Personal brand

It’s important to develop a personal brand. But why is this the case? Well, there are three main reasons.

1. From a marketing perspective, you are already your own brand whether you like it or not. It therefore makes sense to become aware of your brand and the messages you send out, so that you can develop it and make it stronger and better.
2. It helps with being able to market yourself. When you know your brand, you can sell your talents and skills better.
3. Knowing your brand will help you determine whether you are a good fit for the job and for the company where you are applying.

So what makes up your brand?

Your brand is mainly made up of four things:

• Your name (is it flashy, professional, memorable?)
• Your look (your style, clothes, hair, jewellery)
• Outward attributes (things such as body language, posture, voice, handshake)
• Your personality (strengths, weaknesses, values, experience and education)

Your brand can also be influenced by things such as:

• Social status
• Family and friends
• Your interests
• What you show on social media

It’s important to remember that you are constantly communicating your brand. You can’t help it. We all communicate something even when we aren’t doing so deliberately. But by being aware of the effect it might have on our personal brand we can influence it in the right direction.