Branding can make you relevant, while reputation makes you credible. A brand is “the way you present yourself to the world”. Whether you are representing yourself or your company, your brand demonstrates how you position yourself in the market and how you want the world to see you. As Forbes contributor Glenn Llopis writes, “Your personal brand should represent the value you are able to consistently deliver to those whom you are serving”. You control your brand image and you decide how you represent yourself via your brand.
A strong brand enables a personal or corporate entity to establish itself to the public in a consistent and truthful way, that allows the public to “trust” that things like products and services will be “on brand” regularly. People like consistency, and a strong brand is a great way to establish that lasting connection with your desired audience.
Your reputation, on the other hand, is “how others collectively perceive you”. While you control your brand, your reputation is ultimately decided by the public’s opinion. Your reputation has nothing to do with how you perceive yourself, it only considers how others view you. Your online reputation has the ability to sway the opinions of potential customers, or other company’s corporate actions towards a business. A good reputation, whether in person or online, establishes a level of trustworthiness outside of a brand.
Clearly define your brand. Get clear about your brand (this applies to both individuals and companies). To clarify your brand, ask yourself the following questions:
- What do I represent?
- How do I present myself to the world?
- What are my core values?
- Do my actions reflect those core values?
- What does my brand look like?
- How do I need to adjust my brand given the times?
- What steps can I take to adjust my brand?
Then, ensure this brand is consistent across all platforms and “marketing collateral”, such as your resume, LinkedIn profile, emails, articles, case studies, videos, projects, etc. Again, this helps to establish yourself so that others know what to expect.
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