With the virtual world taking over our life, there are many friends in your cell phone directory and even more on your social networks whom you may not have met in person. But you still feel proud to have so many acquaintances - after all, it gives you a sense of self-worth. In a world that is filled with cacophony, with people shouting about self from the rooftops, a bit of narcissism is the most necessary ingredient to create 'brand self.'
But when you have to brand yourself, you don't have to look too far. The USP is not hidden. It is there, right within you. And the product called 'self' is way too unique to be replicated. Did you get it? The 'selfie' of the 'self' is an etched picture within the universe and yet way too distinct from others of the same clan. It is not the same as the assembly line product. It is different and it is the only one in the whole world.
The World Wide Web has somehow diminished the picture of 'self' as too many people have taken to social networking sites and created a brand of their own. So much so that when one thinks what makes the 'self' unique, the answer is the same as millions others - everybody seems to be thinking in the same way. Is that right? Did you say yes? We say NOPE. The answer is a firm no. Because you are not like anyone else. You need to come to terms with your own identity and package it for self.
'Brand Self' is more powerful than anything or anyone else and we have already come across the best example of personal branding in the recent times. It is none other than India's new Prime Minister
What lies in personal branding is a simple message. It's self, self and self. Not in a manner that new parents talk about their babies or the aged talk about their grown-up children. This is more in terms of how the world can see you as the most confident, valuable and important person who can add value to the lives around. Now, did you get the message?Here's how you can go about it.
The shelf life of 'self': Introspection is the key when you are starting this step. Self is a dynamic state and it is forever changing. Your beliefs, your qualification, your personality, your persona and even your resume would change when you move to one company from another. The virtual world records every bit of data about your movement. So leverage the world of virtual reality to enhance your image. What can you do? Well, brush up your SEO dictionary and create a more positive self-image. And just keep working at it. The virtual world has no slack period.
Replace the negative with the positive: You may not like it at all but in case the virtual world has recorded some negative stuff about you, it won't just go away. What can you do? Just read up a bit about SEO and create as many positive things as you can, which will push the 'negativity' down.
Elevator pitch: Brevity, brevity and brevity: Stay abreast of changes. Experts believe you only have 6 seconds to make what is called the 'elevator' pitch. However, there are others who will tell you there could be about 30 seconds to make that first impression. Brevity, it so happens, is the only keyword here.
Personal branding is not your job title: Self-branding is not about your job. It is about the cumulative 'you' and what you want the others to see. Create a personal brand tagline. It should be short enough to fit into a business card and not an epic that most won't find the time to read.
It's not about age: Baby boomers are close to retirement now. Should they resign from work life? Nah, in fact, the advantage of the Internet is - if you got the stuff, those with requirements will want to work with you. So don't give up at any age. Unless someone asks you, don't reveal it yet. Jobs just need doers irrespective of their age.
Look it up but be original: Be sure you are aware of what you are creating. Don't set up a tall order and then fall flat. The virtual world has quite a few ways of getting this around to others as well. Search for some similar examples of 'self' and be sure to create a distinct identity that stands out from the crowd. Go easy, but go for it. In a nutshell, personal branding is all about the realistic picture that you want to project about self.
As personal branding expert Chris Ducker says, it is what people say about you when you are NOT in the room. Hope the message is now clear!