. Just as McDonalds would destroy its brand by offering expensive steak and seafood, you’ll destroy your brand if you try to please everyone. You can’t be both the elite expert and the affordable service provider. In addition, it’s important to identify your specialties and focus on building your brand around them. You may feel like you are limiting yourself by choosing a small number of specialties—but if you don’t, what will you be known for? It may seem appealing to be known as a jack-of-all-trades, but when a prospective client is looking for help, they aren’t going to think of the professional who is “good at everything.” Instead they will look for the expert in their specific area of need. It’s great that you’re multitalented and knowledgeable in a variety of different areas—but if you want to establish yourself as an expert in anything, you need to limit your expertise to a few areas.

As we kick off the New Year, make a commitment to yourself that you will work to focus your branding efforts in 2013. Doing this consistently will begin to establish you as a leading expert in your particular area of expertise. If you’d like to learn more on this subject, or if you’d like some help along the way, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me today!

I’ve heard many business owners say things like “I don’t have a brand!”

But everyone has a personal brand… whether they realize it or not. Your brand is simply the collection of thoughts and ideas that others associate with you.

So today, let’s take a few moments and run a test… so that you can identify your personal brand.

Create a short questionnaire and share it with customers and colleagues. Ask the following: (if you’re not comfortable asking them, do your best to answer them honestly from their perspective.)

1) Describe my personality in three words.
2) What are my most valuable skills?
3) When you hear my name, what single word comes to mind first?
4) What makes me different from everyone else?
5) Describe my attitude in one word.

Once you’ve tabulated your results, you’ll have a great idea of your personal brand. Do make sure you have a decent sample size— I would recommend 20 completed questionnaires.

Are you happy with your brand? Great—now you need to leverage it for the best possible results. If your brand needs work, don’t worry, it’s never too late to create a strong personal brand!

So how do you determine what your brand should be? The question to ask yourself is “what do I want to be known for?” When potential clients are exposed to your brand for the first time, what do you want them to see? Maybe you want to be known as friendly, trustworthy, and dependable. Maybe you want to be known as an elite professional, successful and sophisticated. Your personality plays an essential role in defining your brand—do you have a great sense of humor? Or maybe you’re proud of your laser-like focus. By now you should see a theme emerging. You should be able to identify the primary attributes that you want to be known for. That’s the core of your brand. Branding can be more than just your professional life, however. Are you a family man? Actively involved in your community? A devoted spouse? These elements of your personal life play an important part in defining your brand. Take this information, think hard about what you want to be known for, and distill it down to a handful of words. That’s the personal brand you need to create!

There is a misconception out there that in order to build an effective personal brand, a business owner must be an extrovert. From time to time, I’m approached by an individual who sincerely believes that the right personal branding strategy could turn his or her business around, but simply “doesn’t have the right personality for it.”

The truth is that every business owner has the opportunity to leverage their personal brand in order to build their business… whether or not they’re a classic extrovert.
While certain elements of a branding strategy, such as public speaking, may be easier for someone who loves being in front of an audience, there are many parts of the branding process that actually favor more introverted individuals.

For instance, introverts often tend to be better listeners than extroverts, though this is obviously a generalization. Those listening skills can be invaluable when it comes to person-to-person networking. There is a shortage of great listeners in the world, and a business owner who has the ability to truly listen to customers, colleagues, and other professionals has a significant advantage.

Dynamic personalities like Donald Trump or Oprah are often cited as individuals who are particularly skilled at personal branding—and the fact that they both have “larger than life” personas scares many business owners when they think about branding. But the truth is that for every Donald Trump, there is a Bill Gates—quiet, humble, and incredibly well respected by peers and competitors alike.

The key is to understand this: personal branding doesn’t mean turning you into something that you aren’t. Personal branding is the process of leveraging your personality and your strengths to create a memorable and valuable brand. If you’re extroverted, great—you can work with that! And the same is true if you’re naturally introverted.
Every business owner is unique—we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses. A good personal branding strategy doesn’t try to turn you into something you aren’t… a good branding strategy leverages your strengths and defines your personality. And that’s true whether you’re an extrovert… or not!

The NFL season is back in full swing, and as always there is plenty of excitement to keep the sports media cycle churning rapidly. But lost in all of the X’s and O’s earlier this season was a very interesting development. Deseret News reports:

Be careful when you take a knee and rest your forehead on your fist. You may end up paying the man who popularized what his fans call “Tebowing.”

“I’m not sure how Tebowing can be used in either the right or the wrong way. It does seem that if the Jets don’t get him into the game a little more, it’s not going to matter. If someone is a winning athlete, it doesn’t seem to matter if he’s Tebowing™ or dealing drugs. Americans don’t seem to care.”

Regardless of your thoughts on Tim Tebow, the New York Jets, or football in general… the lesson here is that protecting your brand and your intellectual property results is essential. Tebow understands that his brand is worth untold millions of dollars, and is taking the necessary steps to maintain control. Business owners would be well advised to pay attention!

Building a powerful personal brand is well worth the effort it takes. A strong personal brand gives a business owner the opportunity to lock out competition in their market, attract new business, and command higher rates.

But like just about everything else worthwhile in life, it doesn’t happen overnight. Building a powerful brand requires consistency and purposeful action over a period of months and even years. And I can tell you firsthand that if you don’t take the time to create an effective plan of action, you won’t achieve the results that you’re hoping for.

It all starts with a plan—but not just any plan. Your plan must be specific, and measurable. Set deadlines. Create accountability for members of your team that are working on this initiative. Hold yourself accountable. Below are several key questions that your personal branding plan must answer:

Who is your target market? Who are your ideal customers? Are you marketing to your town, nationally, or internationally? Men, women, or both? High income, low income, middle income? You get the point. Take the time to create a detailed “profile” of your target market—this will ensure that your branding efforts don’t miss the mark.

How will you connect with your target market? There are a wide variety of channels available to reach your customers—but they won’t all be effective. Marketing via Facebook may work very well if your customers are younger consumers. On the other hand, if your market is high-income business owners, Facebook is a poor fit. Research your target market and come up with a number of channels by which you can effectively communicate.

How will you differentiate yourself from the competition? One of the most important questions that your brand must answer is “why should a customer choose me over the competition?” In order to answer this question, you must first identify your most valuable points of differentiation. For some of you, this may be your years of experience and the valuable perspective you have acquired. For others it’s a particular skill or trait that you possess. What sets you apart from everyone else in your market?

How will you demonstrate your expertise? Establishing your expert status is crucial to building a powerful brand—how will you accomplish this? Writing a book is a great solution. So are publishing blogs and articles, pursuing speaking opportunities, and appearing on TV or in the newspaper. None of these things “just happen”, however, so create a detailed action plan to ensure that they get done.

How will you ensure that your plan is executed? Many business owners have a great vision and create a strong plan… only to watch it fall by the wayside. Most of the time, this happens because of a lack of specific deadline and accountability. If you’re going to start a blog, schedule a specific time each week to work on your content. If your staff will be managing your social media presence, assign a specific person with the task and specifically define your expectations. Then, hold yourself and your team accountable.

Personal branding can be a whole lot of fun, and it can make you a whole lot of money! But it all starts with a plan… without planning, your chances of success are virtually nil. Get in touch with me today if you’d like to learn more!

Personal branding is always the focus of these blog entries, and we’ve talked in depth about a wide variety of different approaches to the process of personal branding. But as I’ve said before, there’s one strategy that stands above most others in terms of creating a powerful brand, and that strategy is publishing a book. Many business owners are intimidated by the process because it sounds like an impossible amount of work—but it’s not! In fact, publishing a book may be one of the best investments you ever make. Below are five reasons why.

1) Instant credibility. Once you’ve published your book you’re no longer just an “ordinary Joe”… you’re an expert. Adding the words “published author” to your biography makes a huge difference in your perceived credibility.

2) A new channel to connect with your target market. Assuming you’ve written a book that provides value to your target market, you’ve opened up an entirely new channel by which to attract new business. Potential customers will discover your book on Amazon, hear about it from their friends, or come across it in a bookstore. If they like what they see, many times they’ll pick up the phone and give you a call.

3) Media exposure. Publishing your book opens up many opportunities for media exposure—from sending out press releases, to publishing excerpts in the newspaper, to appearing on TV promoting the book. Each of these opportunities represents a chance to connect with your target audience and further increase your credibility.

4) A big step toward CelebrityExpert® status. Our goal at the Celebrity Branding Agency is to help our clients become recognized experts within their industry and their market. And while there are many elements that go into this process, writing a book is arguably the most important step to achieve this goal.

5) Speaking opportunities. Once you’ve written a book, you’ve achieved expert credibility. And that credibility often means requests to speak to organizations, associations, and other industry groups. These speaking gigs in turn translate into further increased credibility and often new business.

If you’d like to learn more about the process of writing and publishing a book, please feel free to get in touch with us today!

The NFL season kicked off in early September—but it didn’t take long for fan excitement to give way to frustration and anger. The cause was the labor dispute that took place between the league and its referees. The sides could not agree on compensation and other factors, and as a result the NFL’s referees were “locked out” of the games. Instead, replacement referees officiated the games. And unfortunately, there were a multitude of bad calls which received national attention—and even cost at least one team a victory.

The public outcry was loud enough that it ultimately prompted the league and the referees to resolve their dispute—but the damage had already been done. Many analysts believe that the errors committed by the replacement referees caused severe damage to the credibility of the NFL—or at least the credibility of the results of the first three week’s worth of games.

What can your business learn from this situation?

1) Avoid compromising your products and services at all costs. The league apparently believed that its product wouldn’t suffer—but they were quickly proven wrong. As a business owner, the integrity and the quality of your products and services must always be a top priority.

2) Acknowledge mistakes. To the credit of the NFL, league commissioner Roger Goodell issued an apology to fans and made it clear that the league regretted what happened. This apology may have done little to make fans of teams who had been victimized feel better—but it did send the message to the general public that the league understood public frustration and was working towards resolution.

3) Fix the problem and move on. When the situation reached its breaking point in late September, the league took action. They reached an agreement with their referees and brought them in immediately. Since then, the league has focused on the future, steering conversation and media attention back to the players and the games. You can bet that they will do their best to avoid broaching the subject at any point in the future.

It’s highly unlikely that any of us will ever offer a product or service that is as popular as the NFL—but we can apply these lessons to our own businesses just the same. Please get in touch with me today if you’d like to learn more!

As you know, the exploding popularity of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn has provided a valuable personal branding opportunity for business owners. Ten years ago, reaching an audience as vast as today’s social media members would have been quite costly. Today, business owners can connect with a potentially unlimited audience without any fees whatsoever.

Of course, access to social media doesn’t help you if you aren’t sure what to do with it. Today, we’re going to focus on LinkedIn—the dominant social network for professionals and business owners. While Facebook and Twitter are better platforms for reaching consumers, if you are marketing to businesses, you can’t beat LinkedIn. Below are four tips to help you utilize the platform more effectively.

1) Fill out your profile completely. Many business owners don’t take the time to fill out their profile completely—and as a result they miss the opportunity to “tell their story” to viewers of their profile. In addition to filling out your summary section with your biography, include past positions and other information that boosts your credibility.

2) Seek recommendations. Recommendations from others are LinkedIn gold. Anyone can write up a great biography for themselves—but recommendations from colleagues, customers, and friends carry great weight. If you don’t yet have any, just ask! Many off your connections will not only be glad to help out… they’ll be honored that you asked!

3) Participate in industry groups. LinkedIn features discussion groups for just about any topic you can imagine—and they’re sure to have one for your industry. If you’re a CPA, for instance, look for groups that feature discussion of tax policy or other relevant topics. By participating in these discussions, you are reinforcing your own qualifications as an expert on the subject.

4) Post content. If you’re regularly writing blog entries and articles (which you should be!), consider sharing them on LinkedIn just as you do on Twitter or Facebook. It exposes your audience to your ideas and subtly reminds them of your status as an industry expert.

LinkedIn is a great place for business owners to build their personal brand and market themselves to other business owners and professionals. Make sure you are taking full advantage!

The NFL season is here, and millions of fans across the country can’t wait to cheer for their hometown team. In 31 of the 32 NFL cities, all eyes are on the starting quarterback—the man who fans hope can lead their team to a Super Bowl championship. But for one team, the situation is a little bit different. Why?

Because Tim Tebow plays for the New York Jets. And although he is the backup quarterback, he is easily the most popular player on the team. You’ve probably heard of Tebow-mania… but have you ever wondered what caused it? We’ll take a look—but even more importantly, we’ll identify lessons that you can apply to your own personal branding efforts.

1) Personality sells. Tim Tebow is not the best quarterback in the league. In fact, many football experts would argue that he is not even among the top fifty quarterbacks in the league. And yet, he is the second most popular player in the entire league, as measured by jersey sales. What gives? Football fans are putting significantly more stock in his personality and his values than they are in his skills. As a business, obviously the products and services you sell are important—but Tebow-mania reminds us that personality and value go a long way towards determining the success of a brand

2) It’s all about the story you tell. Tim Tebow is more than just a football player—his life and career tell a story. From his very public faith to his emphasis on community service, Tebow tells a story that goes beyond simply throwing a football. What can you do to add life and substance to your brand, so that you tell a story that goes beyond the nuts and bolts of your products and services?

3) Controversy can be a good thing. Tebow has raised eyebrows many times—for his outspoken faith, his public and personal commitment to abstinence, and for his embrace of pro-life political causes. While these stances may alienate some potential fans, his message has clearly resonated with millions of football fans. It goes without saying that you must approach controversial subjects with great care as a business owner—but Tebow proves that, done right, a bit of controversy can super-charge a brand.

If you pay attention to the NFL this season, you’re bound to hear Tebow’s name frequently. Pay attention and look for opportunities to enhance your personal brand with the strategies that Tebow uses so effectively.

Most people, once they understand the value of a powerful personal brand, come to the conclusion that a strong brand would benefit their business. But for many of them, nothing changes. Why? Because personal branding, like most things in life, requires commitment and action. Desire alone isn’t enough.

The problem for many business owners is time. You can probably identify with this challenge—there’s already enough to do each day just to keep your business running smoothly. So how can you possibly dedicate time to personal branding? The answer is one word: systems. You need a system to keep you on track and ensure that you’re spending the necessary time focusing on your brand. For instance:

1) Schedule an hour, one day per week, to work on your blog. Some people like to do this first thing in the morning. Others like to do it during the evening or weekend. When you do it doesn’t matter, as long as you’re getting it done.

2) Make engaging on social media part of your morning routine. One of the first things you do each morning is check your email, right? Put “social media” on your to-do list in the same place. It only takes a few moments to log on to Twitter or LinkedIn and post something. Remember to look for opportunities to interact with others, as well.

3) Work on a book… using baby steps. The vast majority of business owners never seriously consider publishing a book, not because they don’t have anything to say… but because the process is so intimidating. But if you are willing to take baby steps, and work on writing it for a few hours each month, you will be surprised at how quickly it comes together.

4) Get out and network regularly. Some of you may be able to network on a weekly basis. For others, once a month is all you can handle. Whatever frequency you settle on, create system to keep you on track.

It’s also important to note that many of these systems can be executed by members of your team. If you don’t want to personally write blog entries or post on social media, delegate it to your team—but make sure they have system to ensure it gets done. Simply wanting a strong personal brand won’t get it done… you need to commit and create a system!

As a business owner, you don’t make decisions arbitrarily. Particularly when it comes to investments of your time and your resources. So, while personal branding may sound like a great idea to you, that’s not enough of a reason to commit. After decades in this business, I can say with complete confidence that personal branding is one of the best investments you can make—and today I’m going to tell you why.

On a big-picture level, personal branding is a sound investment because it produces a positive return. How does this happen?

1) Personal branding generates exposure. Increased visibility is a part of every personal branding campaign. Whether this means appearing on TV, publishing an article in the Wall Street Journal, or building a powerful social media presence, personal branding will get your name and your business out there. Not only are potential customers exposed to your business, but they are exposed in a way which positions you as an expert within your market. Which leads us to the next point…

2) A powerful personal brand allows you to charge premium rates. By appearing on mass-media channels like TV and leading publications, you create the perception of expertise. And therefore, you have the ability to charge higher rates and still win business. It’s not rocket science—just think about it. If you’re choosing a financial planner, for instance, wouldn’t you prefer to work with a respected industry expert as opposed to a non-descript competitor? Of course you would—and you’d be willing to pay more for the privilege.

3) Personal branding makes client retention much easier. This may sound odd, but when you create a personal brand that positions you as a celebrity-expert within your market, your customers will feel privileged to work with you! This is very powerful—and it completely changes the “normal” dynamic in which business owners are always worried about being fired by their customers. Of course, you must still work tirelessly to deliver great products or services and deliver a great customer experience—but a powerful brand makes keeping your clients happy easier than ever.

At the end of the day, personal branding makes it easier to attract new clients as well as retain current clients. And it allows you to charge higher rates than the competition, and still bring in business. If you’d like to learn more, get in touch with me today!

Personal branding has become a popular buzzword in many business circles over the last couple of years. And if you are like most savvy business owners, you are naturally skeptical anytime you are exposed to the “next big thing.” If that’s how you currently feel about personal branding, this blog post is for you. First, I’m going to dispel a common myth about personal branding, and then I’ll explain exactly what it really is. Finally, I’ll offer a couple of questions which will help you determine whether personal branding is something you ought to consider.

The myth: “Personal branding is just the latest fad.” Actually, personal branding has been around as long as human society has been around. There is nothing new about it.

So what is personal branding, exactly? Personal branding is the process of creating a unique, memorable image for an individual. We all have a personal brand—the only question is whether your brand positions you and your business in a positive light.

Is personal branding right for you?

Are you in a competitive industry? When a customer in your market needs your products or services, does he or she have a wide variety of choices? Or are you the “only game in town”? A strong personal brand is vital when it comes to winning business in a competitive environment. If you’re currently not facing competition, you may not need a strong brand—but don’t get complacent!

Do you sell boutique or high-end products and services? Or are you selling generic, non-specialized products and services? If the answer is generic, a strong personal brand is less beneficial, because typically your customers are simply looking for the lowest possible price. If your offerings are high-end, however, a strong personal brand adds to the value of your products and services.

Is expertise important in your industry? If expertise is important in your line of work (for instance, if you’re a doctor, lawyer, accountant, financial advisor, etc), a powerful personal brand will help you establish that all-important expertise and win more business.

An effective personal branding campaign can be the best investment a business ever makes—I’ve seen it time and time again. But every situation is different, and if you’d like to learn more about whether personal branding is right for you, get in touch with me today!

Personal branding is great business. A powerful personal brand offers a variety of benefits to a business owner—including the ability to lock out competitors, charge premium rates, and still bring in all the business he or she can handle. But beyond the financial incentives, there is another reason that I love personal branding: because it can be a whole lot of fun.
Think about some of the business owners that have built up powerful personal brands—people like Richard Branson, Mark Cuban, and even Donald Trump.

Richard Branson is the CEO of the Virgin brand, which includes an airline, a record label, and a whole lot more. But that isn’t why most of us have heard of him. No, he’s famous for his outrageous stunts and antics. From skydiving to circumnavigating the globe, Branson has generated headlines and publicity for his business just by being himself… and having fun.

Mark Cuban is a billionaire, but few know how he made his money. Instead, the public knows him as a fun-loving sports fan. He bought the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and has been involved in a number of additional sports-related ventures. He regularly appears on a variety TV shows. Once again, he’s built an incredibly powerful personal brand… just by being himself and having fun.

Donald Trump earned millions through savvy investments—but it is his unique personality and love of the spotlight that has turned him into a household name. From appearing on reality TV shows to designing outrageous skyscrapers and casinos, Trump has parlayed his strong personality into a powerful personal brand.

Now, you may never appear on reality TV show. (Heck, many of us wouldn’t even want to.) But your personality and your ability to have fun is still essential to building an appealing personal brand. Your audience needs a reason to remember you—and letting them glimpse your lifestyle and your personality is a great way to do that.

For instance, if you are an avid outdoorsman, share your adventures with your audience. Tweet about recent hunting trips. Use services like Instagram and Facebook to share pictures of your latest adventures. Write about your experiences on your blog. You will enjoy doing this, of course—but the key is that your audience will pay attention. Even if many of your customers or potential customers aren’t big fans of the outdoors, they will appreciate that they have been able to get to know the “real” you. And you will have given them something to remember you by—instead of being just another faceless business owner.

If your personal branding efforts are boring, you are doing it wrong. An effective personal brand showcases your personality, as well as your professional strengths. For a brand to resonate with an audience, it must be authentic—and there are few better ways to create an authentic brand than to let your audience see you having fun. Personal branding is good business, but it’s more than just business. Make it fun!

There are many elements that go into building a powerful personal brand, but one of the most important is consistency. It is important to understand that branding, unlike some forms of marketing, is not about producing immediate results. If you run a department store and are trying to get people in the door for a sale you are running on Saturday, July 21, you have a specific short term goal. And your marketing will reflect that. You’ll run ads aiming to attract attention and drive consumers in the door. You’re not worried about consistency… you are concerned about a very specific short term objective.

When it comes to branding, that strategy won’t work. Instead, your goal is to establish your personal brand in the minds of your audience. For instance, my partner and I have worked hard to establish our brand as leaders in the field of personal branding. We didn’t do that by creating flashy, self-promoting billboards. Instead, we have spent years working to consistently broadcast our brand to our target audience.

Why is consistency so important? Think about it—in the world of politics, what is worse than being a “flip flopper”? It’s the same concept… if your brand doesn’t stand for something, it ends up standing for nothing. If you spend six months branding yourself as an investment guru, and then spend the next six months branding yourself as a cutting-edge marketing expert, you’re going to have a very confused audience. Ultimately, your brand can’t stand for anything if you aren’t consistent with it.

Now, the example I just gave was extreme. But the truth is that many business owners undermine their brand regularly by being inconsistent. Here are a few examples:

- Business cards that don’t match the look and feel of your website.
- Carrying yourself differently in person than you appear in commercials or online.
- Using different biographical pictures across the internet. (It’s important to choose a picture and use it universally, wherever possible.)
- Goods and services not living up to the promises you made while marketing.

This is a very short list, but you get the point. In order to build a powerful brand, it is critical that you stay consistent. Feel free to get in touch with me if you’d like to learn more!

When it comes to building a powerful personal brand, there are a variety of strategies that can be used. One of the most consistently successful strategies is also the most surprising to many clients—the idea of writing and publishing a book. The first thing that many of our clients say when discussing this possibility is “I can’t write a book. I don’t have anything to say!” Others say “I’m not a good enough writer” or “I don’t have the time.” The truth is that we’ve made the process very simple for business owners—and have helped hundreds of them take their personal brands to the next level by writing and publishing a book. Below are three of the top benefits of writing a book on your area of expertise:

1) Credibility. When you can add the word “author” to your biography, your credibility goes through the roof. We assume that if an individual has written a book, he or she must be an authority on the topic. Writing a book immediately positions you as a credible expert within your marketplace—and that credibility means that you’ll have prospects lining up to do business with you.

2) Celebrity status. When you’re an author, your prospects view you differently. You’re a celebrity—and as such, your services are at a premium. If you take two tax accountants who are similar in every way, except that one has written a best-selling book, I can promise you that the accountant who is also an author will be able to charge far higher rates than his competitor—and still have no problem bringing in business.

3) Exposure. Publishing a book gives you the opportunity to generate exposure for yourself and your business. Whether it is speaking at industry events, promoting your book on a local TV affiliate, or publishing an excerpt on a major website, your book gives you the opportunity to get your name out there. This type of exposure is invaluable as you seek to grow your business!

Writing a book will supercharge your personal brand and give your business a boost. If you’d like to learn more, or if you’d like help getting started, feel free to get in touch with me today!

Relationships are an important facet of a strong personal brand. Strong relationships will not only help you to refine your brand, but they can also help you spread the word about your business. However, many business owners don’t realize this—and therefore, they do little to proactively build relationships. But pursuing relationships and creating community can make all the difference when it comes to growing your business. Below are three ways to do this.

1) Create a networking club. Sure, there are plenty of options out there already. But if you can identify a unique purpose or a cause that your group can rally around, you may be surprised at how easy it is to bring people out on a monthly basis. How does this help your business? It exposes you to a number of business owners on a consistent basis. By taking leadership, you are sending a strong message of confidence and competence. When a member, friend, or colleague stumbles across an individual that could use your products or services, you can bet that you will be the first person they think of.

2) Join a hobby group. Whether it is remote control airplanes, collecting stamps, or performing in a community theater, take the opportunity to connect with others that share your interests. The shared passion will allow you to quickly bond with other members, and as they get to know you, you’ll have the chance to communicate what you do and what makes you different. You never know which of these relationships will turn into a “gold mine” for your business—I’ve seen this type of thing happen time and time again!

3) Get involved in a local cause. Are you passionate about a local cause or charity? If there’s a group that already exists in support of this cause, join it! If not, take initiative and create one yourself. Not only are you working towards something you truly believe in, but you’re bonding with others who share your values. This is a great opportunity to communicate your brand while making a positive impact on the world around you.

When you think about personal branding, the word “community” may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But strong relationships are invaluable to your efforts to spread the word about your business and to build your personal brand. Don’t underestimate the power of community!

Personal branding is all about building credibility. The simple truth is that customers prefer to work with an expert. Think about it—if you’re getting serious about saving for retirement, who would you trust to manage your portfolio: a nationally recognized expert, or a generic local planner. Of course, you’ll choose the expert—and you’ll pay more for him or her!
How can you build this credibility for yourself? Below are five steps:

1. Write a book. Nothing says “expert” like publishing a book on your area of expertise. It may sound like a daunting task, but it’s not—get in touch with me today if you’d like to learn more!

2. Publish a blog. These days, consumers are turning to the internet when they need a service provider. Publishing an industry-related blog positions you as an expert—and it allows you to engage with prospects who are actively searching for the services you provide.

3. Feature testimonials. There’s nothing like a great testimonial from a client when it comes to building credibility. It’s one thing for you to tell the world how great you are—it’s quite another when your customers are bragging about you. For best results, utilize video testimonials. When video isn’t an option, be sure to at least include a picture with the testimonial so that prospective customers can tell that the testimonial came from a “real” person.

4. Publish articles in national newspapers and magazines. Writing an article or even being quoted in a leading publication like the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal provides instant credibility. For better or for worse, our culture assumes that if an individual is featured in national media, he or she must be an expert! Of course, accessing these publications can be difficult—but we can help!

5. Get out and speak. Whether it’s a local networking event or a national seminar, look for opportunities to speak on topics related to your area of expertise. Most people are terrified to speak in public—so when you do so, especially on a topic related to your industry, it sends a powerful message that you know your stuff!

Questions? Comments? Would you like to learn more about the steps you can take to rapidly increase your credibility in your market? Contact me today at www.jwdicks.com/contact!

You’ve heard the saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I’m not going to give you advice on your love life—but I can tell you that this sentiment is absolutely accurate in the world of personal branding. This is because you don’t ultimately define your personal brand—your audience does. It is their perception of you and your business that determines your brand.

This means that it isn’t enough for you to figure out the brand you’d like to create. You need to figure out how to communicate it in a way that makes sense to your audience.
Here are four questions to ask yourself:

1) Are you speaking the right language? If your brand is going to resonate with your audience, you need to speak their language. As a financial advisor for retirees, for instance, words like “stability” and “security” will be effective. Get to know your audience, and learn to speak their language.

2) Are you using the right channels? Using the wrong channels will diminish your brand. If you’re an attorney seeking to represent celebrities, CEO’s, and other “big shots”, advertising your practice on bus stops is a bad idea. Chose channels that will both reach your audience and position your brand in the proper light.

3) Are you communicating the right benefits? Why should customers choose your products or services? What value do you add to their lives? It’s important that the value you are emphasizing appeals to your target. Wal-Mart has branded itself as the low-cost leader which works well for them—but if their target was high-income earners, they’d need a different approach.

4) Are you using the right picture? Believe it or not, the picture you use of yourself has a tremendous impact on the way that your brand is perceived. It’s important that you have a high-quality, professional headshot to use—and that it positions you in a way that is consistent with your brand.

You may think that your personal brand is strong and effective. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you think! What matters is the way in which your audience perceives your brand. Contact me today if you’d like more information on this subject.

In today’s high-tech information age, consumers are savvier than ever before. Whether it is comparison shopping online before visiting a brick-and-mortar retain location or reading the reviews of a product on Amazon.com before making a purchase, today’s consumer routinely performs a “smell check” before committing to purchase a good or a service.

This skepticism represents a challenge for businesses, but also an opportunity for top performers to clearly separate themselves from the competition. As we have discussed elsewhere, a strong personal brand is a powerful way to differentiate yourself from the competition by establishing your expertise—but that personal brand will be subjected to the same scrutiny as your products and services. This scrutiny can manifest itself in a variety of ways… some potential clients will visit your website and dig around, others will take a look at your social media presence, and still others will call around town looking for confirmation from a past or current customer.

Therefore, if your personal brand is to serve as a powerful means of differentiation from your competition, it must hold up to scrutiny. And to do that, your personal brand must be genuine. It must be authentic.

Fortunately, building a powerful personal brand starts with being yourself. It isn’t difficult to create an authentic brand—because the strongest personal brands are 100% authentic. Your personal brand should be an expression of your passions, your interests, and your personality. Granted your brand must be “cleaned up” a bit before it’s ready to be presented to your audience, but at the end of the day your personal brand should reflect who you are.

Are you passionate about golf or fishing? Find a way to work that passion into your brand—perhaps by frequently tweeting from the golf course or by publishing a book in which you relate the lessons you’ve learned while fishing to your industry.
Are you passionate about a particular cause or movement? Get involved in local clubs and organizations. Offer to guest-blog for prominent writers focused on those causes.
Creating a genuine personal brand doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it doesn’t have to feel like work at all. The key is to identify an angle by which you can connect your personal interests and hobbies to your industry, and to the products and services you offer. Feel free to get in touch with me for more on this subject!

If you regularly read my blog entries and articles, you know that public speaking is an effective way to build expert credibility. And you know that credibility is an essential element of a personal brand that enables you to dominate your market and lock out the competition.

But, if you’re like most people, you dread the idea of public speaking. Now, I agree that public speaking isn’t for everyone… but I also happen to believe that most of you could do a great job at it. Of course, the decision is yours to make, but today we’re going to cover four ways in which public speaking will help you grow your business. And then you can decide whether or not it’s worth it!

Public speaking provides immediate credibility. Think about it for a moment—when you see an individual speaking at a seminar or an event, even before you’ve heard what he has to say, you automatically assume that he knows what he is talking about. Adding the line “sought-after speaker” to your biography makes a big difference.

Public speaking offers great exposure to your target market. In fact, there are few forms of marketing more effective than speaking on your area of expertise to a group of target customers. The key is to choose your speaking engagements carefully, so that you are speaking to your target market—and then to ensure that the topic you cover closely relates to the products and services you offer.

Public speaking helps you to sharpen your message. Developing the perfect marketing message takes time, and it requires trial-and-error. That’s why politicians and advertisers test their messages in front of focus groups before taking them to the masses. When speaking to an audience, you’ll have an opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of your message—and over time, you’ll refine it.

Public speaking positions you a level above your competition. Because most people are terrified to speak in public, they hold those who are brave enough in high regard. Chances are, few of the competitors in your market are willing to pursue public speaking— which means that doing so positions you in a category far above the competition.

The idea of speaking in front of an audience may be intimidating—but if you can work up the courage to give it a shot, the benefit to your business will be enormous.

Creating a strong personal brand is not something you do once. It’s not something that you ever “finish”, so to speak. In order for your personal brand to maintain its appeal, it is important that it is constantly evolving. A stale personal brand will get tossed aside like last year’s fashion lines, in order to make room for what’s new and exciting. In order to maintain top-of-mind awareness, your brand must stay fresh. Here are several ways you can make this happen:

Let your audience see you grow. Some business owners are reluctant to admit that they learn anything—because they don’t want to acknowledge that there was anything they didn’t know to begin with. Newsflash: nobody is buying that. We’re all human, we’re all learning every day, so don’t hide it! If you’re attending a conference or seminar, talk about it! If you just finished a great book, share your thoughts. Let your audience see you grow.

Tell your audience what’s new. Are you launching a new line of products or a new service? Share this information with your audience—whether that means tweeting about it, blogging about it, or referring to it at your next public speaking event. People are naturally attracted to movement, and the word “new” is very powerful. When you launch a new initiative, don’t keep it a secret!

Consider publically pursuing a new goal each year. Here’s an outside-the-box idea that may appeal to some of you: each year, find something new to pursue. It could be anything—from shaving 5 strokes off your golf score to reading a self-improvement book every week. Once you’ve settled on your goal, make it public! Write about it on your blog. Post about it on Facebook and on Twitter. Share your progress, good or bad. You’ll find that your audience becomes very interested—because again, as humans we are attracted to motion and to progress.

All three of these suggestions will help you keep your brand fresh—but this is by no means an exhaustive list! Think creatively, and I guarantee that you’ll come up with more ideas. As always, feel free to get in touch with me today if you’d like more information on this subject!

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!

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!

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!

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/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 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/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/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 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.

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.

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!

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.

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.