Personal Brands are not static. They are dynamic, living and breathing representations of you. To really stand out, you need to ensure that you’re constantly and consistently monitoring your brand and checking in with yourself to ensure you’re walking your talk.
Hey, we all make mistakes and that’s just part of being alive and human (and an entrepreneur!) – but as Maya Angelou says, “When you know better, you have to do better,” so I’m giving you my Top 6 Personal Brand Destroyers. Now you’ll know better.
1. You think that business and life are separate.
I hate to break it to you – but it just ain’t true. Do you think anyone gives Racheal Ray a break at the grocery store just because she’s not “on the clock?” Yes – you’ll show up a little differently for a night out with the girls than you would for an important client meeting – but remember that those images on Facebook partying it up will impact your client’s perception of you.
2. You claim one thing and do something completely different
Be really careful what you promise or claim. If your website says “we give excellent customer service” – it better. Because now that you’ve said it, people will expect it. And if they don’t get it, it’ll be even worse than had you not said it in the first place. Make sure you can deliver on what you promise.
3. You change things up constantly
A good brand is consistent – people come to know what to expect from you. This is a fundamental part of building the trust factor – if you’re constantly changing things up, it leads to confusion. And confusion equals no sales.
4. You don’t change things up enough
On the other side of the coin, don’t be afraid to change things up if what you’re doing isn’t working for you or serving your audience anymore. I’d rather see you make tweaks over time to strengthen your brand than stay completely the same for fear of change.
5. You don’t do the work
It’s easy to overlook the parts in business that seem hard – you know, like getting clear on your vision, identifying and leveraging your strengths or figuring out the specific details of your ideal client. But this lack of focus does not serve you or your business. You’ll just create a diluted, middle-of-the-road brand that blends into the background. You want to rock it? Do the work.
6. You try to copycat someone else’s brand
You go online and you see someone you really admire. She puts out great content, her vibe is totally cool and you want to have a little bit of what she’s having. Totally understandable. And while it’s fine to model the success of people who have created the success you want to create, trying to copy their brand is a recipe for disaster. The fundamental requirement for a compelling personal brand is simply being yourself – nobody can compete with that!
Do you have any personal brand destroyers you’d like to add? Be sure to add your thoughts in the comments below.
