Hello! I’m Leah, the new intern, and I’m so excited to be working at Morningstar Communications. For my first official post on the Luminary Blog, I thought I would talk about something I think is very important to being successful in our industry (and any industry, for that matter). That is personal branding.
The BNET Business Dictionary defines personal branding as “the public expression and projection of an individual's identity, personality, values, skills, and abilities.” Basically, a personal brand is finding your best qualities and putting them to good use. It is NOT molding yourself to fit in at a certain company or profession. Here are a few steps to finding and capitalizing on your own personal brand:
1. Discover and develop your brand: In order to do this, you need to first have an end goal. A plan to accomplish this goal doesn’t hurt either. Your brand should help you achieve your long-term goal and express how you’re going to do it.
2. Craft a position statement: Your brand will most likely be a combination of a few things you are innately good at, like leadership, encouragement or time management. For instance, if you are known for your humor, your position statement could be something like “Delivering humorous encouragement with every step.” Keeping this statement in mind while working towards your goal will make it that much easier.
3. Put your brand to use: Now, you must communicate your newfound brand to the world through several different forms of media. Social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, are very useful tools for getting your message out (and they are free). It’s also good to have a blog where you can share resources and links with other people in your profession.
This article entitled, “The Brand Called You,” by our CEO, Eric Morgenstern, can also be helpful in developing and using your personal brand. This branding technique should make it easier for you to visualize and accomplish your goals. Who doesn’t want an easy route to success?