In an era of an abundance of communication tools and easy access to communication with any person, the characteristics of a personal brand and online reputation play a key role in whether the consumer will make his choice in your favor.
Today PR specialists talk a lot about the importance of the online circle of those who offer their services. Our friends and colleagues, who appear in our profiles of social networks, build our brand today and create our reputation on the network.
In this article, we consider means to manage your online reputation, to create a positive personal image on the network.
Ideas about brand and branding are gradually changing. Perhaps no one equates a brand with a logo or corporate identity, as it was 5-7 years ago. An increasingly noticeable tendency is to offer some idea related to consumer benefits.
The degree of delusionality of these ideas has decreased over the past years. Branding is no longer the result of crazy creators. Now it becomes more logical and correct. However, in our opinion, branding still does not reach the role that should play in modern markets.
Features of consumer motivation, the nuances of assessment and decision-making are used frankly weak, we even can say “childish”. But it is obvious that sooner or later, branding will become a serious tool with an appropriate analytical and conceptual base.
And here arises another question – what to do with the customer, the manufacturer of the goods or the service provider? Dozens if not even hundreds of agencies and freelancers, offer “to promote your brand.” But the real competition in this niche is not so high only if you are doing business professionally and are ready to dig deep.
The essence of the brand consultant profession – Digital Agency London
“Brand consultant is a specialist engaged in the formation of a personal image using social networks and other public platforms following the goals and requirements of the customer,” as “Atlas of new professions” describes the new specialty. The keywords are image and goals.
The task of a specialist in personal branding is to create and convey to a target audience a certain image of a client. The audience depends on its purpose. It can be a promotion, transfer to another company or attracting customers to the business.
A personal brand is not a soap bubble inflated around the ego and not an end in itself. It is based on the identity and plans of a specialist. Creating a personal brand is one of the tools of career growth that is pleasant enough to improve mood and self-confidence.
How should you work as a personal branding specialist?
To understand how personal branding or professional reputation management works, you need to be an all-round specialist, namely an analyst, strategist, journalist, PR specialist, a little career consultant, and psychologist.
Also, external specialists, for example, career coaches, oratory trainers, stylists, are often involved in the work process. As you can see, personal branding is the synergy of several professions.
What skills do you need to have:
- Fundamentals of Journalism, PR, Marketing, Branding
- Understand the principle of building career paths
- Systemic thinking
- Strategic thinking
- Ability to work with large volumes of information
- Ability to articulate your thoughts clearly
- Ability to respond quickly to news occasions
- Friendly customer focus
- Business Communication Skills
- Project management skills.
What does he do?
- the positioning of the client and its target audience.
- Formulates elevator pitch
- Formulates a brand activity plan
- Prepares presentation materials for media and social networks
- Prepares publications for media and personal blogs
- Leads pages on social networks
- Participation and speeches at business events
- Produces copyright TV and radio programs
- Organizes photo shoots.
- Future profession
Rulers have been engaged in personal branding since ancient times. Terrible nicknames, personalized swords, the coinage of coin portraits, patrimonial traditions and rituals, personal chroniclers, these are all attributes of self-PR. An interesting fact that the essence of this process has not changed over the years, it has only been supplemented by digital tools and technologies.
What will happen to the profession next?
The increasing penetration of virtual reality will create new opportunities for personal branding. At least I want to believe it is true. The value of identity is increasing. The corresponding image will be created not only on the Internet but also offline, for example, through holograms or digital avatars.
Watch the series “Black Mirror” and you will understand what I’m talking about. At the same time, somewhere in the remote corners of the Universe, there will still be disputes about the need to manage reputation, and interviews will be published in print.
The brand consultancy is a profession for specialists who can adapt to new conditions. In the meantime, personal brand consultants work for themselves or on staff with a personal pr-assistant of the head of the company.
