Why personal branding

I feel happy that “Personal Branding” or “Personal Marketing” is becoming a mainstream concept. You can find why it is important in books, magazines, blogs & workshops. You can learn how to select the best attribute, get the best positioning, communicate your single most important value and how networking will amplify your message.

People are brands.  Tom Peters wrote it in his visionary article published in The Fast Company in 1997.

We are brands because we need to differentiate ourselves from others.

Picture from Social Harbor

Have you ever asked yourself if you are sold or bought by others?

You sell yourself when you explain to your new boss how good you are. When in a job interview you give details about your achievements and what you are best at. When you devote the first five minutes in a meeting to establish your authority. If people don’t know you it is your duty to communicate how good you are.

Others buy you after they have heard about you, when they have a clear idea of your value either directly or through others. It is then that you have a brand and a reputation. And this is the reason that others buy you. You are selected because of your perceived differential value and trust.

Internet is making the job market transparent. The number of new profile in professional networks and communities increases day by day. We are time poor and information rich.

Professionals are in these networks as products in the supermarket shelves. There will not be a seller advising people what product to buy. What are the best criteria? Attractive packaging, good price, ingredients…or the brand!

Branding´s rules are finally to serve people. Let´s use years of knowledge and experimentation about consumer behaviour for our purpose.