(If you’re of a certain age, Carly Simon is singing in your head right about now…)

I’ve seen people shake their head when the topic of personal branding comes up. Their thoughts immediately go to social media influencers and celebrities all vying for eyeballs on videos or thousands of likes on their posts.

Of course, that thought process is short sighted. That’s not personal branding at all.

There are thousands or people…or dare I say industries of people who make their living off helping people build their personal brands. Heck, I’m one of them!

Here’s why I think personal branding isn’t only important, it’s crucial to getting ahead in today’s world.

Personal branding is marketing… just applied to a person rather than a product or business. Done properly, it can be an exercise in building confidence, establishing credibility, and making a real contribution to the world.

Being confident and intentional about marketing yourself is smart. In fact, those that do it well have a distinct advantage over competitors who don’t. Some of us are lucky to have supporting mentors in our corners promoting us, but most of us have to be our own biggest fans.

Think about it in terms of a business marketing a product… you’d expect them to use the most descriptive wording, great photography and/or video, customer testimonials, attractive marketing materials, etc.

That also applies to people… we have to show ourselves in the best possible light. Otherwise we’ll blend into the abyss of similar looking business types all trying to get ahead.

The challenge comes when people take it too far into the “look at me” realm instead of putting something of value into the world. (We all know that person in the office who brags about how “awesome” they are at everything, right?)

The key is to determine what value you bring, then communicate that value in a curated, yet authentic way. You do that through messaging, demeanor, actions, and appearance. It’s not vain, it’s smart business.

Of course, this is why I recommend EVERYONE should have a professional headshot as a starting point. For more established personal brands, professional brand photography is a must to stand out. Want to learn more? Contact me and set up a time to chat about how we can improve your personal brand.