How to Build a Strong Personal Brand in Kenya

Today, your Personal Brand speaks louder than your CV. So, it’s very pertinent that you build a strong personal brand, one that makes you stand out in the crowd. In simple terms, a personal brand is basically your story. A personal brand encompasses who you are, what you stand for, your strengths, and how you use that strength to bring value to your community.

Very many people believe that – a strong personal brand can help you attract the right people, land a job or promotion, and make connections that lead to new opportunities. With reflection and intentional actions, you can gain confidence in your personal value and project it in your life and career.

But, how do you build a strong personal brand? Let’s delve right into that;

Craft your brand vision

A brand vision is written like a mission statement—in the present tense, as if you’ve already accomplished it. So, here, ask yourself these questions;

• Where do you want to be in 5 years?
• Who do you want to be known as?
• What do you want to be known for?

After you have answered those questions, go ahead and create your brand vision. Remember, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

What do you want to be known for?

This is a very important step – deciding what you want to be known for. This basically entails that you become a leading authority on something, so, what would that be? Research the competition in that market and determine how you will differentiate yourself. What makes you stand out from the crowd?

Define your audience

One of the worst mistakes people make as they build a personal brand is attempting to appeal to everyone. 

“A great brand starts with understanding who you are, what you stand for, understanding your marketplace, and understanding your positioning. What is the perception that you need to create in order to appeal to the target audience that you’re trying to appeal to?” – Re Perez

Develop a consistent but strong message

Communication is very important and how you communicate or what you communicate are essential to building a personal brand. What message do you want to consistently reinforce in your content and your marketing? It’s a known fact that consistency builds trust and credibility with your audience.

Be Yourself

As Oscar Wilde once said, “Be yourself because everyone else is taken.” So, be authentic and be yourself, you don’t have to hide under a different persona. Determine what you want your brand personality to be. Is it more casual or professional? Quirky or serious? And then, just be that.

Build your social media presence

These days, many employers will look you up on the Internet, and it’s important that you are there. So, build your social media presence and again, it’s very important to be yourself and also to be respectful. There’s a common phrase “the internet never forgets’ so in whatever you do, make sure you never put out anything that might jeopardize your personal brand. Be consistent in your posting and in your posts – have your unique message and let it resonate.

Tell a story

The best Personal Brands I have seen or know are a story – someone’s story told piece by piece every single day. So, what is your story? What are you selling and why are you selling it. I have a friend who  is a personal branding coach and her story is that she was overlooked by many brands and employers because she had no brand. Now her mission is to assist people build brands and get hired – that’s her story. What’s yours?

Developing a compelling personal brand can help you expand your network, attract clients and even get you hired. Create yours today!