7 Benefits of Personal Branding

by Pete Kistler • September 29, 2008 • View Comments

People often describe a strong personal brand as a magnet that attracts clients, job offers and opportunities. That’s because personal branding shows people you are the only solution to their problem. You are not just better than your competitors – you are the only choice for a certain group of people with a particular need.

Benefits of Personal Branding:

1. People trust you more

Your personal brand explains the “why” you do what you do – in other words, what drives and motivates you. This makes people more comfortable working with you. Your intentions are genuine and clear. This fosters trust. People feel more comfortable when they think they can predict what you will do. When people know the source of your career energy, they feel better about putting you in charge of their needs.

2. You have a much higher perceived value

As your personal brand develops, people will start thinking about you on an emotional level (as a brand), not simply an intellectual level (as a job title). People will connect more deeply with your brand, increasing your value to them and allowing you to charge more for your services. In addition, being actively involved in your niche and creating “credibility boosters” (like original, useful on-brand content) establishes you as an expert, driving demand for you and allowing you to work less and make more.

3. You are differentiated from the competition

Your personal brand is a competitive edge that separates you from your competition in the minds of potential employers and customers. The more you build your brand, the more you elevate yourself above your peers, and the less you have to work to convince people you are the solution to their problems.

4. You are always 100% authentic

Your personal brand is built upon your values, goals, skills and passions. It comes directly from your quest for meaning and fulfillment. It grows from what you stand for. It is one hundred percent you, and nobody else. You never have put on a fake persona or a contrived voice that isn’t genuinely you. Being totally authentic in all that you do makes life much easier and more fulfilling. Your work life will revolve around your deepest priorities and take advantage of your talents in a way that brings you joy.

5. You are the “go-to” person in your area of expertise for your specific audience

A highly successful personal brand makes you the best – no, only – solution to a certain group’s problems. Word of mouth will propel your brand forward and create enthusiasm for what you do, bringing in references, referrals, job offers and testimonials.

6. You are known as an expert in your field

As your network grows, you’ll find more and more people recognize your name before you meet them. Your prominence will grow and continue to keep you in a position of power in the workplace.

7. You attract ideal opportunities

Since Your brand is totally authentic and deeply rooted in your search for meaning, it will attract similar-minded people with the same values and goals. Employers and/or customers will connect on a higher level because they will understand why you do what you do, not just what you do. In the same vein, your personal brand will repel opportunities that don’t fit well with your life’s purpose. You won’t get offers that distract you from your mission in life, and you’ll get more fulfilling offers that connect with the “why” you do what you do. Without working any harder, you’ll attract more career options.

: Author: Pete Kistler

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14 Places to Build Your Brand (in the Field of Advertising)

by Pete Kistler • September 26, 2008 • View Comments

To build a brand worthy of remark in advertising, you should be actively participating in your niche online. One of the easiest and best ways to start is by posting comments on blogs and forums relevant to your area of expertise, and share original, on-brand media you’ve created wherever members of your niche hang out. You will soon find people thinking of you as a passionate and valued member of the community.

The following ten blogs are excellent resources to post comments on and interact with on a regular basis:

Remember to always include the following brand-builders whenever you post on a blog or forum:

1. The full name you want people to find you with in search engines. If your name is John Doe, it will be nearly impossible to make it to the first page of Google results for “John Doe.” So make sure you figure out the exact term you want to be found under when people search for you online. (Read our post, 5 Tips to Rank Highly on Google and Increase Your Visibility Online, to learn how to most effectively choose the term you brand yourself with online).

2. A link to your personal website or blog. Google counts a link from one site to another as a “vote” for that site. Sites with the most votes end up highest in search results. So, the more sites that link to the places you exist online, the higher your name will show up in results when someone Googles your name. Every time you post on a blog or forum, you should be leaving a link back to your “home base” site (which ideally contains your full portfolio) to boost its rank in Google results.

3. An eight-words-or-less description of your brand. Who are you, what do you do best and for what audience? Consistently leaving this short description with every comment builds brand awareness and associates you with your unique promise of value.

4. Optional: Your email address. If someone wants to get in touch with you, make it easy for them. Include your email address when you post comments to keep yourself open to as many opportunities as possible.

Know of any sites we missed? Submit a comment below if you know of any other advertising blogs, forums or resources we missed. There’s no way we could include them all, so join the discussion and tell us about your favorite advertising sites!

: Author: Pete Kistler

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6 Things You Didn’t Know Affect You Getting Hired

by RJ Sherman • September 25, 2008 • View Comments

Your resume is prepped, proofread and critiqued by career services (and your mother). Your resume ties well into your cover letter, your contacts names are spelled correctly, you’ve researched the company and you know why you are applying there. Excitement and nervousness build.

Before you go in for an interview, let me touch on a few items you may not know affect your chances of landing your job.

1. Credit score. Believe it or not, companies are actually starting to look at your credit score. It gives them an idea of your level of responsibility and how well you play by the rules. This doesn’t happen nearly as often as looking you up in search engines (which you should assume will happen), but it could be something they base their decision on. So make sure you’re paying your bills on time.

2. Knowledge about the company you are interviewing with. This is huge. If you have not taken the time to research company and the position you are applying for, don’t bother showing up to the interview. A potential employers wants an applicant who cares enough about getting this particular position that they did their homework. The more you can talk intelligently about the company (and how you will fit in), the better your chances of getting hired. Also, do a Google News search for the company so you can comfortably talk about what they have been doing lately.

3. Yawn Factor. Have a recent news items or interesting stories about your work history prepared. Bring them up when you can’t think of anything else to say. Your potential employer is hoping you will speak up and say something interesting. Know what the employer is looking for and make sure you are presenting yourself in an interesting manner.

4. Nerves. It is alright to be nervous in front of your dream company but practicing a few times never hurt. You should take advantage of the resources you have around you, have your friends ask you strange questions about past employment or go to career services and ask them for a list of potential interview questions.

5. Past Job Performance. Most employers will ask you for references. It may look strange if you do not provide a reference for your last employer, and if you are not overly open to talking about your experiences there, your interviewer may assume it didn’t end well. If they think your past job did not work out well before, they may be more skeptical about working with you now.

6. Ability to play nice. You don’t have to like everyone, but you do need to put in an honest effort. If the company you are looking to get a job at is hosting an event in the near future that is open – or more importantly, you have been invited to – be there. Many employers make up their mind about employees at these events and it is in your best interest to show up.

Keeping this six things in mind before the interview will increase your chances of landing that dream job. Good luck!

: Author: RJ Sherman

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16 Places to Build Your Brand for Graphic Designers

by Pete Kistler • September 22, 2008 • View Comments

To build a brand worthy of remark as a graphic designer, you should be actively participating in your niche online. One of the easiest and best ways to start is by posting comments on blogs and forums relevant to your area of expertise, and share original, on-brand media you’ve created wherever members of your niche hang out. You will soon find people thinking of you as a passionate and valued member of the community.

The following ten blogs are excellent resources to post comments on and interact with on a regular basis:

The following six forums are great resources to share your thoughts and media with others:

Remember to always include the following brand-builders whenever you post on a blog or forum:

Know of any sites we missed? Submit a comment below if you know of any other blogs, forums or resources for graphic designers we missed. There’s no way we could include them all, so join the discussion and tell us about your favorite sites for graphic designers!