The most unstoppable personal brands are immediately associated with success in their industry. These members of The Oracles have built powerful personal brands and share how to stand out in your sphere of influence to grow your business or enhance your career and reputation.
1. Put in the hard work, create lots of content and be yourself
The first step to growing a personal brand is answering an important question: “What are you going to be an expert in?” You then need to become good at it.
Building a personal brand is a privilege. The only way to earn that social proof is through executing. Day in and day out, you need to be in the trenches mastering your craft. There’s no substitute for honest, hard work.
Your next priority is to create as much content as possible. Honest storytelling is everything. Document your personal journey — the growth process and lessons learned along the way from maintaining your business hustle.
No matter where you’re at in your journey, always be true to yourself. Don’t fake it or do something because it made someone else successful. The personal brands that will last are the ones that are authentic and real.
— Gary Vaynerchuk, founder and CEO of VaynerMedia (more than 700 employees with over $100 million in annual revenue), four-time NYT-bestselling author of “Crushing It!”
Related: Achieving Personal Branding Success Starts with Authenticity
2. Show up and back it up
Your personal brand is built from what people think about you. Start building a positive one by consistently showing up and treating people right.
When everyone notices how present you are, how thoughtful you are, how good you are at remembering details, or whatever your personal strength is, they’ll already start thinking of you as uniquely impressive. When you back that up with good work, a focused expertise and a clean, consistent message, you’ll be well on your way to building a powerful personal brand.
When everyone notices how present you are, how thoughtful you are, how good you are at remembering details, or whatever your personal strength is, they’ll already start thinking of you as uniquely impressive. When you back that up with good work, a focused expertise and a clean, consistent message, you’ll be well on your way to building a powerful personal brand.
— Lewis Howes, former pro athlete, lifestyle entrepreneur and NYT-bestselling author; subscribe to Lewis’s global top-100 podcast phenomenon, The School of Greatness on iTunes!
3. Take control of your character
A personal brand is equally important to a company brand, especially when standing out in your field. You’re always building your brand because it’s a declarative affirmation of who you are and what you love. It speaks volumes about your uniqueness and strengths before you walk in the room. Be specific and intentional about what your brand stands for to attract the right opportunities. Here’s how:
First, know your value. This isn’t based on who you work for or your job title; it’s what you bring to the table. Be specific. What can you do that others can’t? Who are you? How can you help others?
Second, share your expertise on several platforms. This is especially important for digital outlets, including social media and content channels like Medium.com. Create a powerful purpose-driven personal website where you can share your viewpoint, values and message. Don’t be afraid to promote your accomplishments, services and credentials. That’s how you build momentum.
Third, own your space. If you do something, do it well and become the best. You’re striving to be the go-to expert in your field.
Fourth, build a loyal network of brand ambassadors. This is how people will refer you. Ask them to share their experiences working with you through testimonials. This simple but effective technique adds credibility and value to your brand.
Finally, never stop learning. Showing that you have a desire to stay up to date in your industry shows a level of commitment that simply can’t go unnoticed. Read, take continuing education classes, and seek guidance from others who’ve accomplished what you want. Learn from their actions, mistakes and advice.
— Dottie Herman, CEO of Douglas Elliman, a real estate brokerage empire with more than $27 billion in annual sales
4. Deliver value and build affinity
The first personal branding lesson I learned is simple, but not easy. It’s the psychological adjustment that not everyone will like your brand, so don’t set that as your goal. (Remember, the American President can be elected with only 51 percent of people identifying with their brand.) Countless times, I’ve focused on a negative Facebook comment, rather than hundreds or even thousands of supporters. So don’t doubt your vision or waste time making a detractor become a lukewarm supporter.
Second, people choose brands for two reasons: value and affinity. Does your brand add value to someone’s life leaving them better than when you found them? Does associating with your brand bring people a sense of pride, positive emotions and a sense of community or connection (like a Harley Davidson tattoo)?
Helping others see the value of your brand can be free and easy. Use blogging, Facebook Live videos, or create impactful downloads and guides. Organize and scale that affinity through social media. It could be a Facebook community you broadcast to, a Twitter community you interact with daily, an Instagram channel with your best photos, or a YouTube subscriber base hungry for your next video — all are there to grow your brand into the stratosphere.
But a word of caution for any brand builder. Warren Buffett said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and only minutes to lose one.” You’re doing the impactful work of adding value and the meaningful work of developing a community, so honor those who have put trust in your brand.
— Kenny Rueter, CEO and co-founder of Kajabi
5. Do what you say
I’m 58 years old and been at this a while — pre-likes, followers and subscribers. Your personal brand comes from integrity. To quote Al Pacino in the classic movie, Scarface: “All I got is my b***s and my word and I don’t break them for anybody.“ So do what you say. Make deadlines, not excuses. Be brutally honest with clients to guarantee success. That’s your brand.
Over time, you’ll develop a word-of-mouth reputation as the go-to person who gets things done, no matter what. Having a lot of followers means nothing if you can’t back it up with your actions.
— Steve Griggs, founder and CEO of Steve Griggs Design; NYC’s premier landscape designer transforming backyards and rooftop gardens into private getaways
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6. Be strategic
Shortly after moving to Las Vegas for business, an advisor challenged me to become “the guy” around town — someone who built key relationships with local business partners, advertisers and agencies.
Fast forward four years: My network has grown to include those who run the largest casinos and entertainment venues in Las Vegas, whom I use to incorporate win-win scenarios for everyone involved and deliver on big promises for prospects and clients.
Social media is the “new intimacy” for building a trusted relationship. Because entertainment is part of my job, I’ve quickly built rapport and stayed connected with my network. Many of my closest clients (and my now personal friends) see my life through this lens. Often I’m out late entertaining and sharing adrenalin-filled experiences, but, importantly and without fail, I’m up early the following day to serve my clients.
People want to associate with those they deem to be successful. Your personal brand can be a powerful tool for growing and maintaining your business. Let the world access your personal brand; it will help you excel in today’s social media-driven world.
— Richard Blankenship, co-founder of ESP Gaming and Senior Vice President of Poker Central’s Business Development; connect with Richard on Instagram
7. Engage colleagues and friends, and demonstrate expertise
Relationships are important. Building an unstoppable brand sometimes entails tapping your circle of colleagues and friends. The connections you forge may become critically important to build and popularize your brand. Deep, reliable and genuine connections are essential. Harmonious business relationships are usually built on mutual respect, honesty and accuracy.
Actively helping your friends achieve their business goals is the best way for them to have your back. None of the big names in business have done it alone. CEOs often say that human potential is the most valuable resource of a functioning business unit.
Improving your expertise sometimes involves becoming more social, attending networking events, communicating with organizations related to your industry, and participating in discussion panels. Another great way to build an unstoppable brand could be mentoring young and talented people by regularly drafting articles on industry-related topics. Establish yourself among your friends as the “all-knowing“ problem-solver — the person people turn to for virtually anything.
— Vladimir Ninov, co-founder and marketing director of Webcoin, a peer-to-peer social media exchange platform which pioneers the technological dawn of global marketing digitalization
Originally published on Forbes.com. ©2018 by Forbes Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
