Building a Personal Brand in a Competitive World

Building a Personal Brand in a Competitive World

In today’s era of intense competition, having something that differentiates you from others can significantly enhance your competitiveness. This can be reinterpreted as having a unique personal brand. Creating a personal brand is not difficult. By gradually upgrading yourself through the ‘Success Strategy’ within your current situation, you can develop your own competitive edge.

Simple: Define Clearly

Start by writing down all the words or phrases that can represent you or what you want to say. Then, prioritize these sentences based on their importance. Imagine you can only convey one message to someone and choose the sentence that best represents you and what you most want to say. Refine this message to be clear and concise, then read it aloud. If a short sentence excites you, you’ve successfully started the Success Strategy. Include this sentence below your email signature or on your business card, or display it wherever you can express yourself. This will naturally convey your image and vision to others.

Unique: Be Remembered for Your Uniqueness

Just as unique experiences, distinct scents, or shocking events are remembered for a long time, your personal brand also needs a memorable uniqueness. This doesn’t have to be difficult or require exceptional skills, nor does it mean engaging in bizarre behavior. It can be intentionally crafted. For example, always wearing a scarf, sporting a particular style of accessory, or gifting meaningful quotes on sticky notes when meeting someone are some ways to stand out. However, remember to express your uniqueness positively. Uniqueness that makes others uncomfortable can have the opposite effect.

Core Contents: Focus on Core Content

If you look at the blogs of so-called ‘power bloggers,’ they often focus on a single topic rather than showing many different things. They provide detailed and specialized information, whether it’s about a current trend or something less known. By consistently building content around one topic, you can develop your own competitive edge. Once you choose what to focus on, let go of other distractions to achieve your goal more easily. It’s best to focus so much on your core content that people immediately associate you with it.

Credible: Build Trust

People seek out well-known brands because they trust them. Even without direct confirmation, a brand name alone can inspire confidence. To give your personal brand strength, you must earn the trust of others. Keeping promises, listening attentively, and being responsible for your words and actions are basic but essential ways to build trust. Through such small actions, you can create an impression that you are reliable and capable, potentially opening up opportunities to showcase your hidden talents.

Expert: Become an Expert

Everyone needs a professional rather than an amateur and aspires to be one. To be a true professional, you must have specialized skills and knowledge in a specific field and the ability to communicate them effectively. In other words, you need to be an expert with strong communication skills. For example, if a computer expert repairs a broken computer upon a customer’s request, they should not only fix the problem perfectly but also explain the cause of the issue and how it was repaired. Simply resolving the visible problem is not enough. A true professional can touch the customer’s heart, making them want to seek you out again.

Story: Tell Your Story

People are curious about how someone achieved success, the challenges they faced along the way, how they overcame them, and their future plans and goals. Sharing your personal story is one way to build your personal brand. However, how you convey your story affects how it is received. Pay attention to your tone of voice and intonation to enhance the emotional impact of your story. Highlight emotionally impactful or surprising parts of your experiences. Use simple and engaging language to capture the listener’s interest. A heartfelt story can move others and give life to your personal brand.

Social Network System: Utilize and Expand with SNS

Use SNS to interact with others and build relationships. It offers a great opportunity to appeal to many people and is essential for creating a personal brand. If you become influential on SNS, you can naturally connect with people from various fields. However, don’t be rude just because you can’t see the other person’s face or verify their identity online. It’s also important to form mutual understanding through two-way communication rather than one-sided interactions. This is the proper way to use SNS and expand your human network.