Brand yourself right without boasting

This post came out from My Paper (1 March 2016)
Title - Brand yourself right without boasting

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Project a positive attitude
2. Build yourself as an expert
3. Spread your influence

On Project a positive attitude

• Build a positive attitude within before you brand it for others to see. People flock to others who have a positive attitude because they feel better when they are around them. Be the kind of person whom others want to be around. Furthermore, your personal brand must communicate the right message about yourself to others. 
• It must represent who you are and what you want to be known for. It is seen by many as a statement about both your professional expertise and personal style. Next, internal values must be projected outward. Do not neglect personal grooming. Impressions - how you project and present yourself - matter. 
• The image you present is about what you wear, body language and personal brand. Just standing upright makes you look more respectable.

On Build yourself as an expert

• Decide on what you want to be known for and build your brand around it. 
• Establish a presence on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Use your social media links in your e-mail signature. Create a blog to showcase your expertise in being known as a thought leader, or odder to be a guest blogger for well-established blogs. Interview others who are knowledgeable about issues that are of interest to people working in the industry. Interviewing experts not only enables you to develop relationships with them but also allows you to provide a service that keeps people up to date on events in the industry.
• By showcasing your expertise and providing critical information about the industry, you are engaging in a form of self-promotion that is comfortable for you. 
• Go one step further: Develop courses based on your expertise. The courses should address issues that you observe are affecting the industry. Offer them on Udemy, a platform for online courses. 

On Spread your influence

• Connect with like-minded people on these social networks, with whom you can forge relationships. Start with your ready circles: people with whom you have worked and went to school with and those who share your interests. Share articles that they may be interested in, adding your own insights to them. Scoop it is a website that makes it easy to do that. Be of service to the people you are connected with and become their go-to person.
• After you have formed ties online, meet offline for some face to face time to build on relationships. Learn more about your contacts and tell them about yourself. Prepare a 30 second elevator pitch for when you meet up with new contacts or attend job interviews. Rehearse and refine the statement till you are comfortable with it. The pitch should sound impressive yet real, and should engage others, so they want to learn more about you.
• And, in daily interactions, ensure that your personal interactions reflect the brand that you have built. To live your personal brand means dressing that part, speaking the part and acting the part. Promoting and living your personal brand requires making a habit out of it. By being consistent, more people will learn about you and your personal brand, which creates opportunities for yourself. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big