If you work in the real estate, mortgage, insurance or financial-planning industries, or any service-related industry for that matter, aren’t you really in the business of selling yourself? Think about it: If you’re a real estate agent, you know that a homeowner can sell their home without you … they can use another real estate agent or try the for-sale-by-owner route. But with all the services you offer and the expertise you bring to the marketing and sales process (not to mention your likable nature and slew of other personal attributes), why would they want to do it alone or with anyone else? That is the message your personal marketing to current and potential clients must clearly and consistently demonstrate.
But how? Well, that’s a big question and it deserves a multi-part answer. So we’re going to tackle this one in a series of posts. Let’s start with Part One: Personal Branding.
What is personal branding? It’s a collection of everything that represents who you are and what you stand for. It’s how you market yourself to others. Personal branding is just like corporate branding, only YOU are the corporation. Think of all parts and pieces that contribute to a corporate branding strategy:
• logo
• tagline
• stationery
• business cards
• signage
• web site domain name
• web site design, content and functionality
• social media engagement: Twitter, Facebook, blog, LinkedIn, etc.
• direct mail (print and electronic)
• advertising
• media relations
• charitable alliances
• events
• company dress code
• office decor
• company policies
And so much more!!
Corporations spend millions of dollars on branding because it’s so critical to establishing and maintaining their desired image. Personal branding is no less important, even though an individual’s budget is typically a tiny fraction of a corporate one. Fortunately, the Internet age has made personal branding very affordable. Of course, that also means that everyone is doing it …. or at least trying to.
To stand out among a sea of real estate agents, mortgage brokers, financial planners, etc., you need to differentiate yourself by establishing a personal brand … and strategically maintaining that brand in everything you do. It’s called “brand continuity.” It also needs to be authentic, because trying to be someone you’re not is simply too much work and will inevitably backfire anyway.
As stated by personal brand expert Dan Schawbel: “You need to be yourself because everyone else is taken and replicas don’t sell for as much. Furthermore, you need to define your brand before someone else does for you!”
Ready to take a hard look at your personal brand? Ready to take some simple, affordable, effective steps to enhancing and controlling your personal brand? Speakeasy Studios now offers several personal marketing packages that collectively work toward creating and managing your brand.
Give us a call (970-663-3279) or shoot us an email. Let’s talk branding!
[...] Down the Ideas & Happenings at Speakeasy Studios « The Business of Selling Yourself, Part One: Personal Branding No [...]