How to Define, Develop, and Communicate Your Personal Brand

Your personal brand is the combination of your skills, the values you present, and the impression you leave on others. Thankfully, there are actions you can take daily to help you define, develop, and communicate your personal brand. Define. It’s impossible to have a strong personal brand if you don’t have a good grasp on who you are, what you enjoy, and what you’re good at. Start by tuning into your emotions. How do you feel after certain meetings, tasks, or interactions? Then, find your stakeholders — your manager, mentor, or other colleagues can help give you feedback and help you adjust based on how others perceive you. Finally, understand your skills by considering the unique talents that make your daily work possible. These are core to your personal brand. Develop. The best place to start showcasing your brand, and developing it further, is through your daily actions at work. When you’re completing a task, always think about the outcome that will best boost your personal brand. Then, look for ways to use your personal brand to improve the organization. This will further bolster your personal brand, while driving valuable change internally. Finally, become a stakeholder for others — look for opportunities to share your knowledge and develop others. Doing so helps you strengthen your network, gain visibility, learn more about yourself, and further develop your brand. Communicate. You’ve defined your brand, you’ve developed it further within your organization — now it’s time to make sure everyone knows who you are and what you stand for. One way to communicate your personal brand is through social media, especially on platforms like LinkedIn. This can help you gain visibility among your colleagues, company’s executives, and recruiters. Networking can also help you communicate your brand, but that doesn’t mean you should lean into boring small talk. Before any planned encounters, try to write down two or three projects, life updates, or personal wins that you’re eager to share. Finally, remember to celebrate others when they achieve great things. Doing so is a great way to stay connected to your colleagues and ensure you stay top of mind for them.