A personal brand can be defined many ways.
It’s difficult to get personal branding right because it takes a specific mindset to achieve it. You can have the best ideas in the world, but if they are not executed properly, and you don’t have the drive to see it through, you will fail. Although there is no one size fits all when it comes to personal branding, those who have become successful have several attributes in common.
What Personal Brand Attributes Lead to Success?
Personal brand attributes are the qualities a person needs to succeed in personal branding. If you want to enter 2024 with a renewed sense of purpose and take your personal brand to the next level, here are a few ways to get started.
Know Your Purpose
During his TED Talk, motivational speaker Simon Sinek said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe.” In other words, know your purpose. Knowing your purpose is crucial to your success because if you don’t know why you do what you do, you will give up very quickly when the going gets tough.
“Hire a coach to help you work through your personal mission statement and key brand messaging. A succinct powerful one-liner can mean all the difference for being remembered and then thought of when an opportunity pops up,” suggests Kara Duffy, business coach and consultant.
“Versatility is a personal brand attribute that won’t fade with the trends each season. It’s an attribute that can support binding your personal interests with a career. But how do you demonstrate it? Highlighting my diverse interests and skills on platforms like LinkedIn has unlocked unique opportunities to “go pro” with my love for the game. Three years ago, few knew sports were a key part of my personal brand story. By consistently engaging with sports content while also investing in creating my own, I've successfully woven it into my professional brand and developed a career path for myself in the sports world,” offers Christiana Yebra, CMO at nVenue.
Have Unwavering Confidence
Confidence is a part of the foundation of your brand, without it, it will not stand. Even if you don’t feel very confident right now, fake it until you make it. People are not going to believe in you unless you believe in yourself. “Show off your unique self and proudly share your perspective. Own your voice, believe in yourself and your community will click with you,” suggests Clarice Lin, Founder of BaselineLabs.
“Intentional focus is a great attribute to have for a personal brand to have today as it allows you to invest in relationships - brand and personal - with a mindful perspective to bring together opportunities effectively and efficiently. It’s about investing in the brands, relationships, opportunities and people that align with your goals and objectives to help create a win-win situation,” offers Karen Freberg, Professor of Strategic Communication and Director of The Bird’s Nest student agency at the University of Louisville.
Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, is one of the most successful men in the world. But even he admitted to experiencing self doubt. However, he said he doesn’t let self-doubt stop him from achieving his goals. In an interview with Inc. magazine, Branson said that one way he overcomes fear is to talk to friends and colleagues about it. By releasing what’s on his mind, he doesn’t overthink and allow it to consume him. Once he has got it off his chest, he goes back to working on his larger business goals.
Amplify Your Ambition
While personal brands can take a while to get moving, eventually, they will grow wings and fly in the direction you’ve been pushing it. “A personal brand embodies a strategic global approach, infusing your voice, value, and visibility to drive exceptional results,” says Nathalie Gregg, Adjunct Professor, performance coach and speaker. But in order to push something in a certain direction, you need to know where it’s going and who you can rely on.
“A personal branding attribute I’m focusing on for 2024 is active involvement in community to collaborate and co-create. Helping lay community footprints vs just “tapping” when needed is important to actualize change. Being the best human I can be and helping good people build a better everyday surrounding for themselves, neighbors and friends,” says Lindsay Calabrese, Head of Brand Studio at Mason Media.
If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to create a detailed plan for the next few months so you have a better understanding of where you are potentially moving forward with your personal brand.
Continually Learning About Your Industry
Another quality to add to this personal brand attributes list is continuous learning. You may have achieved the highest qualification level in your industry, but learning doesn’t stop once you acquire a piece of paper. In order to take your brand from one strong version to another, continuous learning is essential.
“One of the most consistent trends I've noticed is making something like 80% relatable content and 20% off-kilter content to keep audiences hooked but guessing,” offers Clara Sia, Biz Dev/Marketing at Devolver Digital.
Keep reading books about your industry, attending seminars, and taking relevant courses. There is no such thing as learning too much, the more you know, the better you can serve your target audience.
“I think a successful personal brand is driven by the art of curiosity. In the absence of purpose, access, confidence and ambition, staying curious about the world around and beyond you carves a unique path of adventures that informs your lived and learned experiences, keeps you inspired and creates invaluable opportunities for authentic connections with others. As a Caribbean woman that deeply values storytelling, curiosity is congruent, contagious and always current,” says Tenille Clarke, Managing Director and Principal Publicist, Chambers Media Solutions.
“Building a personal brand in 2024 goes beyond visibility; it's about authenticity, empowerment and ownership. Platforms like Dastan's Content+ are changing the way individuals engage with their audience, offering a space where content creation and distribution is rewarded and creativity flourishes in a decentralized ecosystem. Enhancing one’s personal brand through blockchain enables individuals to monetize their content and cultivate a loyal following where there’s mutual value exchange with their audience. There’s a new way to grow a personal brand via community, collaboration, and supportive equitable media ecosystem,” says Katy Koob, Vice President of Revenue at Dasta.
Life is a continuous journey of self-development. Your brand is more than just gaining followers and having a group of people admiring your work. It’s about giving back and serving your community, its about helping others achieve their dreams. By applying the above personal brand attributes and as you work on yourself and become mentally and spiritually stronger, you will have a lot more to offer the world which will ultimately result in the success of your personal brand.