Presentation and Personal Branding

A strong personal brand is a mix of reputation, trust, attention, and execution. …

… A personal brand gives you the ability to stand out in a sea of similar products. In essence, you’re marketing yourself as something different than the rest of the pack.

The term branding is one of the more ubiquitous in business-speak these days … and it has been for some time. You hear about a company branding itself so that its unique qualities are presented strongly and clearly to its clients and potential customers. But what about personal branding? What is it, and why should you be interested? Whether or not you are a company employee, or operate as a freelance or independent business person, personal branding is all about presenting yourself and your business in the best possible light … whether face to face or online. The two quotes at the top of this post are from Chris Brogan who writes on social media, communication and business.

One of the best introductions to the business of personal branding can be found in Chris’ free e-book Personal Branding for the Business Professional. We thoroughly recommend your downloading this really useful 15 page pdf format guide from his site. Chris writes clearly and succinctly on personal branding and its importance to the business professional. It’s full of great ideas for presenting yourself well … personally and digitally.

It’s also an extremely valuable introduction to the range of online tools and social networks available to the professional … with suggestions on how to use them for personal and professional development.