Self-Branding

By Emma Stevens

Most of us are under the delusion that we have ourselves pretty figured out. I sure did, until I was asked to consider what my brand was as a PR professional. I was stumped, what is my brand? How do I want to present myself in today’s mashup of technology, social media and professionalism? This is a complicated relationship, one I believe should be considered wisely and thoughtfully. 

So let’s think about it. What is self-branding and how can I accomplish this critical piece of my professional palette? My professor blank gave us a good definition of what self-branding is, and I’d like to share it with you. 

The personal brand combines: 

1. The look, feel and content you use to portray yourself.

2. The promises people can count on you to uphold.

In other words, consider how you will portray yourself to the world and what you can REALISTICALLY do for the company/organization for which you are working. This is completely in your control. 

I started my self-branding journey with a personal bio. This may sound simple, but trust me, it is not. Imagine trying to describe yourself, all of your experiences, and what makes you unique in 300 words. IMPOSSIBLE. It took me hours to come up with something I was happy with, and this is what I learned:

1. Start with an outline of the most important things to and about you.
2. Carefully consider how you want to present yourself in your introduction, as well as the tone you will be using. KEY: The tone of your personal bio should adhere to your brand. 
3. Write it out, edit later. 
4. Find a balance between approachable and professional language. 
5. Focus on key things that relate to your profession. For example, I focused primarily on my PR experience. 
6. Keep it light and short.

You have now gotten over the first hurdle of your personal branding journey. Take a break, rehydrate, grab a snack and get ready for the next one. Resumes and cover letters. 

Resumes and cover letters are sneaky difficult. Both take a lot of time and consideration. I revised my entire resume over winter break and it was exhausting. Here is what I learned.

1. Consider your dream job and construct your resume around that job.
2. Pick out key facts, experiences and accomplishments that promote your self-branding and professional future.
3. Use short, clear sentences. 
4. Decide whether you are writing in the past or present. I messed this one up once or twice – well, honestly, many times. 
5. Pick a font and stick with it.
6. Organize with headings. 
7. White spaces are your friend. 
8. Pick a font and layout that, you guessed it, adheres to your brand.

Whoo! That was a lot, but sadly your journey should not stop there. The next step consists of our dear friend, SOCIAL MEDIA. Social media may seem simple, but when it comes to self-branding, it gets more complicated. Here is what I thought about when branding my social accounts.

1. What kind of language is best received on each platform? 
2. How quirky did I really wanna be? 
3. Who am I as a professional and what does that look like visually? This is particularly true for Instagram. 
4. What content did I want to promote? For this tip, I would consider your dream job and find content that aligns with a future career possibility. 
5. Make it colorful and fun. Just because your socials should be professional does not mean they should be boring.
6. Be consistent. Once you pick a brand, stick with it. 

Alright! Way to go. I promise this is the last step. The last thing you should consider is how you will promote your new professional brand. My advice is NETWORK! Networking is key and should be constantly on your to-do list as a professional. Here is what I learned about networking 

1. Think about your dream job and find people who are in a similar position. 
2. Use LinkedIn and Twitter. Both of these social accounts have great direct messaging services.
3. If you see someone doing something that inspires you, reach out to them.
4. Constantly put yourself out there. You might not always get a response but at least you are trying. And who knows, down the line, someone might remember your name.
5. Think big. No one is unreachable nowadays. Reach out to anyone who inspires you and ask them how they got there. Even Obama answered emails when he had time, and you never know when you might be that one person someone takes the time to connect with.