What's the Point of A Personal Brand?

Summary

In this insightful interview, Bill Dolan, an Emmy-nominated creative director with over 30 years of experience, discusses the importance of personal branding in today's job market. He emphasizes the significance of building trust and authenticity through personal branding, which is crucial for engaging in meaningful relationships, whether in employment or business. Dolan also shares strategies for job seekers to effectively tell their story online, highlighting the importance of understanding one's target audience and tailoring communication to match their media behaviors and buying journey.

Takeaways

• 😀 Personal branding is crucial as it helps establish trust and familiarity, which are essential for business relationships.
• 🔍 It's important to understand who you are as an individual and what your passions, skills, and experiences are to effectively communicate your personal brand.
• 🏢 Personal branding is not just about creating a logo or a name; it's a process of self-discovery and sharing that discovery to build meaningful relationships.
• 📈 LinkedIn is a professional platform where job seekers can share their values, stories, and personal brand, but it's not the only option.
• 🎯 Recognize that you can't be everywhere online; focus on the platforms where your target audience is most likely to be found.
• 🤔 Understand who you are uniquely positioned to serve and what motivates them, which will guide where and how you should present your personal brand.
• 📊 The buying journey of your target audience should inform your media strategy to ensure your message reaches them effectively.
• 📝 Bill Dolan's book 'The Seven Disciplines of Relationship Marketing' offers a deeper understanding of creating personas and targeting specific audiences.
• 🔑 The 'Winoff' formula (Wants, Interests, Needs, Objectives, Fears, and Frustrations) helps in understanding the audience to serve them better.
• 📚 Creating awareness, learning, understanding, and engagement are key steps in the buying journey that should align with your sales process.
• 🐱 In his free time, Bill enjoys family, CrossFit, redefining cookie recipes, and writing with his office buddy, Marcela the tabby cat.

Q & A

What is the significance of personal branding in today's job market?

Personal branding is crucial as it helps individuals establish trust and rapport with potential employers or clients. It allows job seekers to present themselves in a way that is meaningful and engaging, moving beyond just an introduction to a deeper level of relationship building.

Why is trust so important in personal branding?

Trust is the foundation for any business or professional relationship. People are more likely to engage with someone they know, like, and trust. In the context of personal branding, trust can be further deepened to know, love, and trust, which opens doors to more significant and meaningful engagements.

What does Bill Dolan mean by 'the best version of myself' in personal branding?

Referring to 'the best version of myself' in personal branding means understanding and articulating one's deepest passions, skills, experiences, and life compass. It's about discovering who you are and how you can authentically represent that in your professional and personal interactions.

How does Bill Dolan define the process of personal branding?

Personal branding, as defined by Bill Dolan, is a dual process of self-discovery and sharing. It involves understanding who you are at your core and then effectively communicating that to others in a way that fosters relationships.

What platforms does Bill Dolan suggest for sharing one's personal brand?

Bill Dolan suggests LinkedIn as a professional platform for sharing values, stories, and personal identity. However, he also emphasizes the importance of understanding the unique audience one serves and choosing the appropriate platform that aligns with their media behaviors.

Why is it important to understand the audience when building a personal brand?

Understanding the audience is vital because it allows for targeted and effective communication. Knowing who you serve helps in choosing the right platforms, messaging, and approach to resonate with them and build a meaningful connection.

What is the significance of the 'buying journey' in relation to personal branding?

The 'buying journey' is significant because it helps in aligning the personal branding strategy with the audience's decision-making process. It's about understanding how potential employers or clients make decisions and tailoring the approach to meet them where they are.

Can you explain the 'Winoff' formula mentioned by Bill Dolan?

The 'Winoff' formula is a method to understand the audience's wants, interests, needs, objectives, fears, and frustrations. This helps in creating a personal brand that addresses these aspects and serves the audience more effectively.

How does Bill Dolan connect personal branding with the concept of a 'love letter'?

Bill Dolan uses the 'love letter' analogy to illustrate the intimacy and personalization required in communication. A well-crafted personal brand should be as focused and meaningful as a love letter, speaking directly to the unique characteristics and needs of the intended audience.

What role does the '10-digit human address' play in understanding the audience for personal branding?

The '10-digit human address' is a formula that helps in identifying and understanding the specific characteristics of the target audience. It's a metaphor for creating detailed personas that can guide personal branding efforts to be more targeted and effective.

How does Bill Dolan's background in television and entertainment influence his approach to personal branding?

Bill Dolan's background in television and entertainment has given him a strong foundation in storytelling and messaging. He applies these skills to help individuals and companies craft compelling brand stories that resonate with their audience, both in traditional and digital media.

Outlines

00:00

🎙️ Personal Branding and Communication Insights

In this segment, the host, mAh, introduces the interview with Bill Dolan, an Emmy-nominated creative director with over 30 years of experience in media. Bill has a unique perspective on personal branding, stemming from his near-death experience and subsequent research into relationship marketing. The discussion focuses on the importance of personal branding in establishing trust and meaningful relationships, which is crucial for business and employment. Bill emphasizes that personal branding is not just about creating a logo or image but involves a deep self-exploration to understand one's passions, skills, and experiences. He suggests using platforms like LinkedIn to share one's story and values, tailored to the audience one aims to serve. The conversation also touches on the importance of understanding one's target market and their buying behaviors to effectively communicate and build relationships.

05:01

📈 Targeting the Right Audience for Personal Branding

This paragraph delves deeper into the strategy of personal branding, with Bill Dolan sharing his insights on identifying and understanding the target audience. He discusses the importance of recognizing the unique audience one can serve and tailoring the personal branding approach to match their buying journey. Bill explains that while social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram might be popular, they may not always be the best channels for reaching certain professional audiences. Instead, he suggests focusing on platforms where the target audience is most active, such as LinkedIn for senior executives. He also introduces the concept of creating 'personas' to better understand the audience's wants, interests, needs, objectives, fears, and frustrations. By understanding these aspects, one can craft a more intimate and effective communication strategy that resonates with the audience's media behaviors and preferences.

Keywords

💡Personal Branding

Personal branding refers to the process of creating and managing the public image and impression that an individual projects to others. In the context of the video, it is crucial for job seekers to establish a personal brand to differentiate themselves and build trust with potential employers or clients. The script mentions that personal branding is about being the best version of oneself and sharing that with others, which can be done through platforms like LinkedIn.

💡Emy Nominated Creative Director

An Emy Nominated Creative Director is someone who has been recognized by the prestigious Emmy Awards for their outstanding work in the creative direction of media productions. Bill Dolan, the interviewee in the video, has this distinction, highlighting his expertise and accomplishments in the field of media and marketing.

💡Spirit Media

Spirit Media is the creative agency where Bill Dolan works. It is a company that specializes in producing events, directing broadcasts, and consulting for organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. The agency's focus on storytelling and brand messaging is a key aspect of its service offerings.

💡Death Experience

A death experience, as mentioned in the script, refers to a profound event where an individual faces or perceives an encounter with mortality. For Bill Dolan, this experience significantly altered his worldview and approach to communication and marketing, indicating a transformative impact on his professional philosophy.

💡The Seven Disciplines of Relationship Marketing

This is the title of the book written by Bill Dolan, which encapsulates his years of research and insights into effective marketing strategies. The book likely discusses the principles and practices for building and maintaining strong relationships with customers, which is a central theme in the field of marketing.

💡7DM System

The 7DM System is a recognized authority and methodology developed by Bill Dolan, which he uses as a national speaker and workshop trainer. It appears to be a systematized approach to marketing, although the specific details are not provided in the script, it is implied to be a significant part of his professional contributions.

💡CrossFit

CrossFit is a fitness regimen known for its high-intensity workouts and community-based approach to fitness. In the script, it is mentioned as one of Bill Dolan's personal interests, indicating his passion for health and fitness outside of his professional life.

💡Tabby Cat

A tabby cat is a domestic cat with a distinctive coat pattern of stripes, spots, or swirls. In the script, Bill Dolan mentions his office buddy Marcela, who is a tabby cat, adding a personal and relatable touch to his character description.

💡Trust

Trust is a fundamental aspect of personal branding, as it is essential for building relationships in both personal and professional contexts. The script emphasizes that people want to do business with those they know, like, and trust, which underscores the importance of trust in the process of personal branding.

💡LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform often used by individuals to share their professional experiences, values, and stories. In the script, it is suggested as a platform where job seekers can tell their personal brand story, indicating its relevance in contemporary personal branding strategies.

💡Persona

A persona in marketing represents a fictional character that is created to represent the ideal customer or user of a product or service. In the script, Bill Dolan discusses the creation of personas to understand the target audience better, which is a critical step in tailoring marketing efforts to meet their needs.

💡Buying Journey

The buying journey refers to the process a potential customer goes through when making a purchase decision. In the context of the video, understanding the buying journey is essential for aligning the sales process with the customer's behavior, ensuring that marketing efforts are relevant and effective.

Highlights

Introduction of Bill Dolan, an Emmy-nominated creative director with over 30 years of experience in media production and consulting.

Bill's life-changing near-death experience in 1999 that shifted his worldview and approach to communication and marketing.

The release of Bill's book, 'The Seven Disciplines of Relationship Marketing', a culmination of years of research.

Bill's recognition as an authority and national speaker on the 7DM system, a workshop training program.

The importance of personal branding in establishing trust and meaningful business relationships.

Personal branding as a process of self-discovery and sharing one's story to build deeper connections.

The role of LinkedIn as a professional platform for sharing personal values and stories.

Understanding one's unique market and the importance of tailoring personal branding to serve specific audiences.

The concept of focusing on platforms where the target audience is most likely to be found for effective personal branding.

Bill's background in television and entertainment and its application in marketing and brand storytelling.

The importance of aligning the sales process with the buying process of the target audience.

Creating personas and understanding the '10-digit human address' for precise targeting in marketing.

The WINOFF formula for understanding the wants, interests, needs, objectives, fears, and frustrations of the audience.

Matching media vehicles to the media behaviors of the buyer for a more intimate and effective communication.

The significance of understanding demographics and psychographics in shaping a personal branding strategy.

The idea of making communication as intimate as a love letter by knowing the audience deeply and speaking to them directly.

Invitation for the audience to engage with the content by liking, sharing, and commenting on the video series.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi everyone welcome back to another

interview series my name is mAh from

Newland and laborador and today I have

the privilege to interview Bill Dolan

from Portland hi Bill how are you doing

good how are you doing good to see you

Mar here good to see you too so bill is

the Emy nominated creative director at

Spirit media for over 30 years B have

produced events for hundreds of

thousands directed broadcasts for

millions and has acted as consultant for

word class organization from startups to

Fortune 500 companies in 1999 Bill had a

death experience that change his word

view and approach to communication and

marketing which we're going to talk

about later and years of research led

him to write the book The Seven

disciplines of relationship marketing

today he has recognized Authority

National speaker and workshop trainer of

the 7dm system and in his free time he

loved family he loves family time

CrossFit redefining his cookie chip

cookies recipe which I want one of them

and writing uh with his office buddy

Marcela their tabby cat so Bill my first

question for you is in terms of personal

branding why it's important these days

and how can job Seekers tell their story

through personal

branding well let's start with why it's

important number one there's the old

classic saying that people want to do

business with those they know like and

trust and Trust I'll go so far as to say

people that they that they know love and

Trust um because once you get past the

question of who are you that is the door

that opens to say is it meaningful for

us to engage to move forward with this

relationship whether as an employee

employeer a contract contractor or or a

client vendor relationship and where

personal branding comes

in is it allows you to get through that

front door more efficiently so instead

of getting to the who are you you can

move into that deeper step of the

relationship and so now just for the

sake of

clarity person branding at its heart

really is not just putting a paint job

on putting up a logo on name or anything

like that it's really and it and it

probably the hardest part of it is that

everyone has to ask the tough question

who am I yeah what are my deepest

passions my my my skill sets my

experiences that really form and shape

my life compass and how can I in the for

in the process of being the best version

of myself can I bring that to my family

my friends my life my workplace my

business Place yeah and so personal

branding is both a process of discovery

and then being able to share it in a way

that becomes that gateway to

relationships so how can people share I

know that a lot of people these days go

on LinkedIn which is the professional

platform to share their values to sh

share their stories to tell who they are

is there any other way in your opinion

that job Seekers can tell their personal

brand online well yeah there there

really is and and there's there's a

couple things at stake here the first is

recognizing look we can't be everywhere

we we we can't be we pretend to be but

we can't and so part of that

understanding of personal brand part of

that includes understanding who you're

uniquely positioned to serve and who

your heart is to serve and so when you

understand um who you're uniquely

positioned to serve like for example

I'll give you my scenario here at our

creative agency Spirit media now I've

come from a background of television and

entertainment and marketing but the

people that really are the bed bread and

butter of our agency are companies that

have a deep interest in growing their

marketing presence they'll call us

because they want us to help them tell

their brain Brand Story yes we'll work

with them on their messaging we'll work

on producing that video that brand video

that really

typifies um who they are to their

Marketplace yeah uh and then also we do

experiences so we'll do sales

conferences fundraisers so we produced

all that stuff I used to do in

entertainment I do that for corporations

and nonprofits yeah now who buys that

well it's not probably going to be a

solo preneur it's not going to be an

individual most of the companies we work

for the smallest is 20 to100 million in

Revenue the average is a half a million

to four billion in Revenue you know so

when I know the people that I really can

uniquely serve it allows me to say now

what is going to be the buying journey

of that individual or group so when I

ask that buying Journey uh how will we

create awareness how we create learning

understanding how will create an

engagement where we can show up that

limits your platforms yeah so could we

be found on Facebook yeah but most of my

clients are not looking for vendors like

me on Facebook could I do it on

Instagram there's a possibility but for

most part Instagram even though a

business component is really an

entertainment platform okay um will they

go on to

LinkedIn probably M senior and SE level

Executives you're going to find on

LinkedIn and it's the SE level the chief

marketing officer uh the chief

Communications officer the chief uh

sales officer uh anywhere in that sea

level and figure out what name it is

they're probably on LinkedIn and that's

going to be the platform so if I focus

in that space it allows me to be more

effective at targeting uh

so just to

summarize the first thing that you have

to ask is who is my market yeah next is

understand who they are and what their

buying behaviors for example I I I'll go

a little bit deeper in my book I talk

about creating personas yeah and the

idea of a Persona and I give a formula I

call the 10-digit human address you know

in New Finland all around the world we

have these Z codes and numbers that

attach to the region well if you

actually follow the the formula you're

going to find a way to identify that

person and so here's I'm going to give

you I'm going to give you key elements

okay okay if you know who that audience

you're called to serve is start with

what I call First the winoff

formula and that is what are their wants

what are their interests what are their

needs what are their objectives what are

their fears and what their

frustrations so that helps you get a

sense of of who they are and the ways

that you can best address them and serve

them the other things though are going

to be buying Journey a lot of people are

busy trying to pitch their product say I

got the sales process and that look your

sales process is nothing if it doesn't

match the buying process of the person

you're called to serve so find out um

how they make decisions do they get

referrals do they read certain type of

Publications do they watch TV read

magazines and what social media

behaviors do they have so it allows you

to start matching your media vehicles to

the media behaviors of your buyer

instead of wasting time and money of

course there's other things like

understanding their demographics yeah

and and understanding uh elements about

their psychographics when you start

putting those things together that

is going to shape your formula because

your note your communication is no

longer going to be just a blast hoping

that people respond it's going to be as

intimate as a love letter focused

because you know exactly who they are

and you're going to be able to say

things that are relevant and meaningful

both through the media Behavior and the

things you say thank you for those great

tips bill so for the audience watching

or listening for the first time I'm

going to ask build a couple of questions

and I'm going to post them the whole

week kind of a journey with us kind of

an experience with us you can like all

the videos share your thoughts and if

you have any other tips leave them below

so tune in next time for other great

question with you

[Music]