Today building a personal brand is no longer a choice; it’s a necessity in order for PR practitioners to succeed professionally.
We all know plenty of people who are good – even great – at what they do, but never get the recognition they deserve. They always seem to fall short of winning clients or getting that promotion. Of course, being good at what you do is crucial for success, but it is not the only factor in the equation.
A generation ago, letting the work speak for itself was sound advice. There was no need to think beyond your current employer when a job for life was the norm and anything else an exception. With good work, an upward career path was all but guaranteed.
Nowadays though, it’s inevitable that a large demographic of talented and hard-working individuals will be ignored. With the average professional having eleven jobs over the course of their career, maintaining an excellent reputation between a range of companies and roles is crucial if you don’t want your track record to slip between the cracks. The current recession has only accelerated this trend.
Using your personal brand to shape the career you want
Ten years ago, I lost my job. I’d spent six years working as Head of Communications for easyJet but then, almost out of the blue, a management shake-up meant I had to leave. I loved my stint at the airline and this departure was gutting, but I had a plan. I decided that I wanted to found my own company – although this wasn’t going to be easy.
It was 2010 and the world was crawling out of a recession. All of sudden I was on my own with no clients, no team, and without the clout of a major company to open doors for me. To top things off, I only had a few months’ worth of savings to sustain myself.
The clock was ticking. To attract clients, I knew I had to develop my reputation as a consultant – fast. Crafting a personal brand which reflected my values and aspirations was crucial to get my name out there, and in turn win clients for my new business.
Uniqueness stands out
In the years since I founded my communications consultancy, I discovered that there are a few recurring reasons why professionals fail in sharing their unique voice with the world: they think building a brand means they can’t be themselves; they believe they have nothing to say; they are afraid of showing up in the digital space; they get on the content treadmill, churning out half-hearted LinkedIn posts or tweets. What’s more, they don’t enjoy it because they don’t have the right strategy or system in place. Often the limiting factor is simply the mindset that “It’s not for me” – but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Your personal brand should reflect your personality if you are to become visible and truly unignorable. Authenticity wins hearts, even in the professional world of today. Unlike ten years ago, when showing personality was still largely frowned upon in the corporate world, today authenticity helps us get noticed. Authenticity makes us unique, and uniqueness stands out. Clients, recruiters and bosses will all appreciate learning more about you through your authentic personal brand – these working relationships based on mutual trust are what we should all be aiming for.
Become a magnet to those who matter
We all have a reputation, so why not build one we love? To fulfil your goals, you also need the right motivation, mindset, method and message – the four M’s needed for a truly successful personal brand.
If your brand is consistent with your values and you set out to help others, building a personal brand will be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Authenticity is not just a buzzword. It is the key to understanding why some personal brands work and others don’t.
In business, a great reputation is the prerequisite to profit. If we are known for our expertise, for being outstanding at what we do and for the value we create for others, we become a magnet for the right people and opportunities. It’s exactly this reputation which separates you from the competition.
With the four M’s as guiding principles you will show your unique self, and your skills and abilities, to those who will extract value from what you have to say and share. It is precisely this demographic who will provide the most value for you.
Your reputation as an insurance policy
This year has posed significant challenges for the communications industry and each one of us. Uncertainty and financial instability have left many worried about losing clients, failing to upskill or becoming irrelevant. But instead of worrying, doubling down on the investment in your personal brand will act as an insurance policy against current and future crises.
Resilience will be far more important in the future than any particular skill. Skills can be learnt and in turn can become obsolete. Resilience on the other hand is there to stay. A first-rate reputation or personal brand is a cornerstone of resilience in business as something which protects us against forces that are outside of our control. You can be fired from a job or by your clients, but you can’t be fired from your personal brand. A magnetic brand will ensure that you remain in demand – as long as you live up to the promises of your reputation, you and your services are guaranteed to be top of mind, even when budgets are stretched.
Become a thought-leader and create opportunities with your personal brand
With your personal brand you will be able to assert yourself as a key opinion leader, and charge clients what you are worth. A compelling and authentic personal brand will attract potential clients and prove your value, whilst giving you the luxury of choosing the most interesting clients and projects.
No one will deny that attention is a highly sought-after commodity in the digital age. This is a trend which is not going to disappear – becoming unignorable and building a successful personal brand will help you cut through the noise, rise to the top of your clients’ minds and reach your goals.
Oliver Aust is the CEO and founder of Eo Ipso Communications in Berlin, co-host of the podcast “Speak Like a CEO“ and author of three books on communications. His latest book, Unignorable: Build Your Personal Brand and Boost Your Business in 30 Days, has already achieved international bestseller status and is available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.
For more info on Oliver Aust visit www.oliveraust.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram @oliveraust_