Written on the 1 October 2009 by Rachel Quilty, Personal Brand Strategist
Running a business doesn't really mean too much if you aren't using any form of branding. This doesn't mean that you should pull out a hot iron, is simply means that you need to make a name for yourself. When you're thinking of a brand, think about what you're going to name your company. This is a huge part of it as it might be time to start thinking of variations on that name for your purposes.
You're going to need a choose a name that draws people in and that can be the hardest part. Look around and see if there are any other companies that offer services similar to yours. Take the ones that are the most popular, and then see what their name is.
There's a good chance that the name of their company as well as their brand has a lot to do with their success. This is one thing that you need to take into account when trying to do personal branding for both yourself and your business.
Getting your name out there is very important. One thing that you can do is write articles regarding the services that you offer. Articles could reach millions of users all over the world, and it gets even easier with the way the internet works. Of course there is a chance that you don't have the time to write articles, so you can always pay to have other people write them for you.
There are lots of different writing services out there and it will be quite easy to find one that will write about you and your business.
Building a web page is also a good idea, but then you need to think of a logo for the name that you've chosen. A plain text name isn't going to draw very many people to look at your website or even purchase your product. If you don't feel that you are up to creating a logo, then it wouldn't hurt to have a processional graphic designer make it for you.
Often times the logo will determine whether a brand succeeds or falls flat on it's face. For this reason you need to do everything that you can to make sure that your logo is very appealing and draws people in.
Running advertisements in newspapers is also a good way, and if at all possible you should try to do it on television as well. TV ads are more expensive but they will reach more people than a newspaper ad. Keep in mind that you could also use banner ads. Banner ads are often run on websites and many people will see them. Often times you'll have to offer the website that hosts your banners a portion of your profits, or a certain amount of money per clicks, but if you break even in the long run it will be quite worth it.
Personal branding can be very difficult at first bit if you stick with it there is no doubt that you will be happy with the results that you achieve. Just keep pushing forward and do everything you can to get your name out there. If you have a decent product and know how to build a great brand, there is no doubt that you will succeed.
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Brand Yourself! And Jump the Q! Your personal brand should reflect your abilities and potential. Rachel Quilty, Personal Brand Strategist, known as ‘the Authority’ on personal branding and author of must- have book ‘Brand Yourself’. Go to http://www.JumptheQ.com.au for FREE strategic branding tips. Rachel encourages Jump the Q clients to think strategically when developing a personal brand to get that job offer, gain that promotion or win that client.
Jump the Q assists you to strategically and systematically leverage your professional profile and build your personal brand to become the authority in your industry. Get your free personal branding tactics and tips at http://www.brandyourselfblueprint.com
We assist you to develop your Personal Brand Strategy by:
- Discovering your purpose.
- Designing your best personal brand.
- Devising a personal marketing plan.
- Developing your Signature Brand.
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