Avoid These Mistakes When Building Your Personal Brand

Avoid These Mistakes When Building Your Personal Brand When you want to build a anthroponym for yourself, taking time to focus on your brand is crucial.What is a personal brand? In short, its who you are, what you are good at, andwhat people go to you for. Its your reputationand your unique set of skills, values, and strengths. Your personal brand represents your value to your target company.In todays digital world, boosting your brand isnecessary if you are tokeep up with the competition. Avoiding some common mistakes along the way will help you develop your brand and showcase your ROI to your target audience. Youre going to spend a lot of time shaping your brand no matter what, so you might as well do it right the first time.Liar, Liar, Pants on FirePeople can see right through a person when they arent authentic. You can optimize your LinkedIn profile to make yourself sound like an expert at everything, but that will only get you so far.Its possible to boost your brand without going overboard. Remember, youmust be able to back up everything you say on your profile when you make connections in person. Exaggerating in your profile is, essentially, lying. Not only willthis limit your opportunities, but it could also cause permanent damage to yourcareer. It only takes onelie to ruin your reputation forever.Is Your Message Clear?In order to send a clear personal branding message, you have to know what youre trying tosay.Take time to understand your professional identity and the unique value you can offer to employers. Also, give people a glimpse into your future. What goals do you aim to reachalong your career path? Creating the strongest personal brand requires complete alignment between your overall message and every aspect of your professional presence.Dont Forget to Target Your AudienceIt doesnt do your brand a lot of good if you dont know to whom your brand should be marketed. When it comes to personal branding, you have to be able to connect with the right audience in order to make a name for yourself.Research your target employers and professional connections. Understand their missions, values, and goals. Then, you can tailor your brand to reflect these things, thereby creating a personal connection between yourself and your audience.Social Media Is KeyMany of my clients tell me they dont want to deal with social media. It seems daunting, or tedious, just one more thing they have to do. Others simply dont want their private lives out there.First, you dont have to worry about putting your personal businessonline. When you use LinkedIn, you are only telling your career story. Second, social media platforms are key to job searching, networking, and showcasing your brand in the digital age. People will be searching for you on these platforms, so ensure your presence is strong and professional.Its okay to maintain personal accounts, but be sure to strengthen your privacy settings so prospective employers ca nt find them.Align Your Personal and Professional BrandsThe best way to earn and keep business today is through trust. If an employers or professional contacts trust in you wavers, that could spell the end for your professional relationship.Always be honest with your brand. If you aim to show people that you value trustworthiness and professionalism, then get those pictures of you skipping work andchugging beers at the game off your profiles. Your personal brand and your professional brand go hand-in-hand. Make sure they are aligned.Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a certified professional resume writer, career consultant, and the president ofProfessional Resume Services.