Personal branding is a branch of marketing and a set of techniques for nurturing the public perception of self. I’m a software developer with interest in personal development and entrepreneurship, and this article discusses a few key principles I’ve learned over time and through literature.
It’s a matter of survival
We all live in times when big corporations dominate the web, when work‑contract stability is challenged every day by competition and outsourcing to the cheapest. Information is a first‑class citizen; HR departments can conduct most of their research through LinkedIn and Google. Change might be subtle but it relentlessly pulls the levers.
The Brand Called You
A brand is an identity composed of a singularity of values. Apply this concept to people and you get a basic principle: being distinguishable. And you want to get the positive type of distinction, of course.
For everyone, even if unwillingly, we always carry a brand every day. The way we appear, behave, and communicate: the entire experience of self, given to others.
We can decide to leverage this perception, to various degrees, or we can decide to ignore it. Although not everybody is comfortable marketing themselves, it is also true that nobody wants to be a target in hunting season—and that’s where excess negligence leads.
It’s passive income
Don’t try to do everything yourself. Find a horse to ride — Jack Trout
Advertising is the soul of commerce. Sure, but it can be expensive, invasive, and overwhelming too. Some of us are developing anti‑bodies to advertising.
You might have heard the phrase SEO is dead—while not entirely true, Google’s algorithm Hummingbird{target="_blank" rel=“noopener”} tends to care less about keywords and much more about the surrounding network of trust. Google’s business after all is to provide users with more effective answers and increase its own conversion rate.
Put that into perspective and we may conclude that content is king. You can go to every single contact on your list, ring the bell, hope to make a sale, and hope they don’t mark you as “spam.” Or you can have them come to you because of the network of trust you’ve built with true value over time. That’s the brand working for you.
Personal branding can be used for many purposes:
- Attract customers
- Career improvement
- Boost a new project
- Get more revenue out of an existing business
- Control online reputation
- Get in touch with experts
- Grow social capital
But I already work for a company (and I like it)
Personal branding in a company is good!
Companies are made of people. The higher the reputation of a company, the better the chances of landing opportunities. Famous people tend to bring prestige to a company, not misfortune.
We might be doing an excellent job right now, but it might amount to nothing if nobody—other than us—knows about it. On the other hand, someone else might be doing an “ok” job, communicate it effectively, and get rewarded.
It strengthens team cohesion. Colleagues and professionals who gravitate around you, if trust is earned, will grant support. Plus, they may feel inspired by what you’re doing and step up their game too, which would be a huge win for the company.
Conclusion
The path of true personal branding is not for everyone; it leads to exposure and requires perseverance. It is a tool, and like all tools, it requires knowledge and proper use. Of course, it can lead to enormous benefits.