PERSONAL BRANDING: WHAT IT IS & WHY IT MATTERS

PERSONAL BRANDING: WHAT IT IS & WHY IT MATTERS

• 21 MAR 2024

Think of your fav or ite brands. What makes them mem or able? What value do they provide, and how do they communicate it?

Just as products and services must be branded to communicate their differentiat or s and attract customers, you can craft your brand through a practice called personal branding.

“How do we apply everything we know about branding products and services to branding our most imp or tant product, which is ourselves?” says Harvard Business School Seni or Lecturer Jill Avery, who teaches the online course Personal Branding—part of the Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)—on an episode of The Parl or Room podcast. “Every time we apply f or a job or vie f or a promotion or try to land a new client or try to land a new date, we have to market ourselves. How do we apply the the or ies of branding to understand how to best express and communicate our own personal value proposition about the difference that we'd like to make in the w or ld?”

Listen to the full podcast episode below or  watch it on YouTube:

Bef or e diving into how to create your personal brand, here’s a primer on what personal branding is and why it’s imp or tant.

WHAT IS PERSONAL BRANDING?

Personal branding is the intentional, strategic practice of defining and expressing your value.

“It’s the amalgamation of the associations, beliefs, feelings, attitudes, and expectations that people collectively hold about you,” Avery and her co-auth or, HBS exec utive Fellow Rachel Greenwald, write in the Harvard Business Review.

They explain that personal branding’s goal is to ensure the narrative about you is:

• Accurate: Is it true?
• Coherent: Does it make sense?
• Compelling: Does it draw people in?
• Differentiated: Does it demonstrate what makes you unique?

If you don’t intentionally craft your personal brand, other people’s assumptions and perceptions of you may not align with those four attributes. By engaging in personal branding, you can define what you’d like to communicate and do so effectively.

WHY IS PERSONAL BRANDING IMP or TANT?

By determining your unique value and living in a way that promotes it, you can become known f or your defining attributes. That reputation can help attract opp or tunities in your career and life that align with your authentic self.

F or instance, imagine you position yourself as a financial analyst with high emotional intelligence who loves to ski.

That can:

• Attract projects, promotions, and job opp or tunities that c or respond to your skills
• Spread knowledge of your unique differentiat or s so you’re sought out f or them
• Connect you to people with common personal and professional interests

It can also have internal benefits, including:

• Increased confidence in your financial and leadership abilities
• Clarified goals and values
• Decreased imposter syndrome and a better sense of your authentic self

Drawing from  Avery and Greenwald’s research, here’s how you can build your personal brand to increase visibility and own your unique value proposition.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND

1. Define Your Purpose

The first step to creating your personal brand is identifying your values, goals, and purpose.

Start by asking yourself:

• What do I care about?
• What are my values?
• What do I want people to know about me?
• How do I want to define myself?
• What makes me special?
• How do I provide value to others?

Consider either your professional or personal life while brainst or ming, and ensure you think about your audience.

Afterward, come up with a sentence that clearly states who you are and what value you provide—that’s your value proposition. F or example: “I’m an experienced social media manager in the athletic wear industry who’s passionate about empowering my team.”

Try several variations to find what feels authentic and impactful.

2. Audit Your Personal Brand Equity

Next, take stock of your current personal brand. Even bef or e consciously deciding to craft one, others carry perceptions and knowledge about you.

In the Harvard Business Review, Avery and Greenwald outline several fact or s to consider during this phase:

• Credentials: Your education, awards, and achievements
• Social capital: Personal and professional connections’ quantity and quality
• Cultural capital: Emotional intelligence and expertise you’ve garnered through life experiences

What gap   exist s between your current personal brand and the one you want to implement? How can you use your credentials and social and cultural capital to bring the new version to light?

3. Construct a Narrative

Once you understand your purpose and current personal brand, compile st or ies that illustrate your value proposition. While a one-line statement can be effective, you must oftentimes prove your value in conversational settings.

F or instance, if one of your differentiat or s is that you take bold yet calculated risks, you may tell a st or y about when you went skydiving. During an interview, you may call, instead, upon a time when you took a chance on a new product innovation without knowing how it would perf or m—and it paid off.

What experiences convey your best qualities? Brainst or m a list to keep in your back pocket.

4. Communicate and Embody Your Brand

After planning your personal brand, communicate it by identifying outlets through which you can promote your value. Just like marketing products and services, you can use a mix of paid, owned, and earned media to make your value proposition and st or ies accessible and visible to a wider netw or k.

While it may feel unnatural to market yourself as you would a product, keep in mind that it will attract opp or tunities that align with your unique value. By increasing your visibility, you can provide value to m or e people.

You can also communicate your personal brand by embodying it in face-to-face interactions. Think of them as chances to show who you are. F or instance, if you want to convey your passion f or volunteerism, enthusiastically share your involvement at a local charity event if a co-w or ker asks about your weekend plans.

Embodying your brand also means taking steps to bolster your unique value. If, f or example, you’re a skilled engineer who wants to improve your leadership skills, taking a leadership program not only can help you build those skills and gain expertise but signal that you’re serious about doing so.

Related: Leadership in Engineering: What It Is & Why It’s Imp or tant

5. Socialize Your Brand

While you are your best advocate, the next step of personal branding is making sure others share your value. In the Harvard Business Review, Avery and Greenwald outline four groups that can be instrumental in socializing your brand:

• Gatekeepers: Those whose buy-in is critical to reaching your goals
• Influencers: People with auth or ity who can source additional platf or ms f or sharing your brand
• Promoters: Those who actively supp or t pursuing your goals
• Communities: Groups who share your mission or interests or seek the value you provide

One example is the HBS Online Community, where you can connect with other business professionals bef or e, during, or after taking an HBS Online course. Beyond a global netw or k of supp or ters, join ing an online learning community can provide new perspectives and opp or tunities to make positive change.

Related: 9 Benefits of the HBS Online Community

6. Reevaluate and Adjust

Personal branding isn’t a one-time project—it requires continually reassessing and adjusting to ensure you live and project your intended brand.

Enlist people you trust to help you reevaluate and describe your brand and value, such as co-w or kers, friends, and industry connections.

“F or example, if you’re being considered f or a managerial position but learn that not everyone perceives you to be a strong leader, you might take a leadership training course, volunteer to head up a new project or task f or ce, or take on relevant roles in your personal life, such as join ing a nonprofit board,” Avery and Greenwald write in the Harvard Business Review.

DEFINE YOUR VALUE and MAKE AN IMPACT

A strong personal brand can help you attract the right people, land a job or promotion, and make connections that lead to new opp or tunities.

With reflection and intentional actions, you can gain confidence in your personal value and project it in your life and career.

Do you want to develop your personal brand? Expl or e our yearlong Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB) program, which comprises seven courses f or leading in the modern business w or ld. Download the CLIMB brochure to learn about its curriculum, admissions requirements, and benefits.

About the Auth or

Catherine Cote is a marketing co or dinat or at Harvard Business School Online. Pri or to join ing HBS Online, she w or ked at an early-stage SaaS startup where she found her passion f or writing content, and at a digital consulting agency, where she specialized in SEO. Catherine holds a B.A. from Holy Cross, where she studied psychology, education, and Mandarin Chinese. When not at w or k, you can find her hiking, perf or ming or watching theatre, or hunting f or the best burger in Boston.