15 Essential Concepts to Develop Your Personal Brand
We can definitely say that your personal brand is one of the most important aspects of your business, large or small. Therefore, knowing the components and some essential concepts to develop it would be an efficient way to give you a crucial edge when facing competition.

Let's imagine for an instant you've come to notice that your brand is not what it should be. Or worst case scenario, you have created a personal brand, but you realize that it doesn't seem to fit with your profile and what your business is all about.

Before getting all panicky, you should just slow down and take a look at the overall picture.

But what does "Personal brand" mean?

Well, your personal brand is your pledge to your clients. It results from the type of person you are, the kind of person people perceive you to be and the person you want to be. It provides customers with what they can hope for from your services or products, and it also set apart what you offer from the competition.

How to Define Your Personal Brand

To define your personal brand is like making an expedition of self-discovery. It can be uneasy, laborious and disagreeable. And it requires, of course, having answers to the following questions:

What are the advantages and features of your services or products?
What is the purpose of your business?
What traits do you want people to relate with your trade?
What do people, prospects and clients think of your business?

Do not rely on what you think your prospects or current clients think but know what they think. Understand their habits, needs and wishes.

Are you an experienced, consistent and reliable individual? Are you an innovator? Is your service or product an inexpensive but a first-rate opportunity or an expensive and high-class opportunity?

Remember that it is impossible to be both or to be all things to everyone.

Your logo is also the basis for your personal brand. Your website, products and services should communicate your brand and should be integrated in your logo.

How to Have a Brand Strategy

The way you distribute your personal trademark and where you advertise should be a part of your brand strategy. Another part should be what you communicate verbally and visually.

A consistent and strategic branding would lead to a powerful and solid brand, which means you’re your products or services will have further value in the eyes of the public which in turns would allow you to charge more than any other unbranded business.

This additional value often comes in the form of emotional attachment or assumed quality. Take the example of ‘Coca-Cola’ which uses both of these traits in their brand strategy.

A brand strategy can be a difficult and complex thing to develop. To have a successful personal brand and in order to achieve specific goals, it takes constant planning for growth and expansion. It is not easy to figure out this “plus” who separates influential and ordinary brands from each other.

But once ready, how do you get the word out? To help you, I am sharing fifteen essential concepts and tips to develop your personal brand strategy that will keep your business afloat for ages.

15 Essential Concepts of Developing a Brand

Get a great logo and place it everywhere. Check Fiverr for creating low-cost logos and other products.

Specify your purpose because knowing why you wake up every day and work on as it differentiates you from your competition.

Write your brand message on paper. Think of the key words and message you want to communicate about your personal brand.

Be consistent and make sure to give your brand a platform to stand on. Eventually, this consistency provides brand identification, which drives customer loyalty.

Incorporate your personal brand by covering it into every aspect of your business such as your e-mail signature, phone calls, and everything else.

Use emotional triggers by finding a way to connect with your prospects or customers on a deeper, more emotional level. Make them feel like part of the family brand. Strengthen your relationships and nurture loyalty.

Create a "voice" for your business that mirrors your brand and can be associated to all types of communication as well as integrated in the visual of all your materials, offline and on.

Remain flexible to stay relevant in this fast-changing world. Consistency marks the standard for your brand but being flexible allows you to make adjustments that distinguish you.

Develop a tagline by writing an unforgettable, meaningful and brief statement that portrays the core of your brand.

Involve your employees if any, so that they learn and know how they should be connecting with clients and representing your trademark.

Design prototypes and brand standards for your marketing resources by using the same color pattern, logo, appearance and feel throughout. Just be consistent.

Reward loyalty, the people that already love you, your business, and your personal brand. Don’t let it go to waste. Reward that love. At times, all that is needed is just a thank you or a message. Other times, you could give free value.

Walk the talk by being true to your brand because people won't return to you or refer you if you do not deliver on the pledge of your brand.

Take competition as a way to improve your personal strategy and create greater value for your brand. Observe what the competition does. Shape your brand based on other’s experiences to better your business.

Be reliable because it is the most crucial tip I can give you. If you do not do this, your efforts at founding and establishing a personal brand will take a nosedive.

Finally, yes, you may sell a related product or service like many others out there, but you are in business because your concepts and personal brand are exceptional. So remember not to act at every move your competition makes, or you’ll lose that uniqueness.