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Building Your Personal Brand Steps

Mar 20, 2025

The First Step To Building Your Personal Brand

Introduction

  • Concept of Branding: Traditionally associated with products like Coke, Pepsi, McDonald's.
  • Importance of Personal Branding: Essential in career and job search; manage your own reputation online and offline.
  • Purpose: Control the image others build of you.

Why Personal Branding Matters

  • Employers and current employers will likely search your online presence.
  • Control over professional reputation is crucial.

Developing Your Brand Mantra

  • Definition: A quick, simple, memorable statement that describes who you are and what you offer.
  • Importance: Acts as the foundation of all branding efforts.

Steps to Creating Your Brand Mantra

  1. Determine Your Emotional Appeal

    • Reflect on personality traits and how others perceive your interactions.
    • Questions to Consider:
      • How do I make people feel?
      • How do people benefit from working with me?
      • What words do others use to describe me?
  2. Determine Your Description

    • Add clarity to the emotional appeal with a descriptive modifier.
    • Questions to Consider:
      • What field or industry am I in (or do I want to be in)?
      • What words would I use to describe my work?
      • Who is my target audience?
  3. Determine Your Function

    • Define what exactly you do or will do.
    • Questions to Consider:
      • What service do I offer people?
      • What distinguishes me from others?
  4. Put It All Together

    • Combine lists into a sentence or phrase (no more than five words).
    • Should be clear, simple, memorable, and inspiring.
  • Examples: Dependable, strategic planner; creative professional connector.

Next Steps

  • Tips on using the brand mantra and building an online brand will follow.
  • Focus on living your brand daily.

Additional Resources

  • Related Content:
    • Video picks on self-promotion.
    • Tips on perfecting elevator speeches.
    • Secrets of self-promotion.

About the Author

  • Megan Marrs: Entrepreneur, consultant, owner of Marrs Media Group.
  • Involved in youth leadership programs and passionate about business.
  • Education: Purdue University, Valparaiso University M.B.A.