From conception to curation, the process of personal branding is a long one. Brainstorming, messaging, and maintaining your online presence all mean room for growth – and room for mistakes. As the final installment in Presenting Perfection’s ongoing branding series, here’s a guide to the common pitfalls of personal branding.
The Uncertain Strategy
It sounds simple, but it’s a common branding problem: inconsistency.
Picking outreach or engagement techniques you don’t enjoy or are unfamiliar with is a recipe for disaster. Without your full commitment, this critical aspect of the personal branding process will likely go neglected.
Along similar lines, if you decide to, for example, create a daily Facebook post – STICK WITH IT. Only through consistency can you hope to build the readership / viewership / general engagement that is extremely important for the overall health – and longevity – of your personal brand.
The False Narrative
Another simple misstep? Dishonesty.
While it might seem like a no-brainer, creating false narratives, exaggerating, or just falsifying anything connected to your personal brand is a big no-no. In fact, promoting a false narrative involving your brand requires more work on your part – and can lead to image integrity problems later.
When brand is rooted in truth – the impact is amazing. Consider how much less effective Patagonia’s eco-conscious branding would be without the documentation and real action to support it.
The Overcommit
When it comes to personal branding, the adage is true – you should never put all your eggs in one basket.
Building an effective personal brand means engaging with other brands, connecting with organizations through events, and joining an online community – all at the same time. Moreover, these branding moves feed into one another – frequently involving a chain of events and networking that is the real secret to brand success. For branding, nothing is just “stand alone.”
Placing a solitary focus on one aspect or area of branding can open you up to the same problems caused by inconsistency.
The Internet Dweller
A final common personal branding mistake: forgetting the real world.
As discussed in this branding piece from The Muse, today’s internet-crazy branding landscape can cause us to forget the power of a face, a conversation, or even just an appearance.
No matter how strong your online presence is, experts caution against choosing internet relevancy over real-time connections with your local area. You don’t want to be caught without a business card, a modified elevator pitch, or a unique perspective at the ready.
Get Help With Personal Branding
Personal branding is a work in progress. No matter what mistakes you make, there’s never a bad time for growth. A branding expert may be able help. With over 20 years in the corporate communication world, Presenting Perfection founder Kathryn Lancioni knows how much branding matters. With a wide-ranging skillset and experience in nearly all aspects of branding development, Kathryn can help you right the branding ship.
To get started with a consultation or to find out more about personal branding, contact Presenting Perfection today.