A lot has been made of the importance of personal brand in today’s digitally-led business world, but why does it matter? Why should you set aside time, energy, and effort to get it right? Why is this important for the startup founder, individual employee, pro athlete, bar owner, or coach?
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Personally, I have always been deliberate about building, maintaining, and evolving my personal brand. For me, it’s been innate and something I’ve focused on since high school. But for many it can be unnatural, an afterthought, lapsed, or misunderstood. Most people who are against the premise often end up, over time, realizing it’s criticality to career success. Don’t find yourself playing catch-up when the need for a personal brand inevitably calls.
Your Personal Brand and Your Company’s
It’s imperative for founders, executives, and startup employees to incorporate their personal brand when building their company brand and vice versa to help drive market momentum. Executive platforms where market evangelism, corporate and career storytelling, disruptive thought leadership, pithy points of view, deep domain expertise, etc. are programatized and consistently executed against are fixtures of any successful company. Drumbeat marketing isn’t just about the company doing it, but the players on the field creating, sharing, advocating, and amplifying the message. You have to do it so much you annoy yourself because no one is really paying enough attention to you to matter.
Here are five core reasons you should focus on your business-oriented social and communication profiles (LinkedIn, Twitter, AngelList, Medium/Blog, CrunchBase, Website, Slack, & Email, etc.) to drive personal brand, as they are the foundation and megaphone and communication channels for the truest and most important thing to market — YOU!
- Career Narrative / Story Arc - Can you articulate your resume/CV in a meaningful and connected way? Do the moves you make sense?
- Relevance - Are you current, dynamic, fluid, and on point? In your company, speciality, function, interests, or industry?
- Networking - Are you extending your reach and leveraging your contacts? Do they really know YOU? Do you know THEM?
- Diversification – Are you well rounded in your business pursuits? Or are you a one-trick pony?
- Pride – Do you feel intrinsic passion and happiness in your career? Are you confident enough to share that with the world?
I always say to be loyal and play the long-game. Does your startup have personality? How are you ensuring you’re maximizing personal brand for the greatest career results? Share your thoughts! Share your brand!
*Repost from an older version on my personal Medium blog from 2015.
