Personal Branding

Our world has changed dramatically in the last few years with the rise of the internet, social media, mobile computing and other technological developments.

This online evolution is transforming business, careers, marketing, socialising, learning and practically every other aspect of life.

Suddenly anyone, anywhere in the world has access to communication tools which are powerful, instant and free and there are no limits on what they can achieve.

The Great News

The upside of is that if you have an amazing business idea, or some unique, valuable knowledge to share on a subject, there is a tangible business opportunity here for you. Provided, that is, that you are prepared to put some real effort into it.

The Not So Great News

The downside of this is that your career and skills have become a commodity – it’s only a matter of time before your work can be outsourced to someone else.  If you own a business you may find your margins undercut by online sales or outsourcing.  If you are an employee your job may be less secure or less satisfying as companies try to compete on price.

How You Can Assure Your Success in the New Economy

You need to be more than just your education, your skills or your CV.  You need to create unique value that makes people want YOU (rather than just someone like you).

The key to success in this social marketplace is authenticity. This means building your business or career around something you really care about and promoting it with a brand which appeals to other people who share your passion.

• By drawing on your genuine knowledge, passion and enthusiasm as you reach out to people who feel the same way about the same thing you can explore and expand your networks until you find the ideal audience for your idea, service or product.
• By thinking about the specific needs of that audience, letting them tell you what they actually want and making a genuine effort to provide something which meets those needs (rather than using tricks to sell them something they don’t need) you will attract people to your brand – people who value what you do and want to share it with their friends and colleagues who will also benefit from it.
• By contributing something new and useful, and by building a name for yourself as others begin to notice and talk about that contribution, you will gain reputation and influence within your niche.
• By repeatedly meeting their needs and working with customers in your niche you will develop truly specialised expertise and a toolbox of useful strategies and systems so you will work more efficiently, deliver better results and stand out as one of the top providers in your field.

As a person of influence you are someone whose opinion and knowledge people respect. You are someone whose advice, services or products people actively seek out.