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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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