Personal Branding – Bad Mistakes to Avoid

Over the past several months, I have written a number of articles about personal branding.  As you build a professional brand, you want to develop an area of focus, a strategic roadmap, and a plan of action.  What you don’t want to do is make a series of bad mistakes along the way.

Below is a list of common mistakes people make when trying to create a personal brand. After all, developing your personal brand takes time and effort.  It is work that is definitely worth the effort when done properly. Doing a poor job of branding may do more harm than good. 

Bad Positioning: Once you have done a full assessment of your strengths and value, drivers that will make an impact for a potential employer, you will develop and deliver a clear and concise brand message.  Choose several core attributes on which you will focus and build your reputation. This will prevent your being perceived as a ‘jack of all trades, master of none.’  You cannot (nor should you try) to be everything to everyone.  Would Travelocity get involved in selling designer jewelry? No, of course not!

Bad Mouthing: It is ok to have a definitive opinion regarding your work, industry, and other things related to your professional knowledge. However, if you present your ideas or topics in a belligerent or argumentative way, you will not add value to your brand. Rather, you will put people off. Everyone has an opinion. Want to share yours? Great. Expect that other people will do the same. Different ideas should be embraced. You never know, you might learn something new or at the very least gain a different perspective on your topic of choice.

Bad Photos: Your brand campaign will be incomplete without a personal photo. People are visual; we like to see what others look like. This helps put the face with the name, if you will. The photos should be professional with a solid background that provides good color contrast against your hair.  Dress professionally. A picture is worth a thousand words and your image is a critical part of your brand. Avoid posting wild or unsuitable personal photos anywhere on the web.

Bad Follow Through: If you start a blog, stick to a regular schedule. You can’t expect to build a reputation if you blog once in June and not again until September. Consistency is the key. As you build your reputation, growing your following will rely (in part) on your reliability. Don’t promise things and then skip out on your obligation. If you say you will be a speaker at an alumni function, be there.  Flakiness is not part of your USP (unique selling proposition).

Building a brand takes a level of commitment and a concerted effort. It is easy to start off with a gung ho attitude and lose momentum. Patience is critical when building your personal brand.  Realize that brand building is a process; develop a schedule that is realistic and attainable. Over time your message will gain momentum where your ideas are valued and embraced.