Who needs a personal brand? In very little words, we could say that every single person in this world needs a personal brand.
This is due to how it can influence for the better your professional life, the insights you will get from yourself and the ability to help you become a thought leader in any industry you work in.
However, not all personal brands are the same.
They all have different needs, so their structures and strategies will also be different.
In order to know who needs a personal brand, you must think about their work field, their goals, the people they work with and how they can generate revenue.
In this article, we will explain these elements and you will learn about the basic aspects you should consider before hiring an agency or consultant to build your professional personal brand.
Before going deeper into our topic, we should first go over what a personal brand is.
A personal brand is the combination of thoughts and emotions that arise when your name is mentioned.
It can be a combination of how other people look at you in real life, how you portray yourself in social media and the impression from the information available online about you.
Since we have clarified this concept, we may go further into explaining the elements you must take into account before deciding to hire a top-service to help you build a personal brand.
Depending on your goals, your professional past and your current work field, your personal brand will require different strategies.
Keep reading to find out who needs a personal brand!
Contents
- 1 Understand Who Needs A Personal Brand
- 2 So, in summary, who needs a personal brand?
Understand Who Needs A Personal Brand
As we just stated before, everyone could have very good use of a personal brand.
However, sometimes, your work, budget or position can make building a personal brand a much more important project.
There are 5 key points to understanding who needs a personal brand and how to realize if you are one of these people.
#1: Define Your Work Field and Its Characteristics
Any person from any field could definitely take advantage of a personal brand, but there are jobs that require them in a higher level.
From insurance to marketing, every work field it’s different and has its particular aspects.
A gourmet chef will have professional needs that will differ a lot from a plastic surgeon’s, for example.
If your work involves at its core having a good reputation and creating networks, then building a personal brand becomes essential.
This could also vary depending on the city or country you live and work in. It’s not the same to be the CEO of a New York law firm than it is to have the same position in Houston.
Think about:
- The competitiveness you can find in your field
- Which skills you need to improve in order to be a better professional
- What are the requirements to be “successful”
These elements will help you have a better understanding of your own field, its limitations and opportunities, as well as how you could benefit from having a personal brand.
#2: Identify Your Top Goals in Your Career
Your professional goals are something extremely personal, and they may even vary through the years.
Two persons working in the same field, even having the same position in a company, might have very different objectives.
It’s very important for you to keep this in mind. Some people say that the ultimate professional goal should be to run your own business (which is amazing!), but it doesn’t always apply to every single person on Earth.
Personal brands serve all different kinds of purposes, and the more honest you are with yourself about your goals, the more satisfied you will be long term with your efforts and investments.
Your goals will be a distinctive element when building your personal brand strategy, so it’s very important for you to be aware of them.
Make a list of the situations and accomplishments you aim to achieve in short, medium and long term.
Most of your goals should be quantitative or very specific. This way it will be easier to identify when you have achieved them. Some examples are:
- Having a X figure salary
- Being promoted to a certain position
- Founding your own company
However, you might also want to add some qualitative goals. These are extremely personal and you will be the only one who can decide whether you have accomplished them or not.
- Being more satisfied with your own work
- Developing a certain skill
- Becoming an integral professional
Once you have written your goals, you will have a clearer path to walk by and the opportunity to build a much more strong strategy.
#3: Think About Your Work Dynamics and the People Around You
Depending on the field you are in and the specific company you work with, your dynamics will vary a lot.
Some businesses are really competitive, while others rather focus on teamwork.
If you work in a corporation, are you the boss, the employee or someone in between? How much authority do you have?
Even if you work freelance, you should be aware of the people who offer similar products or services and identify the dynamics between the both of you.
Another important element about your work dynamics it’s about the relationship you have with your income and your capacity to expand it. Ask yourself:
Does your revenue growth depend on you? Who decides you get to increase your income? How do you make your work more profitable?
Your answers will give you light on the possibilities and limits you may reach through your personal brand.
#4 Identify Your Potential Revenue Generating Activities
Building a personal brand will need different kinds of investments and requirements.
Of course, you need to invest time and effort at least into conceptualizing your brand, identifying your core values and your goals.
The time you should dedicate to build the strategy and market your brand will depend on your decision to hire personal brand services or not.
Of course, you could work in your personal brand all by yourself and that would be fine! However, if you want to create a strong brand while becoming a better professional, you will need help.
That’s why there are agencies like Latinpresarios or even individual consultants that will help you during this process.
Since these are paid services, you should analyze beforehand the possible revenue-generating activities you could engage in.
One of the biggest goals when making a personal brand it’s to be able to transform it into a new source of income, but do you have the ideas to make that possible?
These new incomes could potentially come through books sales, clients, workshops, board positions, etc.
When hiring personal branding services, you must decide if you have the potential to create enough revenue in order to have a positive ROI.
If you’re not yet in the financial state to make this decision, we strongly encourage you to start making your personal brand on your own and begin growing!
In case you want to have a reference for personal brand services, you can check our pricing article.
#5: Examples of Different Types of Personal Brands
We have been saying that everyone can have a personal brand, but we haven’t shown how that can be true.
For the longest time, people all around the world from all kinds of industries have been working on their brands and focusing on how they can become thought leaders and better professionals.
The following are a few examples of people who have strengthened their brands in order to become known and share their ideas with the world, regardless of what they dedicate themselves to.
Oprah
Oprah Gail Winfrey is one of the most iconic and famous women of our time.
She is an American talk show host, television producer, actress and author.
If you’re not that familiar with her image and name, you probably know her show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired in 1986 and stayed as one of the most highest-rated TV programs of its kind until 2011, when it ended.
With an estimated net worth of USD 2.6 billion, she was the wealthiest African American of the 20th century and in 2003 became the first black multi-billionaire woman.
Her brand is characterized by her authenticity, generosity and honesty. These values have been strengthened through the years and she has always stayed true and loyal to them.
She has also known how to stay modern and keep up with how the media and the world changes around all of us.
After the ending of her most famous show, she continued working in TV with projects such as Oprah’s Lifeclass, Super Soul Sunday, Oprah: Where Are They Now? And many others.
She is also constant on her social media, where she showcases her attributes, shares some insights and pieces of her personal life.
Oprah has achieved to have one of the most influential personal brands of all time by being herself, creating safer spaces for all kinds of people and believing in the good humanity has to offer.
You can read more about Oprah’s personal brand in our examples article.
Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Kara Sandberg is an executive, economist, author, and current Facebook COO (Chief Operating Officer).
She has also worked in Google as Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations and even served as Chief of Staff for the former Secretary of the Treasure of the US, Lawrence Summers.
She has stated before that she doesn’t quite agree with the term “personal brand”, and that she rather develop her voice.
This is a great way to see it, since talking about brands may sound a little too materialistic and shallow for some people.
However, it’s the same core: finding your essence and making it visible to the world.
Sandberg has shaped her voice thanks to her experiences, and she’s not only famous for her business knowledge, but for her books about feminism in the work field and grief.
She isn’t just a successful executive: she is also a mother, a widow, an entrepreneur, an author and a woman.
“(…) people are not that simple. We’re not packaged. And when we are packaged, we are ineffective and inauthentic.”
She stays true to her beliefs and her values by sharing her insights with the world.
Nicolas Cole
Nicolas Cole is an author, founder and Editor-In-Chief of Digital Press, a company that aims to turn “ideas into scalable thought leadership content”.
He has collected more than 30 million views through his online work, and has been published in acclaimed sites such as Time, Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider and more.
Cole’s writing focus is all about creativity, entrepreneurship and personal growth.
He’s not that active on Instagram, because that’s not where he showcases his work. However, he constantly posts on his Twitter and has several published books.
He started feeding his personal brand at the short age of 17 years old, when he was one of the best World of Warcraft players in North America and had a competitive gaming blog which gathered more than 10,000 daily readers.
Cole is also dedicated to helping people build their brand online and find their voices to share their ideas.
This is a great example of how personal brands evolve through the years, just as every individual does in their private lives.
Ryan Holmes
Ryan Holmes is the founder and current CEO of Hootsuite, a social media management tool for businesses.
He is also a computer programmer and online entrepreneur.
One of his strongest social media platforms is LinkedIn, where he shares his thoughts on emerging trends in the areas of technology, marketing and entrepreneurship.
Nevertheless, he never forgets to be real and genuine in his profile: he also posts from time to time about robotics, video games, or the books he reads and enjoys the most.
He also believes in the power of confidence and persistence when trying to make a living in a certain industry.
“It’s still a common belief that to be successful in business, you need an elite, expensive education. (…) I wanted to let people know that sure, that path can work, but there also isn’t just one route to success in business.”
Find Your Niche and Grow Your Brand
It doesn’t really matter if you’re a TV show host, an entrepreneur, a gamer or a writer… there is always a great chance of making a successful personal brand if you believe in yourself and stay true to your essence.
These examples are the personification of how creativity, confidence and authenticity can take you very far in life.
So, in summary, who needs a personal brand?
Building and working on your personal brand will always be worth it no matter who you are.
Nevertheless, the difference will be found in the methods and investment your particular brand may require.
Here is a list about the main points you should consider before deciding whether you need a personal brand “ASAP” or not:
- Your work field and its requirements
- Your professional goals
- Your work environment
- Your capacity to generate revenue growth
Keep in mind that some personal brands will be “DIYed”, by writing, designing and scheduling your own content.
Others will be able to hire an agency to do all of this work for them.
Both options are perfectly valid and have chances of being successful.
Building and working on your personal brand will always be a great idea, since it is a great way to get to know yourself, show your work to other people, build a community, gain new clients and way more other benefits.
If you are eager to become the thought leader in your niche, you can start by crafting your own personal brand statement. Check our FREE guide right here.
You can learn more about our services here, and if you have particular doubts about the process, its requirements and benefits, you can book a free call with us and we’ll tell you all you need to know.
