RANTS ON... personal branding

Why the hell should i care...

...about personal branding? For some of us it might seem quite awkward to think about branding yourself. What is it good for and is it good at all? Are we a product just like cornflakes, cars and perfume that requires marketing instruments to sell itself? Does this mean that branding yourself is nothing else than a personal sellout, a denial of who you are in order to create an acceptable image for your friends and future employers?

Well, as in many cases, the answer is yes and no and each of us has to find his own answer in this ethical issue. Of course personal branding can be seen as a manipulatory instrument to influence or to fool other people about yourself to reach whatever goals. But if personal branding means for you that you should adapt your image to other people's taste which would lead to a general homogenization of our society, you might be doing exactly the opposite of what personal branding is all about.

Some years ago I saw a T-shirt in a store with the inscription "I am unique - Just like everyone else". It says a lot about modern individualism and our dilemma of trying to be different but at the same time looking for belongingness. Personal branding is not meant to force all of us in socially acceptable patterns. Let's remember how branding historically emerged. The first goods that were branded were commodities. They were homogeneous products like soaps whose producers tried to differentiate.

So maybe we aren't that different than cornflakes and cars ;-) Branding is not meant to make all of us look alike, but it should induce a momentum of self-reflection. It should raise the question in each of us

- Who am I, what am I all about?

- What can i do best, what motivates me and gives me meaning?

- What makes me different from others and what makes me the only choice (for whatever ;-) )

Looking on it from this point of view it becomes clearer that personal branding itself is neither good or bad.

It can be used to activate your brain or to brainwash... It's your choice.

Brand yourself – distinguish yourself

‘You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else.’ Who thought that Tyler Durden was too gloomy in Fight Club has to pay attention. Especially when using social media platforms to build a personal brand. You are not alone! So, what is building a personal brand about? Once it was just used for finding an employer and achieving quick job promotion. With the increasing popularity of social media it has obtained a different connotation. The aim of personal branding is to present yourself as a brand by pointing out your personality, knowledge and experience in order to distinguish yourself from others. The most important change today is that it’s not only one-way communication – you promote yourself- anymore.

Nowadays, communication is interactive – you promote yourself, others react, discuss and judge- on social media. Therefore good personal branding is even more vital for personal success! Most likely seen as essential, when it comes to personal branding, is being authentic, consistent and distinct throughout all types of social media. Have a look at Brian Hollowaty’s presentation we found on SlideShare. He highlights the critical points and challenges of branding yourself on social media. We could not have done it better!