The personal brand statement is an essential tool that you can use to help develop your personal brand says Peter Decaprio. A Personal Branding Statement helps you define who you are, want to be and how you need the world to perceive you. If done correctly, it is one of the most powerful tools that will support your professional development and advancement with clarity, accountability and focus.
What Should a Personal Brand Statement Include?
A good personal branding statement should include: Your name you can also add “Professional Designer” or other job titles if appropriate for yourself.
Your industry – For example; fashion, graphic design, architecture etc. (If not sure which industry best fits your desired profession leave this part out.) Education – This is important for highlighting any courses you have studied, qualifications obtained and year of qualification. A link to your LinkedIn profile can be included here. Your current city – It’s good to know where the majority of your potential clients are located so keep this in mind when writing your personal branding statement explains Peter Decaprio. Your website address – Make sure it is easy to find on all of your marketing material. You can also include “email me at…” or “contact me via my social media channels” if you prefer this method over a formal contact page. An example of an effective Personal Brand Statement could read something like: “Jenny Jones, Professional Graphic Designer based in London, UK Education; Bachelor of Arts (Hons), 2010
Graphic designer at XYZ design agency”
A good personal branding statement should be around 3-5 sentences long. It’s also advisable to have a short version that you can use for your LinkedIn profile and social media pages. This way people will get an idea of what you are about even if they don’t have time to read through your entire description. You want them to understand quickly who you are so they’ll understand why they should choose to work with you rather than your competitor!
The more concise and relevant your brand is the more impact it will have on the right people.
How to Write the Personal Brand Statement
When writing your personal branding statement there are a few things you need to think about: Which keywords will your audience use when searching for someone with your skills and expertise? Are you using these keywords in your description? What benefit will they gain from working with you? Make sure this is very clear. How else could you help them achieve their goals? Think of as many benefits as possible that they can enjoy by working with you says Peter Decaprio. Will they save time, money, effort or have increased success if they work with you? Why should they choose YOU over all the other designers out there who provide similar services to yours? What makes you unique from everyone else in the industry and what do people love about you?
This is not an easy thing to do. We all know the reason why we should be writing this for ourselves but it can sometimes feel like hard work to dig deep and churn out a few sentences. If you are struggling, here are some questions you may ask yourself that will help get your brain moving: What makes me different from my competition? How am I better or more talented than them? Am I trustworthy or known for being reliable in my industry? What long-term benefits could come from working with me? Do I have any notable achievements (if relevant)? Have I won any awards or had positive press written about me recently? What did I enjoy most about university/college and what did I learn there? Which projects have I completed that my future client might be interested in?
Why did I enjoy doing those projects and how could I use this information to benefit my new client? If you need a little more help getting started with your personal branding statement here is a great article on 5 Personal Branding Statements Examples for You. There are also some great articles on this website about career change and career advancement if any of these apply to you. Where Can You Find an Example?
When looking for inspiration for your brand/statement, there are some places that provide examples of people who have successfully lead their brands. Check out the following sites: Pinterest – Look under boards such as “Graphic Designers” or “Marketing.”
Conclusion:
When you start to write your personal branding statement. It may take some time before you get into the flow of writing explains Peter Decaprio. It can be hard work churning out a few sentences about yourself but its well worth it! Your future clients will thank you for giving them an idea of who you are and what makes you tick. So they can fast track their decision-making process.
Your brand is what potential clients see when they look at your website, social accounts or CV/website – therefore having a strong brand will guarantee that your career advancement is successful. If you need any additional help with developing your personal branding statement, don’t hesitate to get in touch via my contact page or by sending me an email directly.
