Don't Be A Jerk - The #1 Rule To Personal Branding
When I speak at small business conferences, I often ask members of the audience to raise their hands if they have a personal brand. Without fail, I see a handful of people raise their hands while everybody else peers around to see who is famous in the room.
But then I remind them, they all have a personal brand!
Whether or not you are on social media, you have a personal brand. You may not be cultivating it. It may be random and unorganized, but you have one. In this article, we are going to tell you why it's important for you to start taking your personal brand more seriously and why "Don't be a jerk," should be the number one rule for personal branding.
What is a personal brand?
I pride myself on speaking human, making it easy for you to understand exactly what I am talking about. So in the simplest of terms, your personal brand is what you put out into the world that helps others get an impression of who you are.
Negative Personal Brands
A lot of people seem to have forgotten this in the past couple of years. It's why now when I talk to someone about building a personal brand, I tell them that a personal brand always starts by not being a jerk. Whatever is happening in the world around you, there is never a good time to be unkind. Being a jerk doesn't look good on anybody.
Let's consider some of the negative personal brands we have seen:
The airline passenger who pitches a hissy fit causing the plane to turn around;
The person who hates wearing masks and has a screaming match with the employee whose job it is to remind you to wear a mask;
The person who doesn't mind wearing masks but then screams at people who don't wear one without considering their reasoning.
The person who uses their political beliefs to start an argument on every Facebook post.
All of these are examples of the kinds of personal brands we don't want to cultivate. But does this mean you need to pretend to be someone else? No, but it does mean if you are going to scream at someone, no matter what the reason, if you are going to start an argument just to prove you are right, you should consider what it says about your personal brand and who you really are.
Positive Personal Brands
Now that I have given you examples of some of the negative ways your personal brand may stand out, let's consider some of the positive personal brands we have seen.
The walker who carries a trash bag on his morning walks so he can pick up litter as he goes;
The older lady at the library who helps a younger mom who is juggling her books, her baby, and her toddler;
The student who shows up to volunteer with a smile on her face.
Why does your personal brand matter?
Today more than ever, your personal brand matters. Because we aren't just on that airplane, trying to get into the grocery store, or walking down the street. Today, our bad behavior can be spread across the internet in minutes. I don't know about you but I literally cringe every time I see someone post, "let's make this person famous."
But still, why does it matter what people think about you?
Here are five reasons just off the top of my head:
1) Your current and future job may depend on it.
Your behavior, whether it is in real life or on social media can impact your career. Over the past few years, there have been dozens of reports of people losing their jobs due to bad behavior. Whether you agree with this trend or not, it is happening.
Social media is all about building relationships and connecting with others. If you want to succeed in business or life, you need to build a strong personal brand.
2) A strong personal brand will make you more memorable
When people think of your personal brand, they should think of something unique and special that sets you apart from everyone else and it should be genuine.
Consider this, I run a charity for suicide prevention. I did this without any calculation but when I look back on it, I realize that this is a huge part of my personal brand. It helps people to see that I care about my community, mental health, and people in general. It makes me stand out.
When considering your personal brand, consider what makes you stand out. You don't have to shout it from the rooftops. You don't have to brag about it. But it will probably run through everything you do and that's enough. Using your social media strategically the same brand will shine through.
3) Personal branding can help you attract more opportunities
If you have a strong personal brand, people will be more likely to want to work with you and collaborate with you. This shows up in Hollywood a lot.
Remember Kim Basinger? Every story you saw about her was about temper tantrums she threw onset and before you knew it, she was no longer a big name. She was inconsequential.
On the other hand consider, Chris Cooper. You may not know his name but you know his face. He has been in dozens of shows over the past thirty years because he is easy to work with and he has a stellar reputation, aka personal brand.
The same is true in almost every industry. There are people everybody loves to work with. People who don't have to worry about a resume because there is always someone ready to hire them.
A strong personal brand opens doors. It is that simple.
4) A strong personal brand can help you build trust
People are more likely to trust someone with a strong personal brand because they perceive them as being an authority in their industry. These days people have gotten used to the idea that seeing someone a lot is the same as getting to know them. This means that a sense of trust can be won or lost quickly.
This is a great time to point out that being yourself is part of the trust factor. If your personality is snarky, assertive, or sarcastic, trying to put on a face is not the way to go. People will know you are faking it. Snarky, assertive, and sarcastic can also be charming, winning, and fun. Know your own personal brand. Be yourself.
5) Personal branding can help you create a legacy
This is the part where we get a little morbid. We are not going to live forever. One day our time on this earth will be done.
Our personal brand is something that we can leave behind long after we are gone. It's a way for people to remember you and your work. What is the legacy you will leave behind? What will people say about you at your funeral?
Personal Branding - Where To Start
At ASMM, we help people cultivate a personal brand by starting with their core values. What are the most important values in your life? If being a caring and giving person is part of your core values, then that should be what the world sees.
But if you don't do the work, to get to know yourself, who you are, and what means the most to you in the world, building a personal brand will not work. It will come across as fake and it will be noticed.
The trick when starting to focus on your personal brand is to focus on your personal brand. Most people don't give it a thought. They may believe they are a good person but still be the person who will hit another person's car and not leave a note. Their personal brand is not something they have even considered.
So, I repeat - The trick when starting to focus on your personal brand is to focus on your personal brand. Consider what you want the world to see, what you want people to say about you, and live a life that meets those expectations. It's not rocket science, but it does take some contemplation.