Branding is more than just a logo; it’s how we identify fully with a product not just what the product is. It includes imagery, concepts, content, emotion, and the meaning behind a product, everything that makes a product special.

Branding is needed for products to stand out above the crowd, to be memorable. Branding also needs to accurately represent the product and show what’s unique about it. Branding is what sticks in our minds about a product.

In the online competitive world in order to make sure that you stand out, personal branding is essential. Personal branding helps you showcase your talents for better business strategy, employment offers, or personal relationships. Your own particular brand needs to be designed to reflect you the way you want the world to see you.

So how does one go about creating a personal brand?

Design Your Vision

To begin designing your personal brand, first set clear objectives. If you don’t know where you are headed it will be difficult to work out how to create a brand that helps you get there. A personal vision should have clear career/money, leisure/personal, and relationship goals. Make a broad statement that encompasses your aims, this will be your personal vision.

Describe Yourself

Once you have a clear vision statement, start the branding process by identifying your key strengths, passions, and values. Create a list under each of the three headings. Add to this list your educational qualifications, experience (work and other), and hobbies that support your vision. Build up a full picture of yourself as a brand, by adding your influences, styles, and any useful associations.

Define Your Audience

Create an inventory of who your target market is. What are their likes and dislikes? What images do they relate to? This may be different for different parts of yourself, but they should all tie into your brand.

Defining your audience is an essential step in cultivating content to match. Consider different parts of your audience and how your brand relates to them.

Identify Key Images, Phrases, Colors, and Fonts

Start choosing your brand by deciding on what type of image you want to portray, is it a business-like image? A creative one? Online imagery should always match this, start collecting and posting pictures that suit your style.

Offline, ensure your dress and interaction matches the desired look.

Start to develop signatures, fonts, headers, logos, and colors that go with your brand. Use the color profile, fonts, and logos in websites and in online profiles to showcase the brand you are creating.

Create a brand statement to include in headers or signatures that is aligned with your personal vision.

Build Up Your Online Assets

Start promoting your brand by building up your online assets. A brand needs a website, social media, and an online presence. How you choose to develop online assets will depend on what type of brand you are aiming for.

If you are selling your personality, YouTube videos will help people connect with your talent, if you are selling your reputation or expertise, guest posting on authoritative sites will help you to establish yourself as an expert. Writing free eBooks about your niche will help gain trust and authority in your niche.

Remember that everything you say in social media can be seen by prospective employers or clients, and an absence of social media appears to suggest you are hiding something.

Build up Offline Presence

Engage in offline events that match your brand. Try, for example, joining clubs, volunteering, or participating in industry related events. Activities that can have leverage for media coverage are ideal.

Maintain Your Brand

Review your brand statement regularly to determine where you need to tweak your presence to match your vision. This may include an online search under your name, a look through your projects with a colleague or friend, or a personal inventory to see if your vision and branding are still aligned with your needs.

Start Sooner than Later

If YOU don’t develop your brand, there’s a potential that your brand will develop despite you, and it will probably not be a brand that you desire. Branding is a personal endeavor, and you may choose which of the available options suit your needs, but start sooner than later.

It is a fact that our whole lives are now available online, so it’s best to start developing the brand YOU deserve.