This document discusses personal branding strategies. It recommends knowing why you do what you do, owning your differences, and finding your people. The author advocates developing a memorable brand statement in 1-2 sentences that conveys your value, audience, and unique selling point. Sample brand statements and a branding checklist are provided. The document stresses that a strong personal brand is built through consistent, quality efforts over time.

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Personal
Branding
Becky Livingston
President & CEO
Royal Apple Marketing
September 2012
© 2012 Royal Apple Marketing
Who am I?
ü Social media advocate, author, trainer,
speaker, and practitioner
ü Big dog lover
ü Small business consultant
ü Daily user of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, G+,
Pinterest, & Hootsuite
ü Marketing pro and Tech enthusiast
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Know my brand?
3 Simple Strategies
1. Know why
a) Why do you do what you do?
b) Why you do it the way you do it?
c) Why do you get up in the morning?
d) Why are you the way you are?
2. Own the differences
3. Find your people
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The Pathway
You Goals Audience Channels
Your self-impression = How people perceive you.
“Don’t let career
drive you, let
passion drive your
life. That may not
get you up any
ladder, but it will make your trip down a long
and winding road more interesting.”
Randy Komisar
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Brand Statements
› 1-2 sentences
› Value + Audience + Unique Selling Point (USP)
› Memorable, punchy, solution oriented
› It’s not:
› Job title
› Personal mission statement
› Career objectives
› Life purpose
Our Brand Statement
We create social and digital marketing
opportunities to help business owners increase
their RIO, brand
exposure, and more
so they are free to
pursue what they love.
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Samples
“I help businesses and individuals build and
promote lasting brands.” Ryan Rancatore
“I help people to clear their head trash and
find their mojo. Once they find their mojo, I
help them to set it on fire!” Alexia Leachman
“I am a social media trainer and consultant,
specializing in LinkedIn, branding, and
recruitment.” Jorgen Sundberg
Brand Checklist
ü Mission ü Content Strategy
ü Elevator Pitch ü Graphics
ü Niche Market ü Brand Personality
ü Competition ü Tagline
ü Profiles (social and
other)
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Parting Words
Branding is about you.
A strong personal brand is not about how long
you’ve been building it, but how well you’ve been
doing it.
Like a great pair of shoes, it must:
ü Fit
ü Feel good
ü Make you feel powerful and happy
ü Tell a story
Connect with Royal Apple
Marketing
@RoyalAppleMkgt / @BMLiving
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Resources
› Personal Branding Resources
› Love the phrase “Personal Brand Toolkit”
› Your Personal Branding Strategy http://www.mattiasgronborg.com/your-
personal-branding-strategy/
› Building A Successful Personal Brand http://passivepanda.com/personal-
brand
› 9 Basic Steps to Create a Personal Brand http://theultralinx.com/2012/05/9-
basic-steps-create-personal-branding-strategy.html
› Why Your Personal Branding Strategy Demands That You Publish http://
www.mojo40.com/why-your-best-personal-branding-strategy-demands-that-you-
publish/
› Personal Brand Strategy – 4 Steps for Professionals http://
careersdonewrite.com/blog/personal-brand-strategy-4-steps-for-
professionals.html
› Personal Branding Statements – Examples http://
www.business2community.com/branding/personal-brand-statement-examples-
and-templates-0126003
› How to Write Your Personal Brand Statement http://jorgensundberg.net/how-
write-your-personal-brand-statement/
› 50 Personal Brand Statement Examples http://jorgensundberg.net/personal-
brand-statement-examples-and-templates/
› Personal Brand 101: How to Discover and Create Your Brand http://
mashable.com/2009/02/05/personal-branding-101/
› Personal Branding Toolkit http://faculty-gsb.stanford.edu/aaker/pages/
documents/PersonalBrandingToolkit.pdf
› Harvard Business Review – Reinventing Your Personal Brand, November 2,
2011.
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