Do you think personal brand development is only for rising stars or CEOs? If so, you are mistaken. As I’ve written in the past, we all have a brand, whether we leverage it or not or intentionally manage it or not. We are constantly communicating messages about who we are, what we stand for, and the value we bring to our work. Yet many professionals leave their personal brand message to the whim of others to define it for them.

As a leader on the rise or rising, personal branding is important because it is a way for you to establish and consistently reinforce who you are and what you uniquely offer in the workplace. Your personal brand highlights the skills, qualities, and strengths you have which define what makes you different from the next professional. 

Think about it. Your personal brand can strategically position you in a way that allows the most salient aspects of your brand identity to be front and center, so it is obvious to your peers, clients, managers, customers, or co-workers. You get to shape the narrative so why leave it to chance?

To ensure you cultivate a brand that powerfully represents the best of who you are as a leader, read on for six success tips that I’ve shared with my clients.

1.     Get Clear on Your Who

To build a personal brand that accurately reflects your personal and professional identity, you need to be clear about your points of differentiation. A great place to start is by examining your strengths.

For ideas on questions to reflect on be sure to check out my Clarity for Your Calling Guide.

It’s also helpful to think ahead and reflect on where you want to be in 10 or 15 years. Your brand is not just about your present situation but about who you aspire to be down the road. What do you want people to say about you in the future? What would you have to do to make that true?

2.     Define Your Niche

Who are you expecting to respond to your brand?  The sooner you define your niche, the easier it will be to shape your brand narrative.

3.     Identify your specialized area of expertise

As a seasoned professional woman, you have years of expertise to draw upon which makes you a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in a focused area.  What specialized lane differentiates you? The more niched your expertise, the more differentiated you are and the more powerful your unique value proposition.

4.     Prepare an elevator pitch

Creating an elevator pitch ensures you are focused and specific in your personal brand messaging. It is also extremely helpful to have a crafted response ready when you’re networking and people ask about you and what you do.  Your elevator pitch should be a 30 to 60-second story about who you are and your area of expertise and differentiation.

It’s smart to think about stories to tell that showcase your top strengths in action to help people conceptualize your distinctiveness. Things to include in your pitch are your current role, where you’re headed professionally, your strengths, and areas of specialization.

5.      Network

Yes I know, networking can feel like a grind, but you’re not going to be able to elevate your brand unless you’re out and about and visible to others. It’s important to network regularly to grow your professional circle and to attract potential advocates and sponsors.

The more true connections you make, the more likely it is that your personal brand will be elevated.

6.     Manage your online presence

Like it or not, it’s not just your in-person presence that matters but also your online one. In fact, for many professional women, their online brand may be more powerful than their offline one if they have the knack for being an influencer, speaker, or writer. In your online efforts, if you can become associated with an issue, cause, or platform, you’re well on your way to becoming a thought leader—a  known and respected voice on those matters.

As you build your online presence, make sure your personal brand stays consistent and authentic, both online and offline. You must demonstrate consistency across your communication channels for your brand to get traction.

With these six strategies, your brand will grow, gain respect, and stand out from the pack. Whatever your future career aspirations, your reputation will precede you, giving you the flexibility and the confidence to be the brilliant leader you are in the spaces of your choosing.