by Jamillah Rahmaad, principle consultant at JR|PR
Regardless of whether you run a well-established business, are a 9 to 5 corporate ladder climber, or are a side-hustle-preneur, your personal brand is an important factor directly connected to your success.
Having a personal brand is the best way to influence and gain the trust of others, especially within your industry. A trusted reputation can be a key to doors of opportunity. People are more likely to recommend you and promote you, when you’re trusted.
I’ve worked with a variety of business leaders in developing their public images. I teach my clients that the most critical factor in illuminating your talents, expertise, and personality is by crafting a digital footprint and reputation to match your knowledge-base.
When you do not take the time to purposefully craft your reputation, one is created for you. False perceptions can cost you to lose the promotion that you have been waiting on, miss out on an invitation to the golf club, or even miss connecting with a new customer. It is equally harmful to not be strategic when developing your brand. Your influencers and audience should clearly understand who you are and what your industry opinions are.
In my latest ebook, “Build Authority + Boost Credibility: Action Plans to Befriend Your Brand“, I discuss in detail, the required steps to developing your personal brand and positioning yourself as a thought leader. I guide readers through communicating with their target audiences and cultivating themselves as go-to professionals. This book showcases various public relations and digital marketing tactics to leverage your success. It will teach you how to:
- Establish trust with your audience
- Become influential enough for others to remember and recommend you
- Create a strategy that outlines your future goals, establishes your target audience, and solidifies your platform
For those of you seeking a few quick answers, here are 3 takeaways that will help you begin your journey into launching your personal brand with authority and credibility:
Demonstrate Your Knowledge.
The most efficient way to get recognition as a thought leader is by creating content that captures the attention of your audience. If your aim is to build credibility in your industry, this is the place where you need to start.
For instance, if your chosen platform is your website, starting a blog is the best way to start this connection. Think of creative ways to develop content, such as have guest bloggers and articles written from outside sources. If you have a staff or team that you work with, consider having each of them author a scheduled blog post. This will showcase the expertise of your business and/or staff.
Leverage LinkedIn.
Get active on LinkedIn now! It provides access to individuals solely based on their professional network. Here, business owners are able to provide information about their products, services, job openings, and content to a pool of potential stakeholders. Use the social site to add social proof to your expertise. Connect to others on the site that you have done business with to gain recommendations. These testimonials solidify your reputation of an industry expert and persuade prospective clients into have greater confidence in your brand!
Talk About It.
Brush up on your public speaking skills and plan to take the stage. Content marketing and social media are awesome in garnering recognition. However, giving group talks, leading masterminds, and presenting at conferences are the ultimate credibility boosters. Conferences select speakers based on their knowledge which you have displayed in blogging and according to your interest which you have clearly communicated on LinkedIn.
Jamillah Rahmaad is a seasoned public relations professional based in Atlanta, GA. Thorough her company JR|PR, she builds and executes strategies for entrepreneurs and business owners to develop authentic relationships with the public, their communities, and with new audiences. Learn more about her at BefriendYourBrand.com. Connect with her on social media at @Jai_Soapbox.
