Brand New – Brand You!

Six Ways to Re-Brand Yourself and Create a Competitive Advantage

When you re-brand yourself you are essentially telling others what you want them to know about you. By taking control of how others view you, you are laying a solid foundation to create a competitive advantage in today’s job-market.  Re-branding yourself takes time and requires serious thought and discipline. Here are some key tips to get you started.

1. Highlight your uniqueness. Think outside the box. What makes you stand out among others within your industry? Are you resourceful, connected, intuitive or collaborative? These are key words to differentiate you from others. Find out what it is you offer that makes someone want to connect with you to create a mutually beneficial relationship.
2. Be clear and consistent. Your message must be clear and consistent to your brand. For example, if your desire is to become a photographer every conversation you engage in should include a mention relating to that. When you are passionate about your work, it becomes second nature to mention it when speaking with others. Hone in on areas that interest your target audience and strive to become a recognized leader within the community. Regularly provide insight about hot-topics in your specific industry; share your opinion and engage in conversation with your audience.
3. Create awareness. Start a blog; contribute to a local newspaper, e-newsletter or write a book. Re-introduce yourself to your friends and family and ask for their support to help build awareness about your brand. Get involved locally by attending networking events and creating relationships with local business owners who may need to use your services.
4. Build an Alliance. Connect with like-minded professionals within the same or similar industry. Develop relationships by seeking their input on industry changes and bounce ideas off them as you are going through this transition.
5. Form a Following. Need I say it? Create a profile on the leading social media platforms and engage with your target audience. If you have a current page that doesn’t mirror what you want your brand to look like then change it. Granted you may lose people who connected with you previously but re-branding yourself requires change. Remember – you are growing. You can’t take everyone one with you and those that really matter will jump on board the train anyway.
6. Develop new skills. Don’t be naïve when re-branding yourself. You can’t expect people to just accept you as the new leader in the industry. Proving yourself requires you to develop new skills. Perfect your craft and give those in the industry a run for their money. Changing your brand requires you to invest in yourself. Learning new skills shows you are committed and serious about your brand.

Make no mistake about it; re-branding yourself is no small job. Laying the ground-work, remaining consistent and engaging with your target audience requires discipline and sacrifice; but I’m sure you are up for the challenge. See you at the top!

Mary V. Davids is the Founder and Managing Member of D&M Consulting Services, LLC. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management. Mary has over a decade of experience in cultivating employee engagement, enhancing employee motivation and workplace performance, leadership coaching and training & development. She also serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the South Florida Chapter of the National Association of African American’s in Human Resources. Book Mary to speak at your next event or hire Mary for leadership & professional development consultation today. Follow Mary on twitter @MVDavids.