Personal Branding and Marketing

Study Notes

Personal branding is the process of creating and managing a unique image, reputation, and identity for oneself to distinguish oneself from others and create a positive perception in the minds of others.

People make decisions emotionally and justify logically, making personal branding crucial in influencing their perception of you.
In a world of misinformation, personal branding helps manage your name and online presence, even if you don’t own a business.

Establish a goal for personal branding, focusing on brand goals, strategy, and messages.
Develop strong values that matter to you, which are virtues that cannot be compromised.
Great brands begin from inside, with personal branding being an inside-out rather than outside-in process.

Identify your strengths and focus on them, as stated in Matthew 25:15, "to each in proportion to his own personal ability."
Identify your audience and win their trust, as "if they trust you, they’ll do business with you" (Zig Ziglar).
Be the best in your field, as "loyalty is not won by being first, it is won by being best" (Stefan Persson).
Create a connection or experience, as "people do not buy goods and services, they buy relations, stories, and magic" (Seth Godin).
Craft your brand message, deciding what your key message is and sticking to it, as "too many people are unfocused when it comes to press and coverage" (Cooper Harris).
Build your online presence by creating a professional website, blogs, and establishing a strong presence on relevant social media platforms.

A brand is a promise that you make and keep to the person who you are asking or trying to influence (Brian Tracy).
A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another (Seth Godin).
Personal branding is the story people tell about you when you're not in the room (Aaron Orendorff).