Introduction

When I started my career, I spent most of my time focused on getting better at what I did and also building my resume. And while both those things are certainly important and they helped me get ahead in the early years, they didn’t give me much of a competitive advantage later on. You know why? because everyone else was doing the exact same thing. Nowadays, not only do you need to be good at your craft, but you also need to be known for it. In other words, we’re all in a rat race in which our ability to stand out from the crowd will make all the difference between getting a great job opportunity or not. So that means we need to grow our personal brand...

The value of a personal brand

First, the value of a personal brand.

You can measure the value of your personal brand by how you feel about it, how others react to it, and what you put into it. The first two points are fairly straightforward: you'll know if your brand is valuable if you'll do well in your career and people will want to work with you and be friends with you. The third point—what goes into building a strong personal brand—is where things get more complicated.

Before we dive into measuring the value of your own personal brand, let's discuss why understanding this concept is so important for anyone who wants to thrive professionally or socially in 2022. A corporate logo represents a company; an individual's name and face represent them personally (and professionally). This distinction matters because companies don't live on their own; they employ people who have unique personalities and ideas about how things should be done. When those employees leave their jobs, they take those personalities with them—and often take clients along for the ride as well! Thus begins another cycle: a new job equals a new identity, which equals new opportunities for success!

The drivers of your personal brand.

In order to have a successful personal brand, you need to understand the drivers of your personal brand. These are the things that will help you determine your strengths and weaknesses, goals, and audience.

Each driver is different for everyone because we all have our own unique experiences and backgrounds. Here are some of the most important drivers that I use when developing my own personal brand products and services:

• "Know Your Audience" Who is going to buy what you’re selling? Do they have common interests or needs? How can you target them in such a way that they will be more likely to purchase from you than anyone else?
  

• Know Your Strengths & Weaknesses: What do they think of when they see or hear your name/face/image? What comes first to their mind when someone mentions those words (you know... those words)? What kind of reputation do these words bring up for people who hear them spoken aloud in reference to themselves or others around them—good or bad?

Understanding the future and how it impacts personal branding

There are a few key ways you can prepare for the future and ensure that your personal brand is prepared as well.

• Understand what the future of work looks like. Understanding how technology will impact your industry and profession is an important first step in preparing for 2020 and beyond. If you're a freelance writer, perhaps you should be looking into e-publishing options or other ways to leverage technology in your field. Or if you're an accountant, maybe it's time to brush up on your computer programming skills!
  

• Remember that everything's changing—including how people interact with brands online. One of the most popular uses of social media right now is live streaming apps like Twitch; more and more people are beginning their day by streaming content instead of reading news articles or watching TV (or even waking up). This means that if your personal brand isn't active on social media right now, there's no excuse not to start building up a following ASAP—but make sure it's engaging content!

A strong and valuable personal brand will help you stand out from the crowd.

Personal branding is important to you and your career, business, life, and personal growth. It's also important to your family and community. Personal branding can help you stand out from the crowd in any field or industry—not just marketing.

Conclusion

As with any brand, the most important thing is that you know yourself. Your personal brand is a portrait of who you are and what makes you unique; it’s a statement about your values, your skills, and your interests. In 2022—or even sooner—it will be more important than ever to be able to articulate these things in an engaging way that resonates with other people. But this has always been true, right? The real question is: do you have what it takes?