5 Steps to Building a Personal Brand You Feel Good About | The Way We Work, a TED series

Summary

This script emphasizes the importance of personal branding as an extension of one's reputation. It outlines five steps to build a strong personal brand, starting with defining career goals and culminating in creating a mission statement and online presence. The focus is on intentional self-promotion to control one's narrative, with suggestions to engage meaningfully on social media and build a personal website to showcase skills and personality.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Everyone has a personal brand, whether they actively manage it or not, which is reflected in their online presence and professional reputation.
• 🔎 A personal brand is not just about self-promotion; it's about one's reputation and how others perceive you in both professional and personal settings.
• 🎯 The first step in building a personal brand is to define a clear goal for what you want your brand to achieve, such as career advancement or business promotion.
• 🏷️ Clarify what you want to be known for professionally. This involves understanding your unique value proposition and how you differentiate yourself from others in your field.
• 🤔 Reflect on your audience and how they can benefit from your skills and knowledge. Your personal brand should be focused on providing value to them.
• 📝 Create a mission statement that encapsulates who you are, what you do, for whom, and the impact you aim to create. This statement should guide your personal branding efforts.
• 🌐 Develop a personal website to have full control over your online reputation and to share your brand and value in a more profound and personalized way.
• 📱 Choose social media platforms that align with your goals and where your target audience is most active. Avoid spreading yourself too thin by being on every platform.
• 🤝 Engage on social media by sharing content that is helpful and relevant to your industry, reinforcing your personal brand while providing value to your connections.
• 🚀 View the personal branding process as an opportunity for personal growth, allowing you to understand yourself better and how you can make a significant impact.
• 📈 A strong personal brand can help you stand out in your industry, attract opportunities, and build trust with those you wish to influence or serve.

Q & A

What is a personal brand according to the transcript?

A personal brand is the reputation one has, which includes how people perceive you, including friends, colleagues, or the general public, and what they think and say about you when you're not present.

Why is it important to have a personal brand?

Having a personal brand is important because it represents your professional reputation and how you are perceived by others, which can influence your career opportunities and personal relationships.

What does the transcript suggest about personal branding being mistaken for bragging?

The transcript suggests that people often mistakenly view personal branding as bragging or self-promotion, but it is actually about managing your professional reputation and how you are perceived by others.

What is the first step in building a strong personal brand as outlined in the transcript?

The first step is to figure out your goal, which involves answering the foundational question of what you want your personal brand to help you accomplish, such as changing jobs, transitioning into a new industry, getting a promotion, or launching a new business.

What should one consider when determining what they want to be known for professionally?

One should consider how they want people to describe them as a professional, delving into the what, how, and why behind their work to make it concrete and easy to remember, and ensuring it does not cause confusion.

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

Understanding the audience is crucial because your personal brand is about the people you want to educate with your skills, knowledge, and value, and it should be based on who can benefit most from your unique talents and skills.

What is the purpose of creating a mission statement for your personal brand?

A mission statement describes who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and the transformation you can create in people's lives, helping to guide decisions about how you present yourself and interact with others.

Why is having a personal website considered an important personal branding asset?

A personal website is important because it allows you to take full control over your online reputation, offering flexibility to share your brand and value in a deeper way than a resume or LinkedIn profile.

What is the role of social media in personal branding as discussed in the transcript?

Social media plays a role in personal branding by providing a platform to share your brand with your target audience, but it's suggested to choose one platform that aligns with your goals and where your audience is most active.

How should one engage on social media to reinforce their personal brand?

One should engage on social media by being helpful, sharing relevant articles, posting ideas or opinions that can benefit colleagues, and interacting with the posts of those they follow, always in a way that reinforces their personal brand and brings value to others.

What is the final takeaway from the transcript regarding personal branding?

The final takeaway is to view the branding process as an opportunity for personal growth, providing clarity on who you are and who you want to become, which in turn helps you make your greatest impact in the world.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Personal Branding: Your Online Reputation

This paragraph emphasizes the concept of personal branding as an essential part of one's professional identity. It clarifies misconceptions about personal branding, positioning it not as self-promotion but as a reflection of one's reputation. The speaker explains that our online presence and interactions contribute to the narrative that forms our personal brand. The paragraph encourages individuals to take control of their personal brand by making intentional decisions and outlines five key steps to build a strong personal brand, starting with defining one's goals and the desired professional identity.

05:01

🎯 Defining Your Personal Brand and Online Presence

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of defining one's personal brand, including identifying one's unique talents and the audience one wishes to serve. It advises on crafting a clear mission statement that encapsulates one's professional identity, purpose, and the intended impact. The paragraph also discusses the importance of online assets like a personal website and social media in building a personal brand. It suggests focusing on one social media platform that aligns with one's goals and audience, and emphasizes the value of engaging with others in a way that reinforces one's brand while providing value. The speaker frames the process as an opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery, ultimately leading to a clearer path for making a significant impact.

Keywords

💡Personal Brand

A personal brand is the unique image or impression that an individual projects, both online and offline. It encompasses how one is perceived by others, including their reputation, values, and skills. In the video, the concept is central to the narrative, illustrating that everyone has a personal brand whether they actively manage it or not, and it's crucial to take control of this image to shape one's professional reputation and goals.

💡Reputation

Reputation refers to the beliefs or opinions that others have about someone's character or actions. It's a key component of one's personal brand. The video emphasizes that a personal brand is essentially one's professional reputation, which is formed by how people perceive you and what they say about you when you're not present, as well as the impression given by online presence and interactions.

💡Intentional Decisions

Intentional decisions are purposeful choices made with a clear understanding of their consequences. The video script encourages viewers to make intentional decisions regarding their personal brand to ensure it aligns with their goals and values. This involves being deliberate about what one shares online and how one presents oneself to the world, rather than leaving it to chance or algorithms.

💡Goal

A goal is a desired outcome or aim that guides actions and decisions. In the context of the video, setting a clear goal for one's personal brand is the first step in the process of building it. It helps to define what the individual wants to achieve, such as changing jobs, getting a promotion, or launching a business, and shapes the strategy for personal branding.

💡Professional Identity

Professional identity is the set of characteristics, skills, and roles that define a person's professional persona. The video script discusses the importance of clarifying what one wants to be known for professionally, which is part of establishing a strong professional identity. It involves understanding one's unique value and how one's work contributes to a field or industry.

💡Unique Talents and Expertise

Unique talents and expertise refer to the specific skills and knowledge that set an individual apart from others in their field. The video encourages individuals to identify and leverage their unique talents and expertise to stand out. This could include special skills, deep knowledge in a particular area, or a unique approach to work that distinguishes one from peers.

💡Audience

In the context of personal branding, the audience refers to the group of people whom the individual wants to reach and influence with their brand. The video script highlights the importance of understanding the audience, as the personal brand should be crafted to educate, inform, or provide value to this specific group, aligning with the individual's goals and the benefits they can offer.

💡Mission Statement

A mission statement is a concise description of an individual's or organization's objectives and the purpose they aim to achieve. In the video, creating a mission statement is presented as a way to encapsulate one's personal brand, including who they are, what they do, for whom, and the impact they aim to create. It serves as a guiding principle for personal branding efforts and interactions.

💡Online Presence

Online presence refers to the digital footprint or the extent to which an individual or entity is visible and active on the internet. The video emphasizes the importance of developing a strong online presence through a personal website and social media to control one's reputation and share one's brand and value with a broader audience.

💡Social Media

Social media are digital platforms that allow users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video script discusses the role of social media in personal branding, suggesting that it is a powerful tool for sharing one's brand with a targeted audience. It also advises selecting platforms that align with one's goals and where the target audience is most active.

💡Engagement

Engagement, in the context of social media and personal branding, refers to the interactions one has with others on these platforms, such as sharing, liking, and commenting on content. The video encourages viewers to engage in ways that reinforce their personal brand while also providing value to their audience, such as sharing relevant articles and posting beneficial ideas or opinions.

Highlights

Everyone has a personal brand, whether they realize it or not, which is reflected by their online presence and reputation.

A personal brand is not just self-promotion but is a representation of one's professional reputation.

The perception people have of you when they hear your name or talk about you is part of your personal brand.

Engaging with people in person and online contributes to the reputational narrative about oneself.

Taking control of one's personal brand is essential to shape one's own story rather than leaving it to chance.

Identifying clear goals for one's personal brand is the first step in the process of building it.

Understanding what you want to be known for professionally is crucial to defining your personal brand.

Delving into the specifics of one's work helps in creating a concrete and memorable personal brand.

Avoiding confusion and being clear in self-introduction can significantly improve the understanding of one's personal brand.

Identifying unique talents and expertise is key to standing out in one's industry.

The audience for one's personal brand should be considered based on the goal and the value one can provide.

Creating a mission statement that encapsulates who you are, what you do, and who you do it for is an important step.

A personal website is a powerful tool for controlling one's online reputation and sharing one's brand deeply.

Social media can be effectively used to share one's personal brand with a focused audience.

Choosing the right social media platform that aligns with one's goals and audience is essential.

Engaging on social media by sharing helpful content and interacting in a way that reinforces one's brand is key.

Viewing the branding process as an opportunity for personal growth can provide clarity on making an impact.

Transcripts

Whether you realize it or not, you have a personal brand.

If I looked you up on Google

and didn't find anything about you on the first page of results,

that's your personal brand.

If I found an out-of-date LinkedIn profile

or a bunch of random social media posts,

that, too, is your personal brand.

[The Way We Work]

People tend to think about a personal brand as bragging,

self-promotion and all about yourself.

But it's actually something much more important.

It's your reputation.

In other words, it’s how people perceive you --

your friends, colleagues or the general public --

and it's what people think about you when they hear your name

as well as what people say about you when you're not in the room.

In our connected world,

every single one of us has a personal brand,

whether we like it or not.

This is because whenever we engage with people both in person and online --

that’s every interaction or everything we post, upload or comment on --

we're creating a reputational narrative about ourselves.

Your reputation is already out there.

The question is: Do you want to be the one who’s driving and shaping this story?

Or do you want chance or algorithms to be doing it for you?

I think most people would agree that they want to take control.

And what this means is we need to make some very intentional decisions

so our brand stays in our hands.

Let me walk you through five key steps to building a strong personal brand

in a way that feels good.

First, you need to figure out what your goal is.

Let's start by answering a foundational question:

What do you want your personal brand to help you accomplish?

Are you looking to change jobs or transition into a new industry,

and you need your brand to reflect a new skill set?

Maybe you're looking to get a promotion at your current organization

and you need everyone to know all the amazing things

that you've accomplished in your career.

Or maybe you're launching a new business

and you want to build your brand

around the products or services that you're offering.

Whatever your goal is, write it down and make it specific

so that you're working towards a clear outcome.

Next, you'll want to get clear on what you want to be known for.

In other words, how do you want people to describe you as a professional?

Start by answering the question, "So what do you do?"

And I'm not just talking about your job title.

Are you a teacher who focuses on social and emotional learning?

Or maybe you're a project manager

who is reliable and always gets things done on time.

Or maybe you're an artist

who makes beautiful ceramic pots from natural materials.

What you want to do is dig deeper into the what,

how and why behind your work

so you can make it concrete and easy to remember.

Just make sure to lead with something that doesn't cause confusion.

For example,

I once coached someone who called herself a "death midwife,"

which no one understood.

But when she started introducing herself as a grief counselor

who works with families during a time of loss,

all of a sudden everyone got it.

If you're stumped, think about how you can stand out

from the crowd in your industry.

What are the things that make you unique?

Are there specific talents and expertise that you've acquired in your career?

What do you know more about than most people?

Sit down and make a list

and you might start to surprise yourself about all the things you know.

Now let's think about the audience

you want to share your personal brand with.

The reality is, your personal brand is not about you.

It's about the people you want to educate with the skills,

knowledge and value you can provide.

Who you decide to focus on should be based on two things:

the goal of your personal brand

and the people who can best benefit from your unique talents and skills.

So spend some time thinking about these two questions:

Who can most gain from what you have to share,

and how exactly can you see yourself helping them?

Here's where it all starts to come together.

Let's pull all your answers into a single mission statement

that describes who you are, what you do,

who you do it for

and the transformation you can create in people's lives.

Let's take the example of the teacher.

“My name is Alma, and I’m a third-grade teacher

who specializes in social and emotional learning.

I work with students to teach them the skills

for fostering empathy and compassion

so they can thrive and contribute to a more caring world."

Let's take the project manager.

“My name is Jennifer,

and I'm a project manager for a sustainable fashion company.

I work with teams across different departments

to plan, organize and direct innovative marketing campaigns

that engage customers while also increasing brand loyalty."

Mission statements are going to look wildly different

depending on who you are in your career.

But whatever your mission statement is,

write it down and put it somewhere prominent.

You can use it to make decisions about how you speak about yourself

when you first meet someone,

to the communities you want to share it with.

Let's start building your personal brand online.

There are two key personal branding assets you should think about developing:

a personal website and social media.

What's so important about a personal website

is that it allows you to take full control over your online reputation.

It offers the most flexibility in sharing your brand and value to others

in a much deeper way than a resume or a LinkedIn profile.

People want to work with others they like, know and trust,

and your personal website provides you an opportunity

to share more about your personality through photos

as well as more about your career and life story.

This, in turn will differentiate you from others in your industry.

Social media is also a great way to share your personal brand

with the audience you're looking to connect with.

However, I suggest trying not to be on every platform.

Pick one that aligns with your goals

as well as where your audience spends most of its time.

If you're an artist or a creative, Instagram is a great fit.

If you work in a more corporate environment,

LinkedIn is the place you want to be.

When posting, focus on being helpful to others.

Share interesting articles relevant to your industry,

post ideas or opinions that can benefit colleagues,

and like or comment on posts shared by the people you follow.

The key is to always engage in a way

that both reinforces your personal brand while also bringing value to others.

Look, I know this may all sound a bit intimidating,

but try to think of this branding process as an opportunity for personal growth.

It's your chance to dig deeper into who you truly are

and who you want to become.

This, in turn, will provide you the clarity you need

on how you can make your greatest impact in the world.