Nike, Under Armor, Jet Blue… these are all brands.  Well, guess what?  You are a brand, too!  And in today’ fast-paced world, building that brand is imperative to success. Consider all of the ways your colleagues, or members of industry, and find out about you – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – the list goes on.  Here are 3 quick ways that you can build your brand.

Set Your Goal

This is by far the most important step.  Know where you are going, or you will never get there.  Think about how you want others to see you in business then build on that. Everyone has a niche; find yours and develop it.  Obsession leads to expertise, so be prepared to work hard.  It will not take long before you become an expert.

Assess Your Reputation

“There is no such thing as bad publicity…”  said Brendan Behan.  What everyone omits is the end of that quote which is “… except your own obituary.”  Let me assure you, there is bad publicity and you could be writing your own business obituary if you are in the middle of it. Google yourself.  I love saying that but, seriously, do a little research on yourself.  Find out if there is any information out there already.  In most cases you will find that there is very little out there about you, which is probably a good thing.

Network

Traditional networking and online marketing are both crucial to the development of your brand.  Be your own champion.  This is even more important during the earlier steps, when no one knows who you are.  Attend networking events, both on and offline. Connect whenever possible and work on remembering those you have met before. Create professional profiles and post regularly, sharing engaging content related to your field.  Show your industry that you are an expert and you came to play.

After you build up the foundation of your brand, you will only need to spend a little bit of time a day developing it.  Before long, you will be well known in your industry, and your career will skyrocket.  Set your goals, do a little research, and network… Network… Network!