How to Write a Personal Brand Statement: Building Identity for Career Success and Influence
You may have noticed that digital marketing is a big deal right now. Large and small businesses use social media to create branded content that helps build loyalty. Celebrities as well post carefully curated posts that display their brand.
Branding is not just for companies and celebrities anymore. It’s for everyone. Your online presence says a lot about who you are. Taking some time to curate your social media pages can help you get noticed in the professional world.
What Exactly is a Personal Brand?
A personal brand is how you want people to perceive you. It might sound a lot like reputation, but it’s not. A personal brand is about visibility and what you want people to know about you, not what they already think.
It’s a curated version of who you truly are. Realistically, a good personal brand will highlight your strengths. If it’s a fake version of who you are, prospective employers will notice quickly.
In summary, It’s what you’re all about — your unique selling point, profession, passion, and dedication.
Why Do I Need to Create a Personal Brand?
Creating a personal brand can propel you professionally. An effective personal brand statement will help you turn hiring managers’ heads. It won’t make you the perfect candidate for every job and company, but it will make you stand out.
It Helps You Network
Regarding hiring and promotions, it’s not what you know — it’s who you know. When your brand is strong, it’ll be much easier for people to get to know you and talk about you.
Strong personal branding increases your networkability and leads to more opportunities. The easier you can communicate who you are and what you want to do, the more people will want to work with you.
You’ll Stand Out From the Crowd
It’s daunting applying for jobs online. On sites like Indeed and LinkedIn, sometimes thousands of people submit applications for a single position. It seems almost impossible to stand out.
If someone is interested in your goals and aspirations, they’re more likely to hire you — even without hard skills.
You Control the Narrative
Employers look for you online even if you don’t have an online presence. If you could control what they see and grab their attention, you could increase your hireability.
It’s also important to consider your online presence if you are online. You want your social media profiles to match your personal branding. Businesses look to see how you present yourself to the world, so consider limiting the kinds of content you post.
Don’t create pain points by posting content contrary to your brand. Instead, saturate your online presence with your professional voice. Of course, it’s still okay to be yourself. Just know that once something’s posted, your potential employers and colleagues may see it.
What is a Personal Brand Statement?
A personal brand statement is a very brief statement that describes what you do for your target audience. Avoid a lengthy, drawn-out statement. Instead, choose something quick and to the point.
Your personal statement should include your profession, what you do or want to do, and what makes you unique. The latter portion could be your skills, personality, or a fun fact about your professional development. All of this should shine through in how you write your statement.
A personal brand statement aims to give someone a quick rundown of your mission statement and who you are. Use it on your resume and social media profiles like LinkedIn and Twitter. It’s a great personal online marketing tool.
Why is a Personal Brand Statement so Important?
Personality is an integral part of who you are as an employee. Writing a personal brand statement will make it easier to communicate who you are to peers and prospective employers. And best of all, it’s the fastest way someone can get to know you.
Resumes don’t always make for good reads. With a personal brand statement, you can inject your personality and brand. You might be very charismatic, but unless you enter the door, they may never talk to you. Put your foot in the door by using a personal brand statement.
Creating the Perfect Personal Brand Statement
You don’t have to be a thought leader to have a killer brand statement. Even if you don’t have much experience in your field, there are ways to make you stand out. It just takes focus and maybe a bit of learning.
We offer a more in-depth course on this topic, so if you want to learn more, do so here. In the meantime, here are four tips for writing a personal brand statement.
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Be Specific
You’ll want to do some self-reflection before writing. List your specific skills and narrow them down to what’s most important, what you’re most proud of, and what makes you unique. Feel free to get a friend to help with this.
Seriously think about these things and focus your writing on them.
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But Don’t Get Too Self-Complementary
You don’t need to talk about that one time you won a poetry contest in 5th grade and how after that moment, you knew you were the next E.E. Cummings.
Your statement is attention-grabbing. Leave the ego-stroking for interviews, resumes, and cover letters. Instead, explain who you are and what you want to do.
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Be Creative
Let’s take a look at some personal brand statement examples.
“I am a Content Marketer with good marketing strategies looking to make good content.”
Pretty dull, right? Check this one out.
“My name is John Doe, and I’m a Content Marketer who focuses on creating stuff that rocks. I want to join a rock star team that can create non-AI-generated content. #downwithrobots”
If you can make your statement more creative, do it. The last thing you should do is look up someone else’s brand statement and do whatever they do. Remember, this is supposed to make you stand out, so be creative.
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Stay Relevant
Your resume is ever-changing. As you gain more experience, you should be adding more to it. This evolution applies to personal brand strategy. Keep your brand statement up-to-date and relevant to your job.
When you tweak your goals, the industry changes, or you gain experience, edit your statement to reflect that.
Build Your Brand and Career at REDC
A good personal brand statement is only a portion of your brand. Build your brand, take online courses, and network with the local business community at the REDC.