Have you googled yourself lately? Do you know what kind of image you project to your potential employers or clients? Your image combined with your business presence is referred to as your “personal brand” and it’s something you can leverage to stand out from your competition and position yourself as a leader, authority and expert.
Having a polished and professional brand can help you to be noticed, perhaps for a promotion, or to earn a contract, be invited to serve on a board, or be interviewed by the media.
The Internet makes it easy for you to polish your brand quickly and create a brand-statement that matches your image offline, too. Here is the advice that I give to my clients to help them keep their brand updated:
Have an interesting introduction. When someone asks, “What do you do?”, the reply should be interesting and understandable. Have confidence when you reply and answer the questions WHO and WHAT. Here is a branding secret: you don’t need to include your title or certifications immediately when meeting someone!
For example:
“I help business women succeed.”, or
“I help entrepreneurs get noticed by the media.”
Google yourself and review how you appear online. Be sure that your social media profiles, your website listings and any professional or alumni organizations that you belong to have the most up-to-date information listed about you.
Update your professional bio. Be sure that your bio is current and includes any recent accomplishments, awards, recognition and media appearances.
Have a RECENT professional photo. It’s important that your photo be updated about every three years. This is something you don’t want to skimp on. If you use a hobbyist, a student or non-professional photographer, that will be reflected in the quality of the image.
I know it can feel a little awkward to promote yourself, but this is an important aspect of marketing and career-building. If you find yourself resisting the idea of improving your image, I encourage you to work with a coach or a branding consultant.
Remember that you are a work in progress, and you are continually evolving. When you allow yourself to stand out as a woman of excellence, you give other women the permission to do the same.
Here’s to your professional brand and your continued success.
Read Make Your Brand Statement or Polish Your Professional Brand and the other informative articles in this issue of Soar to Success magazine.
