The ABCs of Personal Branding, According to a PR Expert

The ABCs of Personal Branding, According to a PR ExpertThe ABCs of Personal Branding, According to a PR Expert In the digital world we live in, the concept of personal branding has never been mora important.Think about the products you buy every day and why you buy them. For me, I buy Nike shoes, Lululemon clothes and just recently bought a Boss suit (a little splurge, but worth it). I am willing to pay more for these products because I view them as trustworthy and reliable thanks to their branding as well as my personal experience with the product. Its also why I prefer Starbucks coffee even though its more expensive than making coffee at home. But the experience is consistent, and the coffee has never let me down.At Mercury Marine , our brand is, among others, reliability. When you put a Mercury engine on your boat, you can always count on that engine to perform and help you create amazing experiences with friends and family.So why dont we view ourselves through th e same lens as we do our favorite brands? People buy what we are selling every day. At some point in our lives, we are going to apply for something. Whether its a job, internship or home loan, you will put yourself in front of someone and must convince them to give you something you want. In this instance, you are the brand. Companies are marketing themselves every day to consumers as a personal brand, you should be doing the same.A quote I once heard that I absolutely love should be plastered on your wall at work. If you arent branding yourself, you can bet someone else is and you probably wont like what they have to say.People are willing to invest in YOU if your brand is strong. Personally, I work every day to make sure my brand remains strong you could say it keeps me up at night. Im a firm believer that when I wake up every morning, I have to prove myself all over again, its what keeps the focus on my brand. A personal brand is the spawn of how you see yourself and how ot hers view you, its a meeting in the middle. Its in how you dress, how you talk, how you compose yourself. Its about your resume, your experience anddrum rollyour social media. All of that together defines who you are.Here are my A, B, Cs of personal brandingAppealing We buy brands that are appealing. As a personal brand, someone will invest in you if you are an appealing brand.Believable Is what you are selling believable? When Nike or Mercury Marine is marketing, do I believe in their message? When Im marketing myself, are people believing what Im selling?Consistent Its the Starbucks example. As a personal brand, when people interact with me, their experience must be consistent. Im not treating our security team any different than our CEO.Distinctive This is the single most important trait in developing a personal brand. What makes you stand out from the rest? Ill dig deeper into this one in a minute.Evolving Your brand must constantly evolve. What you did as a freshman in high school isnt applicable as a professional. Find ways to evolve your brand.Think about your brand as your health. If you exercise, youll be healthy if you sit around all day, your body and mind will suffer. Its the same with your brand. If you exercise your brand, itll continue to evolve and define who you are. If you dont spend any time on it, someone else will.Now back to why being distinctive is so important. We live in a world where everything looks the same, sounds the same and feels the same a Sea of Sameness. When you graduate, you walk across the stage and get a diploma. Your diploma looks the same as mine. As an employer, for every job we have open, we receive hundreds of resumes, LinkedIn profiles, etc. More times than not, they all look the same. Your brand needs to stand out above the rest. Graduating top of your class from Harvard is impressive, but its not going to guarantee you the job.Here are four things you can do to help define your personal brandO ur world moves at the speed of light and we live in a what have you done for me lately world. Theres no real-time anymore its NOW-TIME. Creating and defining your personal brand is extremely important in fact, its a must. Like anything, it takes time and hard work. But if you do it right, you will create a lasting memory of yourself when you leave the room. So, ask yourself, what are people saying about you when you leave the room? And, are you OK with what they are saying? That will help you determine whether your brand is strong or needs some work.Lee Gordon is the Director of Global Public Relations and Communications for Mercury Marine , a division of Brunswick Corporation . Prior to taking the role at Mercury, Lee was a television anchor for CBS and FOX for 15 years and a sideline reporter for the NFL on FOX.Want to develop your personal brand alongside Lee? Mercury Marine is always looking for great talent. Check out their latest job opportunities