Build a strong personal online brand

What makes you unique? What separates you from the millions of other network marketers in the world today who are introducing prospects to their opportunity on a daily basis? Your "Personal Brand!"

Branding has literally changed the ball game in the selection process as prospects are doing more research than ever about who they choose to align with as a sponsor. It's not just about the company, the products, or the compensation plan - it's becoming more and more about YOU! People are deciding if you are the one they want to partner with.

If there is absolutely nothing unique about you, or your approach, you're basically a commodity. You need to know what makes you stand out from the numerous people who do what you do. For example, it could be your viewpoint or your experience in a specific niche market area. Or, it might be a personal characteristic, quality, or habit. Perhaps there is a special way you get things completed or your incomparable way of generating positive results. If what you do and how you do it are no different from every person who shares your job title, you will have a very small pull with your audience.

Why would an industry leader, or anyone of that matter, prefer you over others? Your personal brand is the answer. When you have a personal brand, people recognize and care about your name, the projects you are working on, what products you offer, and what you're all about. So it's vital that you take the time to Choose, Create, and Promote your brand. Here are a few quick tips.

Choosing Your Brand

What's your competitive advantage? What advantage do you have over other associates in your company? You must target what makes you unique. If you're not quite sure, then let's start with your occupation. This works simply because not every network marketer in your company is in the same profession. Are you a teacher, doctor, athlete, aerobics instructor, homemaker or an accountant? Whatever it is you do for a living, you bring something unique to your company and to your associates, so let's use it.

Create Your Brand

Once you've chosen your brand, then you can begin to define it more fully. We'll start with your identity. That is the name or verbiage you will use to represent your brand. Whatever name you select, it is the one name you will run with on everything (and I mean everything), so choose wisely. If at all possible use your first and last name together. If that is not available, then add the middle initial. You want to be identified as a real person. You can do a lot with your personal name especially if you've already been active in the social media world.

You can do a lot with your personal name especially if you've already been active in the social media world.

When enrolling on social media sites set up your user name with your first and last name. This will enhance opportunities for search engine optimization. The alternative is to select a unique name that immediately gives value to your brand. For instance, if you are an accountant, and you are promoting wellness products, you could launch "The Healthy Lifestyle Accountant" brand. Clearly this brand sends the message that you are an accountant but that you also promote the concept of "living a healthy lifestyle."

Make sure your profile photo, bio, and contact information is consistent across your brand. As an example, when you create your own website, use the same information you use across other media channels. The "About" page on your website provides the perfect opportunity for you to share more of your story. It is where your viewers can truly connect with you, so be open, honest and compelling.

Promote Your Brand

Once you have firmly established your new brand, it's time to get out there and attract people to you. The main purpose of a brand is to draw people to you. It is true that you are ultimately aiming to build your business, but your first goal is to make connections and build relationships. If done correctly, these connections will convert into sales.

How do you do this? By consistently sharing content that has a unique balance between (1) personal content about you, what you do, and what interests you, and (2) neutral yet appealing topics such as "solution based content" that offer your viewers possible solutions that can enhance various areas of their lives. It is this area where social media becomes such a powerful giant to assist in maximizing your brand. One technique that's very effective is to create a schedule for the subject matter you will share through the week. For instance:

• Monday – Motivational tip
• Tuesday – Generic business tip
• Wednesday – Health and fitness or personal development
• Thursday – Your specific business or Throwback Thursday (TBT)
• Friday – Family
• Saturday – News worthy post
• Sunday – Miscellaneous (ex: sports, cooking, funny, travel, shopping etc.)

You could easily change this schedule up but such a routine allows you to be a "go to person" for these topics on your social media pages, as well as keeping your content fresh and valuable. It's good to research the best times to post content as well. Of course, posting during high traffic times will makes a significant difference in the number of viewers who will see your branding messages. So, between postings, commenting, blogging, and sharing videos, your brand should stand out.

To build your online brand you will need to be consistent and patient. It takes time to create your online reputation and build your audience, but eventually, it is possible that you might even attract more people to your brand than you can handle. That's a good problem to have.