Change the Game – 6 Tips to Craft Your Personal Brand

On an unusually sunny day after exiting Moscone Center in San Francisco, I felt pumped. I had just experienced world-class women speak about “changing the game” at the annual Professional Business Women’s Conference.

For me, changing the game means challenging the rulebook, breaking down barriers, taking risks and growing into my own authentic voice. So what was my plan to change MY game?

I work at LinkedIn, where I’ve made it my mission to unlock people’s potential so they can achieve the impossible. I do this every Monday when I welcome new hires to our company, engage them with our company’s purpose, and help them create a LinkedIn profile that tells their professional story and communicates the essence of who they are.

When I can unlock people from their resume and help them express the value they want to bring to the world, I have helped them give voice to their unique personal brand.

So, what if changing MY game means doing this on a global scale? What if I could help millions get clear on their unique personal brand, and help them share it effectively in everything they do? What if I can bring LinkedIn’s value proposition to more people and “help connect people to opportunities”?

Let’s start now. How can you express your personal brand to the world so that you can be a magnet for the possibilities you seek?

1. Understand Your Personal Brand - When I lead a LinkedIn profile session, I always explain that we all have a personal brand whether we have purposefully defined it, or others have defined it for us based on our actions.

A personal brand is defined as:

“the sum of all experiences that someone has with another person.”

It’s what people can count on from you, and it’s formed by both your words and actions. 

A great first step is to ask people who know you well what they count on from you. Then ask yourself, “is this what I want to be known for?” If the answer is yes, you are already communicating what you value and how you deliver that value every day. If their answer is “no”, then you have work to do to shift people’s perceptions of your brand.

2. Architect Your Attributes – Think about the top five characteristics you want to be known for. Ideally, these are words people would use to describe you and things that only you do really well.

A great way to uncover your attributes is to tell your professional story to a friend or colleague. Then, have that person recall when you were most excited, when you lit up, when you leaned forward and spoke with passion.

These are the moments that matter and they are noticeable. So grab a colleague, tell your story, and discover your moments that matter.

3. Know the Personal Brand Recipe – Your personal brand is the unique spice in your recipe. It’s what sets you apart from everyone else doing similar jobs, going to the same university, and having similar experiences. A personal brand is based on attributes like your reputation, professional identity, and how you “show up”.

For example, I work with an engineer whose attributes were innovation, problem solving, creativity and great execution. However, his profile sounded like many engineers I knew at LinkedIn.

When he told me about a favorite personal project, he literally transformed. And when he added the story of the design and build of a light enabled, three-dimensional chess set, illustrated by photos, to his LinkedIn profile, his innovative approach and execution expertise were clear and credible.

4. Social Media is Your Brand’s Automatic Advertisement – Never forget that social media is an opportunity for you to represent and communicate your brand to the world.

As you use different platforms, ask yourself, “Do I show up personally and professionally in ways that are consistent with the reputation I want to have on all the platforms I participate in?”

Make sure you are familiar with different platforms, their audiences and their value propositions. Consistency is key. Brands get damaged when actions aren’t consistent with the promise of the brand.

For example, if innovation is part of your brand but then you publish a blog post about how futuristic technology will contribute to the downfall of human kind, that’s damaging your brand. You can’t be pro innovation but anti futuristic technology; it’s inconsistent!

5. You are Not a Product – I have heard many people focus on the similarities of product and personal branding, and while there are some, I believe it’s important to focus on the person in personal brand.

You have distinctive strengths, unique experiences, individual values and your own mission and career or personal goals. Don’t think that you have to sell yourself as something you aren’t. Simply communicate your moments that matter accurately and honestly and never over sell.

6. Your Brand is Expressed in Every Experience With You – Whether it’s a LinkedIn Profile, a blog, a tweet, a Facebook post, a conversation with a colleague, a presentation or talk you give, you are expressing your brand and forming your reputation.

Brand is not fixed for life; it can change as you change and grow, but you will always have a brand. I challenge you to consciously form your personal brand and express it to the world in powerful and consistent words and actions.

This is how I want to change my game. I want to empower you with the power of personal brand. I want to help you bring your amazing talents and authenticity front and center to tell your professional and personal story. Your personal brand will connect you to new opportunities, adventures and experiences that will change your game. So, game on!

Photo Credits: Prickly Peach PR, www.chopra.com, www.LG.com, www.shopify.com, www.businessinsider.com.