Freelancer Doesnt Let You Upload a Profile Picture?
Everyone knows the importance of good branding when it comes to your business—but what almost building a personal brand that's associated with y'all equally an private? Never underestimate the ability of personal branding—when done right information technology can exist your well-nigh valuable nugget.
But how do you create a successful personal brand?
This commodity is going to show you the secrets of personal branding and walk you through the steps you lot need to have if you want to create an outstanding personal make for yourself.
Permit's start with a definition of what personal branding actually is all about:
What is personal branding?
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Personal branding is what shapes the perception of an individual in the optics of the public. Personal branding is all most building your reputation, creating an image of yourself for the outside globe and marketing yourself every bit an private. Substantially, your personal brand is the story that's told about you when you're not in the room.
We've just sent you your outset lesson.
It may feel a fleck uncomfortable to recollect of yourself equally a make. But the truth is that everyone already has a personal brand. What do people say about your work? What adjectives exercise they utilize to describe you? Are they positive or critical?
Your story is likewise existence told online. What'due south existence said nearly yous in the virtual space? Yous accept a choice to actively manage your brand or leave it to risk.
Edifice a personal brand intentionally will allow y'all to tell your story equally yous want it to exist told, to plant yourself as an skillful and leader in your field and to connect with your customers and clients beyond your products and services alone.
Personal brand examples
In that location are some characters in the world of business organisation who are larger than life. They've mastered the fine art of personal branding and they know exactly who they are and what makes them unique.
A prime example for an skillful in personal branding is Gary Vaynerchuk, who successfully brands himself as Gary Vee, the brash man of affairs who tells it like it is and isn't afraid of self-promotion or voicing his opinions loud and clear.
Some other slap-up example is Marie Forleo's personal brand, which is built around her ain quirky personality and motivational, supportive attitude. Her personal make is beautifully designed, has an authentic feel and is all about encouragement for female entrepreneurs.
Examples of outstanding personal brands are everywhere—and the mode an individual chooses to shape their personal brand depends on what paradigm they want to create and what they want to achieve. Think Oprah. Richard Branson. Beyoncé. Gordon Ramsay. Personal branding tin be extremely diverse.
Look at virtually whatsoever successful Youtuber, blogger or business person with an online fan base and you'll see that their personal make plays a major part in their success. It's their personality that makes them approachable, trustworthy and memorable. Their businesses are built around them as a person, which makes their business and person literally inseparable. Personal branding is their biggest asset.
Then, how exercise yous actually go about edifice a personal brand? Here are the v steps you demand to recollect about:
1. Understand why y'all're building a personal brand
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Okay, and so it's clear that you need a personal brand if you want to be successful. But how exactly is information technology going to assistance you? What are your specific reasons for wanting to create a strong brand? Getting clear near what you lot're trying to achieve with your make will help you map out the steps to get there.
Personal branding for freelancers
Equally a freelancer working on a projection-to-project footing, a personal brand is absolutely critical. Your personal brand will help heighten sensation that you exist and will build credibility and trust then that more than clients seek out your services. Ultimately, a strong personal make ways that clients will come to you lot instead of yous having to hustle to observe them—saving you fourth dimension and money.
Personal branding for entrepreneurs & business organization owners
As a business owner, you should already be building your business brand. Your brand strategy volition include your overall purpose and your values, the benefits that your brand stands for and how you're different from your competition, as well every bit tangible elements similar your logo and the colors and typography found throughout all of your materials. But backside your business brand there's also a personal brand.
Look at Richard Branson. He has 11.3 meg followers on Twitter—compare that to the Twitter accounts of his properties Virgin Atlantic (556K), Virgin Galactic (171K) and Virgin Media (225K). Equally he declares on his profile, he is a "tie-loathing charlatan, philanthropist & troublemaker, who believes in turning ideas into reality." Branson uses his personal brand to support his different ventures and to get people to buy into his companies.
People are naturally interested in other people and their stories. They desire to know why yous set up your business organisation in the offset place, what y'all correspond and what talents and quirks yous bring to the table. Cultivating a stiff personal make will humanize your business concern and allow y'all to develop stronger relationships which will pb to broader exposure.
As an entrepreneur, you're also likely to start more than one business concern over the years. Your current business concern venture may neglect (hopefully not!) and you lot may sell your shares and move on to your side by side projection—but your personal brand lives on.
2. Take control of your P.I.Eastward.
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Unfortunately working hard or having bang-up ideas is rarely plenty these days. No matter what you lot do or what your goal is, the underground is to be in control of your P.I.E.: Functioning, Epitome and Exposure. All three pieces of your professional P.I.E. need to piece of work in your favor if you want your personal brand to succeed.
Functioning is central, of course. You need to evangelize quality results in your work. Image is about what other people call back of you—it's your personal brand! And the final piece, Exposure, is about making sure that people know who you are and what you stand for (I'll prove you how, below).
Try to figure out where you tin can improve: practice y'all deliver acme results, just your image isn't neat? Is your image fine, but you're lacking exposure? You lot need to pay attention to all three for the best results.
three. Find your make story and create your brand framework
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Before you showtime telling your story, you need to work out what that story will be. What exercise you lot want to be known for? What will brand you stand out confronting your competition? It's important that y'all develop a deep understanding of your brand personality and personal brand identity.
A personal brand framework, or story, consists of a number of primal elements:
Make purpose
What is your overall purpose, your 'why'? Why exercise you get up in the morn and go to work? What is it that you're ultimately trying to accomplish? This could be professional success or helping or supporting others with your product or service.
Cadre values
Brands are more and more value driven today and your personal brand must be even more then. What do y'all desire to represent? What do you value most of all in your personal and professional person life? Creativity and innovation? Integrity and respect? Discipline and dependability? Attempt to come upward with five core values.
Brand benefits and reasons to believe
A brand needs to be clear about the functional and emotional benefits it delivers to its customers. When it comes to your personal make what are the hard and soft skills that you bring to the table? What are your unique strengths? Difficult skills are applicable things like (in my instance) writing, coaching and mentoring, public speaking, workshop facilitation, business strategy, branding and marketing. Soft skills are attributes like self-motivation, force, independence, quick thinking and open up mindedness.
Next, you'll want to consider the evidence you have to support those claims. What awards and accolades do you have? What qualifications or client testimonials? Make a list of all of your degrees, awards, credentials, testimonials, prominent media appearances and key examples of your work (i.eastward. a YouTube channel with your best speaking engagements or a professional person weblog that features your top writing examples).
Tangible branding elements
Finally, a brand will always have tangible elements like a brand name, logo, colors and fonts—your brand pattern. What are the tangible elements of your personal brand?
Online, this will include the colors and design elements you use on your website and social networks. Many freelancers who build a brand off of their name likewise become a personal logo pattern to apply on concern cards, their website, etc. Offline, personal branding encompasses your physical advent including your grooming, the apparel you wear and how y'all speak, also as any memorable personality quirks!
Creating a personal make framework
Create your own personal brand framework (you tin follow the format of mine or create your own format), print it out and stick information technology upwards where you can see it. Every bit you would with a business make, you can now employ this personal branding framework to guide all that you do, bringing your online and offline personal make in line with your best self.
What sets your personal brand apart?
Now consider your make story and framework in comparison to everyone else in your chosen field. What's special virtually you? Why should someone choose to piece of work with you instead of your competitors?
Companies ofttimes call this their "USP", their Unique Selling Point and it'due south particularly important in a crowded industry. Are you lot the only ane in your industry with a sense of sense of humor? Do yous have a unique perspective or special skill that no one else has to offer? Your personal branding should conspicuously demonstrate what makes you lot unlike and put your USP forepart and center.
iv. Appraise your personal make as it stands today
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Now that you have created the story that yous want to tell, let's take a look at the story that'south currently beingness told today.
What does Google say?
How would you get about finding out more most someone? Y'all'd Google them, correct? Information technology's pretty standard. In fact, 70% of employers use Google to check yous out while 70% review your social media profiles equally function of the hiring procedure.
This is officially an alibi to Google yourself! What comes up commencement? Is it your personal Facebook profile or your LinkedIn page? Click on the Google images tab: which photos do yous meet—are they pics that you desire professional contacts to see?! Do you even show up at all or are the search results dominated by someone else with your name?
If the film that'south existence presented on Google is far from the professional image you want to project, or if you're not appearing at all, so you lot take some work to exercise!
What story are you telling on social media?
Now allow's review your social media profiles and run across what story you're telling in that location.
Facebook is often the biggest culprit. Your contour might be full of rants about some injustice against your local team or drunken photos with the guys at a sports bar. Perhaps you complain about having to become to work with a huge hangover every Mon morning or yous post lots of cat videos. What about those flirtatious group selfies when you lot're out with the girls? Now is the time to consider the image that might form in the minds of prospective clients, partners, investors or employers when they see these pictures and updates.
Consider setting upwardly a separate folio for your business organization persona and limit your existing Facebook profile with strict privacy settings. That way, only your closest friends and family will run into your selfies and rants. (Or, meliorate withal, go along them to yourself!)
The other big ane is LinkedIn. Is your profile up to engagement? What'south the message coming through in the recommendations and in whatsoever updates? What kind of content are yous liking and commenting on? An out-of-date and inactive—or super negative—contour doesn't make a swell impression.
What would a prospective employer or client think of yous based on what they observe online? Repeat this assessment of all of your social media profiles and make a note of whatsoever changes you lot'd similar to make. Read more virtually social media branding here.
How exercise you lot come across IRL?
When information technology comes to your offline presence, it'southward a little harder to assess what story you're telling.
Try asking your colleagues, friends, business associates and erstwhile clients how they'd describe y'all if they were to recommend you to someone—encounter if they mention the cardinal points that you desire to be pushing.
Pro tip: don't try to exist someone you're not, almost people take a sixth sense for inauthentic behavior. Personal branding works best when you lot're being authentic and not trying to play a role you lot think you should be playing.
It's too useful to take an honest look at your physical appearance. Are your vesture and accessories (this includes any tattoos or piercings) appropriate for the audience yous're trying to appeal to? Y'all may not recollect looks thing, simply people still brand a snap judgement about you in the first moments of coming together y'all. What do yous want their takeaway to be?
5. Share your brand story with the world
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Now that y'all know how you look to the world today, yous can begin bringing your new story to life.
Merely it'southward not just about what you say, it'due south how y'all say it. Be sure to create an appealing wait and feel and use a consistent brand vox on whatever platform you're agile on. Along with your words and actions that's what going to convey your personality and create a complete image of who y'all are.
Learn to dearest LinkedIn
There are so many different social networks out there, but for the professional globe LinkedIn is the called land. Here are some quick tips:
Invest in a professional person photo
It'south worth investing in good photos—at least request the services of a friend who has a proper camera if you don't want to spend any money. You need good lighting, a neutral background and a nice grin! No pouty duck faces or badly cropped wedding pics please.
And, while we're at it: whenever you lot upload a photo of yourself, make sure it'due south optimized for search (e.g. anna-lundberg.jpg).
Customize your headline
Come on, you lot're and then much more than "freelancer" or "side-hustler"! Consider using your elevator pitch—you lot accept one, right?—or at least its key points to capture all that you can do.
And if you're an employee, don't lean on your task title. Instead, use words that illustrate the core responsibilities of your job. If you lot're trying to start a business or looking to modify career tracks you'll want to use linguistic communication that will help you ignite the process of moving toward that new management.
Write a compelling summary
The summary section is the first thing people volition see after the title and information technology'south a prime spot for incorporating the key elements of your personal make framework. This is your opportunity to let the reader know who you are and to pique their interest so that they dig into the rest of your contour.
The summary should be written in starting time person ("I piece of work with…"). Think about who you're talking to and your key messages. Highlight your biggest achievements and if necessary explain whatsoever gaps or deviations that might not otherwise make sense in your professional trajectory. Endeavor to provide a call to action, like your electronic mail address so you tin can easily be contacted.
Elaborate on your work experience
Task titles alone don't say too much, so be certain to continue to tell your story through each of the positions or projects that you lot note on your contour. Highlight cardinal responsibilities and achievements that back up your main message (remember that "credibility" piece from your brand framework in #ii).
Get recommendations from by employers
Testimonials and reviews are great for building credibility and trust. Don't be shy nigh asking people explicitly—even giving them some examples of the kind of things you'd like them to mention. People usually won't write something unless you lot inquire.
Add your key skills
Make sure that your almost important skills and strengths are included in the skills section. You can also shuffle them effectually so that the iii most critical skills appear at the top.
Select your social networks of option
You won't have time to actively manage every single network that's out there so choose advisedly. Think about who y'all are, what blazon of business or industry you're in, and who your clients are.
Utilise that professional picture you lot've had taken and brand sure that your Twitter bio captures your story (recollect that great example from Richard Branson?) and that your tweets are consistent, too. Add a scrap of personality, though, as just sharing industry manufactures tin can become a scrap dry! Yous can pin a fundamental piece of content to the peak of your profile to make sure that it'due south the start thing peoples see when they land on your profile (instead of your random tweet virtually the hot guy yous saw on the train this morning time).
Creating a specific Facebook page for your professional connections is a skilful idea if y'all'd like keep your individual life private. You can cull an "author" page or "public figure." Make certain that your 'Almost' department is completed, you've linked to your website and you've got a high-quality profile picture and encompass image. You can (and should!) let your personality shine through here but go on a professional person tone and build a folio that would make your grandma proud!
If yous're a creative person, or you're passionate almost food, beauty, fashion, and so on, then a more than visual platform like Instagram can be a smashing way to build your personal make in a beautiful mode. Over again, make certain that your bio captures the essence of your story and that your pins and posts support that story.
Create a personal website
If you desire to become serious near building your make yous need to create a website. It doesn't have to exist fancy—information technology simply needs to look bonny and professional and have your bio, your CV and your contact details, with links to your social network profiles. But you can take information technology to the side by side level with additional information, materials, manufactures and a newsletter—there's no limit to what you lot can do!
You can ready a basic site using a website builder or you can create something more sophisticated with a custom spider web pattern. No matter which route you lot decide to accept, go a custom domain name (www.janesmith.com rather than www.janesmith.wordpress.com) and get someone to proofread all the re-create for you lot, especially if you're not a native English speaker (that goes for all online platforms!).
Oh, and while we're on domains: Please, please, Please don't use a Hotmail address for professional contacts. It's embarrassing. Really. Gmail is the standard these days so at minimum you should become something like janesmith@gmail.com. Information technology's even better if you can secure your own domain proper name e.yard. hello@janesmith.com—oftentimes yous tin can get this along with your website.
And one time you've done all this neat work to update your profiles and platforms you'll want to make sure that they evolve with you lot. Exist sure to cheque in now and then and keep your profiles updated.
six. Build your personal brand's online presence
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Y'all've sorted out all your social profiles and then that they're up to appointment and telling the right story. Crawly! Only while information technology'due south dainty to have this basic online presence, if yous stop there no one'southward going to know that y'all exist. To brand existent connections you demand to be actively engaging with existent people.
Create relevant content
Yous can start that process by sharing and commenting on other people's content that is consistent with your personal make values and messages. A graphic designer would do well to similar a LinkedIn commodity that promises seven killer tips for logo blueprint or to add her perspective to a folio titledMust-have skills for any graphic designer—but should probably avoid getting sucked into long controversial threads on the policies of the electric current POTUS. (That terminal one goes for all of us!)
Once yous're comfy with this kind of interaction, you tin offset creating and publishing your own content. Information technology's completely upwardly to yous which format you choose. If you love writing then adding a weblog to your personal website could be a practiced idea, or you could write articles on Medium or LinkedIn. This will also help y'all show upwardly higher in search rankings. If you're a scrap of a chatterbox, why not endeavour podcasting or vlogging?
Maybe y'all adopt to hide behind a camera, in which case sharing your beautiful photographs on Instagram might be the all-time fit for you lot. You lot may accept to get out of your comfort zone and learn a new skill, but you'll be surprised at how fast you lot improve with a bit of consistent practice.
Don't forget skillful sometime networking
Throughout all of these processes, exist sure to stay in touch on with existing contacts, talk to strangers at conferences and other events and look for opportunities to speak and share your content. A lot of people observe networking uncomfortable simply it'due south really simply talking to people—and you can definitely exercise that! Look for ways in which you tin add value and help others and you lot'll observe that people will do the same for you.
7. Pursue a personal branding strategy
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Finally, whichever formats and platforms you cull, whatever content yous create and put out in that location, be sure to do so with intention. Each blog post you write, each tweet you send, adds another piece to the puzzle that is your personal make. Your personal branding strategy is the bigger motion picture of the brand y'all want to build.
Having a strategy will go on yous on rails and ensures you'll terminate up where you want to go. It's your vision and roadmap that everything you do should to fit into.
At present information technology's time to take the steps to ensure that the image people cease up with is the image you want for your personal brand! Want more branding tips? Hither's how to create a swell make identity for your business organisation.
Need help designing your personal brand?
Our designers tin create the perfect look for you.
This commodity was originally written in August 2018, it has been updated with new images and information.
Source: https://99designs.com/blog/tips/personal-branding/
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