So, I have a secret to share. I am naturally a shy person and that my outgoing nature is definitely learnt behaviour rather than a natural flair. Which is why PR and comms is the perfect world for me as instead of having to front out campaigns myself I can write and author from A Another.
And I know I am not alone. In my years of working in comms, the times I have heard stakeholders telling me they don’t like to post on socials, don’t feel comfortable ‘being out there’ and would prefer someone to take the reins when it came to advocacy. And then there are the ones who are comfortable sharing their successes on socials, but somehow forget to frame it in the context of teamwork, or mix up the personal with professional.
So how do you create a personal brand in a corporate world? Stay authentic while still toeing the company line? Be true to your values while embrace those around you?
Today’s world is very different than it was 20, 15 or even 10 years ago. Rightly so, companies are embracing diversity which means different voices representing an organisation is a great way of showing the breadth of expertise and personal experience a company has within its workforce. Which gives us all the opportunity to create our own personal brand.
Step 1: Define your brand
Just as you would a product or a service you need to understand what you want to be known for. Take your value base - what gives your work purpose - and your expertise- what you contribute to your workplace - and you probably have it right there. So it could be that you want to be known for being the expert in children development for those in a pre-school setting, but also feel strongly about the right for women to be given the same opportunities as others when returning to work post maternity. These could be the pillars of your brand.
Step 2: Refine your audience
Who is it you want to influence? The audiences might be multi-faceted – so clients, stakeholders that influence your industry, and of course the internal client - your colleagues and other peers. Think about what it is that connects you to these audiences, is it the same thing or does your brand need to have different strands to reach different audiences?
Step 3: Destination
Why do you want your personal brand to be seen? Where do you want your brand to be seen? How do you want your personal brand to be seen in 5,10 and 15 years? All these questions are key to understanding how your brand should evolve. So if your personal brand is about work winning, then your proof points and validation needs to be tailored to this. If it is around acquiring talent, or showing yourself as talent, then this requires a slightly different strategy. If you are an owner of a company and your end goal is to be acquired, then your personal brand is not about how great you are but how you have grown the company to what it is today. Understanding the why, what and how can help you plan, evaluate and redirect your strategy.
Step 4: Validation
Like with any other brand, you need validation. Making claims without proof points will not help your brand be credible. Using case studies, client testimonials, awards won or shortlisted for, and team shout outs all help bring more voices to recognise your brand. Remember too that others are more likely to support your brand if you support theirs, so interact with others on social media, provide endorsements on LinkedIn for those you felt did a good job too and you will find your followers, your posts will start to generate momentum too.
Step 5: Refine your voice
And here’s the important part. Refine your voice. Be authentic and tell your story, linking to your values, but remember you are representing your company, and have a voice appropriate to that role. If you are part of a team, acknowledge that your successes are being part of that team whether it be part of a client team or an internal team which in turn will help amplify your voice and add credibility to linking to those around you. And pick out the parts of your brand that make you stand out. So if your brand is around supporting women back to work and you have recently returned to work, it doesn’t mean sharing baby photos on your LinkedIn account, but perhaps sharing the journey of how returning to work and balancing work/life and how supportive your company was in that transition.
Finally, to truly build your own personal brand, you need to embrace it and feel comfortable in it. If like me, this doesn’t come naturally, create a professional persona for yourself - like Beyonce’s Sasha Fierce or Lady Gaga - who you can shout about their successes while still reflecting the light of success.