Truth #3: Your brand is not for everyone, only the people you choose
Some brands have a wide audience, like Coca-Cola, Donald Trump, or Lady Gaga. Almost everyone has heard of the person or the product, knows what he/she/it does, and what it stands for. Some brands are well known only to a small, defined group of people, such as a computer software that’s only used by chemists, or an interior decorator who only styles mansions.

The whole world does not have to know who you are for your personal brand to be successful. Just your target audience. You get to choose which types of people or companies you want to know about you and your skills or services. Your target audience could be chemists, people who own mansions, music lovers, or hiring managers within your industry.

Once you know who your target audience is, and what you have to offer, then you can create a communication plan just for them.

Truth #4: Personal Branding is About Being Real Not Getting Noticed
When people think of “personal branding,” some think of over-the-top self-promotion. Others think it’s doing anything to get people to notice or like you.

Wrong. Personal branding starts and ends with you being your authentic, true self, and letting that shine through.

The basics of personal branding are these:

1. Know Yourself
2. Be Yourself
3. Express Yourself

Before you go to your next networking event, send another tweet, or revise your resume, you first need to know who you are, and what you bring to workplace and to your life.

What is your Unique Promise of Value? Until you know what you can do better than anyone else, what is different or special about your background and personality, and — most importantly — what give you passion, you can’t tell anyone about your brand.

How can you promote your brand when you don’t know what it is? And how can you promote yourself during a job interview when you don’t understand your unique promise of value?

You need to Know Yourself before you can Be Yourself and Express Yourself.

Your Next Move:

Think about and write your:

• Skills
• Interests
• Values
• Passions
• Life mission
• Goals for the next year, five years, and 10 years

Use this information to come up with key words that describe who you are and what you can do for an employer, a client, or your community. This is an important step in creating your brand.

Quick Personal Branding Tips for Everyday People

1. Personal Branding for Everyday People #1 & 2
2. Build Personal Brand: Why the Controversy?
3. 5 Things to Do Before You Build Your Personal Brand