If I were to google you right now, what would I find? What impressions would I form after viewing your professional history, your social media presence (or lack thereof), and your photos? Would I want to do business with you? Hire you? Befriend you?

Wakeup call, people … you’re being watched. It’s time to take control of your personal brand.

Say what?

Whether or not you identify it as such, you have a personal brand. Branding used to be reserved for businesses, but with the mushrooming social media landscape and the growing gig economy, the time has come to embrace personal branding.

A personal brand is how you present yourself to the world. It’s what you want people to know — who you are, what you think, what you stand for, and what makes you unique. Oftentimes, it’s the first impression someone will make of you.

So … yeah, it’s important. A strong personal brand establishes you as a thought leader in your industry, promotes your company (and your career), differentiates you from those who share your space, and allows you to build trust with those who seek you out.

Know thyself

Developing your personal brand starts with taking an objective look in the mirror. How would you describe yourself personally? Professionally? How would others describe you? Identify a handful of adjectives that feel like spirit words and make them your litmus test for everything you publish, post, share, comment on, and participate in. 

Find your niche. Solidify what sets you apart. And then run with it. It won’t happen overnight. It requires communicating your mission to your audience, in a genuine way, consistently and for the long-term.

Speaking practically

• Focus your branding. Share only what rings true. Posting just for the sake of posting is just noise.
• Deliver value to your audience. Make sure what you’re sharing is relevant to those you are talking to.
• Put the “social” in social media. Interact on the platforms where you live. Comment when you have something to say. Like when something rings true to you. Start a conversation.
• Share yourself with your audience. Give them a glimpse into your life and your soul. People want to know what makes you tick.
• Don’t live and die by your numbers. Having a gaggle of followers is fantastic, but are they your people? Are they engaging with you and furthering your brand?
• Lastly, and most importantly, make sure the on-line version of you matches the in-person version of you. Nobody likes a stepford wife. Don’t get caught up in what you think you should be – be authentic. 

If you’re not sure how to get there, give us a ring. We can help you hone your personal brand and show you how to rock it!

Earlier this week, I took my tennis-crazy son to the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in beautiful Palm Springs, California. Over the years, we’ve attended several professional tournaments of all sizes, but this one … it’s the best.

The desert weather is temperate and ideal. The mountain ranges on all sides provide a heavenly backdrop. The venue is world-class both in quality of infrastructure and use of technology. The food and drink offerings are unparalleled (Nobu has a permanent restaurant on site and the Moet champagne garden offers a place to lounge while sipping bubbly). The world’s best tennis players in both the men’s and women’s games come to play in both doubles and singles, and they are so well cared for that they mix and mingle with fans in an intimate setting.

This tournament has differentiated itself from its peers by being the best.

It’s a fascinating case study, because it wasn’t always so. In 1990, the tournament was in the red and in danger of being sold to a city overseas. Enter Larry Ellison of Oracle, one of the richest men in the world with a love for tennis, who stepped in and bought the tournament. Every year since then, he has improved it – building new stadiums, upgrading the grounds, bringing in permanent vendors, establishing strategic partnerships, offering increased prize money, and giving the fans an enhanced experience. He has turned the tennis world on its ear by being the same, but being different.

Differentiate Yourself

This mindset is an essential one for any business or entrepreneur. In your market, you must differentiate yourself from your competitors by doing what they do, but doing it better. Then you must seize upon this differentiator by positioning your brand as an industry leader, and creating a marketing plan to leverage your efforts.

Take a page from Larry. Do you think other tournaments are happy that he has set the bar so high? They aren’t! They fear they cannot keep up. Take on this mindset and separate yourself from your competitors. Then come see us on the Porch! We can help you stand out by positioning and marketing your brand and making it rock!

Dr. Stephen Covey taught us to, “Diagnose before you prescribe,” which is a simplified reason why you need internal research for your business. Also, the adage, “You don’t know what you don’t know.”

The internal research process in a branding or re-branding effort gives an honest evaluation via an outside, unbiased third party of your strengths and weaknesses so you can dig into your brand’s core.

After all, the worst thing you can do for your brand is to market a promise that can’t be delivered.

Is there another way for you to know that your brand strategy, promise, positioning and message are going to be on target?

Internal Research On Target

Internal research allows us the ability to monitor quantitative and qualitative results and provides a foundation for our decisions. It removes personal bias and places the focus on tangible data.

The internal research process also builds internal alignment and engagement. Folks take ownership of your brand’s progression. Your team becomes brand champions.

Here’s a glimpse into questions we ask during internal research:

1. Tell me about yourself and your specific role within the company?
2. How long have you been with INSERT BRAND?
3. What do you believe current customers/clients think of INSERT BRAND?
4. What does INSERT BRAND do for customers/clients that others do not?

Not rocket surgery or brain science? Now, why would we put that bit on our blog and share on social media?

We on the Porch know a thing or two about internal research. Our seasoned, experienced team has been in-house as corporate, regional and field marketing as well as been in leadership positions at global and local agencies.

Think of us as your marketing department. We can help with branding. Our team can develop marketing strategies and plans. Our experts also execute on an on-going or project basis – website updates, identity refreshes, collateral development, advertising campaigns, event and trade show management and execution, email marketing, social media and so on and so on.

“Cuz you know what they say:” Here in the South, we don’t hide crazy. We parade it around the front porch and give it a cocktail.