Branding 4.0 today is, more than ever, one of the most important aspects of any business, regardless of its size, type, and current reach. Your brand and brand strategy it should give you a major edge and visibility as well as credibility in increasingly competitive markets.
You may wonder now if you should consider yourself as a brand. Sure you should – you as an individual are a key component of the brand. It is essential to know that you are communicating the right message to the right audience. This goes beyond your name, design, marketing or advertising. Simply put, it is a timeless branding concept. Why? As individuals, whether we like it or not, we have to be able to sell ourselves in various situations in life as well as in business. The more effectively you can do that, the more successful you are going to be!
What kind of brand do you have or wish to have? What kind of brand are you or would you like to be?
We live in a culture that judges us based on the first impression of a whopping 5 to 7 seconds! So much counts – from clothing that you wear, to how you behave and interact with others, to your voice and body language. At the end of the day, everything is tied to your brand. The big shift that we see thus far in 2015 is that even now large corporations are trying to act, look and feel like individuals because of irreplaceable human touch and demand for two-way communication.
It is great that you can get an almost instantaneous feedback on anything you do on the Internet. This can help you to gauge quickly who and how you are reaching into the World Wide Web. It can give an opportunity to adjust your reach and refine or redefine your brand regardless of whether it is personal, company or both.
I am often asked to offer advice on executive presence, personal brand, and influence, in addition to consulting work that I do. On that note, based on popular demand, I am sharing some of the golden nuggets with you today via my blog and tomorrow during my presentation at the Denver Word Camp conference (videos to follow soon to all of my global audience).
A brand is a story that is always being told” ~ Scott Bedburry
A quick way to evaluate your Glocal (Local <> Global) brand and presence: ask yourself, are you:
1. Create Powerful and Influential Personal Brand!To do that constancy, competence, courage, clarity, creativity, consistency, congruency, and compelling branding is crucial. Anyone wanting to have a successful career, regardless of the position or level, from job seekers to employers, students to executive consultants, employees or entrepreneurs, your personal brand or reflection of it is everything. It reflects your reputation, the size, strength, and quality of your professional network. If you don’t brand yourself first, someone else will do that for you!
2. Stand Out in the Crowd – Do you know how others perceive your brand? If you are not sure – please ask for feedback. Recently, I got some useful feedback from people I respect and trust, real leaders and executives. “Izabela, your executive presence is exceptional. We know we need you and your skill set, but we are not sure if can afford you.” This was a priceless response that presented me with a new challenge and problem. In my opinion, this is a great challenge to have. Brand value comes with brand quality, right? Key decision makers, partners, investors, and advisors want to work with strong and powerful brands that have great presence and an exceptional track record!
3.Lead with Value & Create New Opportunities – Are you working with people that want to work with you or for you? Are they ready to support you and your career? If not, then you need to glance at all the aspects of your current presence and brand. If you are both creating or getting a lot of opportunities coming your way, then you know well that you are on the right track. People are always searching for people with full range skills and excellent brand presence. If you don’t have one, then you will not be taken seriously!
4. Discover & lead within your niche – What value you are bringing to the table that is unique to you? How are you creating value and for whom? That can’t be easily answered unless you have gone through the process of self-discovery. It will allow you to know who you are, what is important to you, your personal mission, vision, and values. Further, it will assist you to navigate and lead with your niche with your Superpower Branding Toolkit that reflects your powerful message through your website, blog posts, portfolios, projects, and social media profiles.
Leave a Legacy – A Legacy that matters!Be a Legend – In Your Legendary Way!
Please share your thoughts, ideas, inspirations, challenges, and solutions – I read and respond to all of your comments.
Learn… Lead… Love… Izabela Lundberg (@IzabelaLundberg) is CEO and Founder of Izabela Lundberg International. She is an Executive Consultant, Trainer & Speaker for Fortune 500 and Professional Athletes & Coaches. She is #1 International Best Selling Author & Leading Authority of Leadership Transformation From Fear to Greatness. Drawing on her extensive global business management, diversity, and high-performance impact expertise through her work with people from over 80 countries, Izabela also writes and speaks on topics such us Strategic Leadership & Influence, Legacy Leadership, & #HighPerformance #Impact.