5 Ways to Better Brand Yourself and Get Noticed
Do you have a personal brand or logo? How about your website or online business? Your personal or business brand is a lot more than just a logo or a way for an audience to recognize your brand — it’s a way to relate with your audience, build trust and brand power over time.
We are all familiar with the concept and importance of having a great logo It’s more than a fancy, visual representation of a company. It sends a message. It’s a part of a bigger branding system.
The brand represents who the company is and its values. The way you brand something can set it apart from others, be it positively or negatively. If it’s a company branding, it defines the people behind the company, how they operate, and shows how relevant they are to the rest of the world.
A brand isn’t just for businesses. You can create a trademark for yourself that defines your uniqueness. Stand out amongst your peers by showcasing your distinct characteristics.
Creating a personal brand that develops instant positive relationships is vital in times when first impressions matter the most. Here are five ways to build a brand for yourself.
1. Create an Online Version of You
Let’s face it—we live in a digital world. If you don’t have an online presence, there’s a good chance your resume won’t make it to the top of the pile. Paul Grant, Recruitment Manager at Royal Essence shares, “Build your social media platforms so that you stand out. Your Facebook profile can make or break your chances of getting hired. Manage your privacy settings so that only friends can see personal information. Anything that is public should be appropriate and professional.”
LinkedIn is a way to develop your professional side. Use this to showcase your experience and achievements. It’s like kicking your resume up a few notches.
Use your Twitter page as an outlet to stay relevant in your industry. Follow influential people in your industry and engage with them to help build your following.
2. Give Yourself a Creatively Distinct Makeover
When meeting someone new, the first thing they see is your appearance. When branding yourself, you should create a look that is unique yet approachable.
For businesses and brands, this can be done in a number of ways. However, a logo repair or clean up is definitely one of the easiest and most effective ways to give your brand a face life. Srish Agrawal of Logo Design Team says “More brands are coming to us daily for logo redesign work and rebranding than ever before. We believe this is for a number of reasons, but the recent changes in logo designs and branding from big social media and tech companies seem to be one of the main reasons. Everyone wants to have a fresh logo design and one that pops out amongst others. This is especially true when trying to build a mobile application and fighting for display space and usage.”
To see some of the recent logo design repair and rebranding jobs from LDT, simply refer to the screenshot below.
Dress according to your personality. Are you bold and outgoing, or more reserved and shy? Let your personality reflect on your outfit. Keep your appearance clean and professional without losing your fun side. Lastly, have a statement piece that will make people say, “that is so you.” Be it a bow tie or a hairstyle, something that best represent your personality.
3. Have Business Cards That Say “Look at Me”
Having a business card is an easy way to stay connected with new people you meet. Keep it clean and straightforward. Put only necessary information on the card in a simple, readable font. Think of a catchy tagline that explains who you are and your work ethics.
NationServe, a company that sells garage doors in Denver Colorado is a good example of a professional yet memorable tagline— ingenuity in everything.
4. Think of a Word That Best Describes You
You’re at an interview, and you get asked, “How would you describe yourself?” What’s your answer? Think of a word or a phrase that best describes you.
Think of a catchy descriptor. Are you innovative? An out-of-the-box thinker? Fearless? Pick a word or phrase that best represents your life and live by it.
This isn’t just something individuals should just think about, it’s also for businesses and brands — especially when trying to come up with a slogan or tag line for your brand. A great example of this is the “Just Do It” slogan from Nike.
When looking at some of the most popular logos in the world today, there are many that have slogans built right into their logo designs, while there are also others who keep it pretty clean.
Be sure to keep an eye on these logo design in 2018, as more businesses and brands are changing things up than ever before.
5. Sell Your Personality, Not Just Your Skills
People want to know what you are like as a person, not what your resume says. FREE Branding & Digital, an Edmonton web design company, shares, “By explaining impactful moments in your life, you’ll be able to highlight the skills you have learned from them.”
A great way to accomplish this, is to have a personable ‘about me’ or ‘team’ page on your business site, where you can actually see the team members and crew behind a company. It’s important to have an online presence, but even more important to make your brand look professional and personal in the process.
Stories help build relationships right off the bat. Anyone can type up skills on a piece of paper. Make yourself stand out by making an immediate connection by talking about your life.
Just like a business, remember that brands need to be adaptable to the changing world. Create a brand that defines who you are and shows that you can keep up with the times. Once you create your brand, live and breathe it. This is after all, you.
How to Keep Your Brand on Point
In each of the five examples above, you will have noticed something unique about how an individual or business can better brand themselves while also relating with their audience.
To learn more about these methods and how other brand experts are doing this for themselves and their companies, be sure to check out this expert round up on 10 ways to better brand your expertise on the internet.
