Personal Branding Checklist for Beginners

If you are a freelancer or want to branch into a new career path, having a personal brand will help you stand out from the competition. A personal brand is a surefire way to catch the eye of recruiters, land coveted job offers, book top clients, and thrive in a saturated job market.

While a Facebook business page, Twitter presence, or LinkedIn account might pave the way for networking outside your social circles, a solid personal brand will get your foot in the door. Your personal brand will elevate your professional grounding, help you show off your skills or certifications, and grow your client list.

If you want to build your personal brand, you need to do it right. Use this checklist to focus on the key elements of your business and create a compelling personal brand.

Brand Story. Your brand story helps you connect with your target audiences, capture their attention, and show your unique value. It should be meaningful, straightforward, authentic, and resonate with your target audience. It should include who you are and what you are passionate about. Not only does an authentic brand story help establish trust and create a genuine connection, but it is also a key element for a strong and compelling personal brand.

Brand Vision. It includes your long-term and short-term goals. Essentially, what sets you apart from your competitors, what you hope to achieve, and an outline of the steps you need to follow to reach that goal.

Brand Personality. What perception do you want to create to appeal to your target audience? Do you want a professional and polished business look? Or do you want to show off an adventurous, creative side?

Define your core values. Your core values communicate what you stand for and speak to who you are as a brand. Your target audience needs to know the visionary behind your business; your beliefs, talents, skills, qualifications, personality, motivations, and goals. Infusing yourself into your brand narrative will allow you to create an authentic and powerful message that will resonate with your target audience.

Business Niche. Establishing your niche will allow you to identify your value proposition to help you stay ahead of the game in your specific industry. Plus, it will come in handy as you create and market your offerings to your target audience.

Know Your Target Audience. Finding your target audience ensures that you make more high-quality connections and establish long-lasting relationships with your network that translates into more clients and opportunities for growth. Plus, an in-depth look into your target audience will help you understand their needs and craft an effective and powerful brand message that will resonate with them.

Brand messaging. After you have identified the target audience, you can now focus on creating the right brand messaging. Your brand messaging can server to inspire and persuade your target audience to complete the desired action, which could be turning into a client or offering you a job. Being intentional with your messaging will ensure that you attract the right target market that will engage with you and stick around. After you have crafted your personal brand messages, you can incorporate them into your brand materials and share them with your audience. i.e.., social media posts, website, email signatures, business cards, etc.

Create your Website. Cement your brand persona with a good-looking website to create a positive first impression for a desirable outcome. Incorporate your value proposition into your website, plus a professional logo, high-quality images, social proof(customer testimonials, recommendations), and a clear CTA. Our shared hosting plans and me.ke domain name is a perfect fit to help you build your personal brand.

If you are still not convinced to build your personal brand, we will finish off with a quote by Tom Peters, Fast Company Magazine (1998); “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc.”