I received an email via my contact page the other day asking why I felt it was important to build a personal brand. It went on to say that “…everybody don’t want to be famous”
Famous?
As it turned out, the email address submitted was invalid, much like the personal brand of the submitter, but it made me wonder if others thought that building a personal brand somehow equated to fame.
It’s no secret that most famous individuals have an instantly recognizable brand, but it is not the brand that made the person, it’s the person that makes the brand.
Personal branding is not at all about becoming famous, it’s about being who you are and what you specialize in doing as your life’s work. When your name is called people think about your personality, your values and your expertise. It’s what you stand for and represent that come to mind, not fame.
Your medical doctor is a trusted personality with whom you would place your health and well-being.
Is he or she famous?
They could be but in most cases they are not.
Your auto mechanic is probably not famous, but they have a trusted brand. You depend on that person to keep one of your most expensive possessions in good working order.
These professionals bring a certain quality that makes them unique among the competition. It’s the reason why some are more successful than others.
Fame may be a by-product of building a tremendous brand but in the business world, I doubt that fame was ever the main objective. People start businesses because they want to make money and live a lifestyle of their dreams.
In the world of blogging, people like Darren Rowse and Brian Clark are well known but do you think they set out to be famous?
So what do you think?
Is building a personal brand about becoming famous or is it about building trust and helping people understand that your brand represents a promise to deliver a certain product or service that they will be more than satisfied with?
Build your brand for people not fame
This whole thing struck me as silly, but I felt compelled to write about it.
In my opinion, brand building is a means by which you design your product or service for the needs of your ideal customer while recognizing and leveraging your own unique skills. It’s about how others perceive you and how you deliver the goods, consistently.
Your name becomes the product and when your customers or clients call upon you, they have a fairly good idea of what to expect, there’s little mystery.
Once you begin the process there’s no turning back as you will be branding or maintaining that brand for the rest of your business life. Just be sure to do it for people.
Keep Blogging!
After all, you can be highly successful without the fame and headaches.
Jimi Jones Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Thanks Tracy!
I am still amazed at the number of folks who think this is just something to do in their spare time, if at all.
.-= Jimi Jones´s last blog ..Personal Branding – It’s Not About Being Famous =-.
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