Are you personal branding? Do you plan to leverage personal branding to get a better job – or cement yourself as a thought leader in your industry? Would you like to be known as an expert in your areas of specialty? What if you could create a persona that not only enables you to express your ideas and share your experiences, but also empowers you to educate, motivate and captivate others?
Personal branding is your ability to not only recognize but own and promote your unique persona.
Personal branding is established when you consistently share your expertise, observations and philosophies via social media, blogging, authoring– even public speaking, event hosting and mentoring.
You don’t have to be a rising legend or a titan of industry to brand yourself in your area of talent or expertise – and your area does not necessarily need to be your professional pursuit. Hobbies and talents are personal niches that define you – and inspire others in the process.
Personal branding is nothing new – legends throughout time have branded themselves by virtue of their actions, whether leaders of nations, triumphant athletes, celebrated heroes or even the writer of a story about a little house on the prairie. Cleopatra. Napoleon. Thomas Edison. Benjamin Franklin. Babe Ruth. Anne Frank. Elvis. The greatest of personal branders throughout time had no idea what personal branding was and one step beyond – could care less.
For the rest of us, not destined to fill the limitless pages of history or live on in infamy for talent, bravery, intellect or leadership, the power of personal branding is obvious – professional growth and personal fulfillment. Here’s 3 brilliant personal branders making legends of themselves today – and what they are teaching you right now about the value of your own personal brand!
Taylor Swift: Taylor Swift’s talents and drive are moving this superstar to legendary status. She graces stages and videos with her endless stream of hits, but she also knows just how to leverage social media and social gaze to benefit her latest drives. She does not deviate from her classic style or her bold opinions – and she maintains that as a celebrity she realizes the youth of America, and the world, are watching to emulate her. Taylor stays in the public eye – but on her own terms. Lesson: Marching to the beat of your own drum in life and being true to yourself is a smart move, especially when others are watching.
Malala Yousafzai: Born in July 1997, this Pakistani activist for female education is the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate. She is a beacon for human rights advocacy with a voice and knowledge well beyond her years. She is a prominent blogger and activist who survived a Taliban assassination attempt to become the most famous teenager in the world. On Twitter, @MalalaFund is the official account for the organization led by Malala, with a focus on helping girls go to school and raise their voices for the right to education. With 131K followers, people are listening. Lesson: Lead by your convictions and share your viewpoints no matter the opposition – do not be afraid to inspire.
Richard Branson: Do you know who Richard Branson is? Of course you do, or you have heard of him, or seen a post on LinkedIn by him, or the random tweet. Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business gazillionaire best known for founding Virgin Group, which is made up of more than 400 companies. He started his first business at age 16. He created innovative approaches for the mail-order record business. He is at home on the Forbes list of billionaires. He’s one of the richest men in the United Kingdom. The man is even promising commercial space flight! Guess what else Branson is famous for these days? Blogging! Branson is one CEO that knows how to work the matrix of social media. He is a LinkedIn Influencer. He tweets – a lot. His blog is loaded with relevant, engaging content fueled with a purpose – to keep you sharing his thoughts, activities, observations and even pleasantly English rants. Branson – and Virgin Group – know how to work blogging to benefit not only the thought leader that is Branson, but the missions and objectives of all that is the Virgin Group, including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Wines and Virgin Vacations, not to mention Virgin Galactic. What does Branson blog about? He shares entrepreneurial smarts, vision and strategies, mixed with observations about everything from travel to living a better, healthier life. His blog posts routinely win thousands upon thousands of social shares. His Twitter account @richardbranson boasts more than 4.81 million followers. Plus, Branson has been tweeting since 2007.
Lesson: No matter how busy you are, find time to share your expertise and viewpoints – it’s worth it.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: 3 Brilliant Personal Branders – And What They Are Teaching You Today
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