Marketers: how to build your own brand

On a daily basis, marketing professionals are responsible for representing and developing their firm’s brand and identity - most of the time with great success. 

The question is: are they using these everyday skills to build their own brand as well? 

I am often asked by candidates at various levels and stages of their career what it will take for them to reach that next step in their career. 

Yes, experience and skill-set will get you the job but in order to build a career you are truly passionate about, it is also important to develop your personal brand. 

Here are some tips on how to build yours. 

Identify your passion

Sometimes the hardest part is determining where your passions lie and what your niche is. Luckily you have already determined that your passion lies within marketing, now the next step is to establish where that passion will add the most value and how you can utilise it to its full potential. 

Set yourself achievable goals

Both short and long-term goals will help you assess what you want to achieve at different stages of your career and how best to reach each stage. 

Set yourself realistic and achievable short-term goals that will assist you in reaching that final goal. Don’t feel put out if your journey goes off-route; instead take the opportunity to reassess your goals and adapt them to your current situation. 

Networking

They say: “Its not who you know, it’s who knows you.” Networking is an excellent way to promote yourself and grow your brand. 

Be proactive and take the opportunity to attend various networking events which will provide platforms for you to develop relationships with influential people within your field and who can position you successfully in your relevant market. 

Remember it is just as important to network internally as externally. By regularly speaking with key stakeholders, managers and other members of staff you are displaying your passion for the firm and its brand and more importantly pushing your own brand forward. 

Hand pick your mentor

A mentor is someone you aspire to be one day, someone in your field who can act as a role model and provide the advice and knowledge to help you develop your brand. 

Develop a mentoring programme with your mentor and at the end of your programme use the skills and knowledge obtained to mentor someone else on building their own brand. 

Invest in training

Applied knowledge is power. The marketing field is constantly revolutionising. Last year’s ‘hot skills’ and trends are no more. In order to keep up with the fast-paced field of marketing it is recommended to continue learning and developing your skills. 

The skills you possess help develop your brand and market you as an expert in various areas of marketing. Keep applying your new knowledge to remain at the top of your game. 

Dress for success

“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have”. Dressing appropriately is imperative in promoting your personal brand. To be respected within your industry it is important to follow the dress code within your environment while still capturing your own unique brand. 

Finally (and most importantly), don’t be afraid to make mistakes

At the end of the day we are all human. If you are fortunate enough to be doing what you are truly passionate about then don’t take it for granted. Great success often comes from mistakes and failure. These mistakes are markers for your pending success!