5 Lessons On Personal Branding

Over at 10,000 Words, Mark S. Luckie shares 5 lessons he’s learned on Personal Branding. I appreciated how he brought the discussion from talking about tools, brand assets both offline and online to being more “personal” – the whole point of managing your “personal brand.”

I especially appreciated this (under-appreciated and often overlooked) thought:

A successful “personal” brand requires you to be a “person”

With this as the starting point, here are Mark’s 5 lessons:

1. Be nice
   There are many talented people out there competing for work and the attention of online readers and communities. What separates the talented from the equally talented but successful, is a good, genuine, likeable personality. You don’t have to be Mr. or Ms. Smiley Face, but people appreciate kindness and humanity. Being arrogant, antisocial, cliquish, or rude will turn many people off and damage your personal brand. 

   You can only tell people how great you are, but the true test of a strong personal brand is what others think of you and how likely they are to sing your praises.

2. Show don’t tell
   Many of those who have strong personal brands are not necessarily the most knowledgeable or the biggest experts in the field, but those who share a bit of themselves with others. Instead of just telling people what they should be doing, share your personal experiences and why certain strategies or techniques have worked for you. Make your work available online and tell other people how you did it. Be open and honest. 

   The reason many blogs are successful is because the blogger has shared their personality with readers and based their posts on personal experiences.

3. Say Yes!!
   When you receive an invitation to an event, social gathering, or some opportunity for professional development or to meet new people and you have the time and the capacity to do so, say YES! You never who you’re going to meet and, by doing so, when you’ll have an opportunity to share your work and yourself with others.Learn to say yes to new and unique opportunities… you never know where they may lead.
4. Do a favor for someone
   The occasional favor helps people remember you and your work. If you do them a solid now, they are very likely to remember you down the line. And though the benefits may not be immediately tangible, many times a small favor turns into a big professional reward. 

   If you love what you do enough, you will be willing to share your time and expertise with others without expecting something in return. This doesn’t mean you should do every favor you’re asked to do, but often those most in need of a favor are the most likely to help you later down the line.

5. Ditch the “rules” and follow your passion
   There are a million social media experts, online gurus, media mavens, and the like who have a million rules for what you should do to grow your personal brand. Forget what the experts say and follow your own plan. 

   Don’t tweet because you have to, do it because you want to. Start a blog because you have something to say, not because you are told to do so. You will find that your message will be stronger and you will be more passionate about your personal brand if you forge your own path.

Original post over at 10,000 Words here.