Marketing Yourself – What do You Need to Know?

Career Support - Career Coaching

So how are you at marketing yourself and why is it so important?

Just like the Walkers and Coca Cola’s of this world we all have our own personal brand. It’s the way we market ourselves to the world and can single you out as an expert in your field. It is what other people think of us and although in some respects it is outside our control we do have some influence.  

We have both an “external” and “internal” brand.

External Brand

Our external brand is how we project ourselves to the world. We can decide on what to say or write or wear in order to convey a certain image and this image will influence what others think about us and therefore how they choose to react.

So for example if you drive a Porsche, dress in designer clothes and have an apartment in London’s Knightsbridge people may make certain assumptions about how much money you had.

The information we give out is crucial. The external image that reflects each and every one of us best is the one you believe who you really are.

So it’s being consistent every time we interact with people whether that’s face to face in the workplace, at home, with friends even the virtual image we project when using social media.

Internal Brand

Our internal brand is what we think about ourselves and is based around our values.

Values are who we are and why we do something. They are the building blocks of what really matters and affect what we do and how we do it.

Our key values are significant for personal and professional development

So a person may have a value around family and home life. If they were in a job that meant them being away from home a lot and away from their family its likely start to affect their levels of job satisfaction. Another person may have a value around making a difference so the job they were in, to be really satisfying would have to involve helping other people.

Our values come from different sources e.g. family, friends, and school and can change over time.

It is important to be really clear about our values. When we know what they are, make choices based on them and live our lives on them we achieve real fulfilment.

Working with a coach can help you really work out what your values and understand how you can live a life more aligned to them.

So remember your personal brand needs 4 things:-

-          Compelling to your market – Whether you are looking for that perfect job or working for yourself find out how you are actually perceived. Ask a variety of people not just yourself

-          Spend time exploring what it is about you that would be compelling to the company that you may like to work for or the market that you want to start your business in

-          Be authentic  - if you aren’t people will see right through you

-          Make you and your personal brand known to the audience you are targeting and then get into action and have fun.

Denise is a Striding Out coach working with individuals who want more from their life whether that is in their personal life or business. If you are looking for a new job, to change your career, start a business or develop the one you are and want to know more how coaching can please get in touch.

Email: Denise@stridingout.co.uk