If you hang around YouTube or social media for long enough, you’ll hear a lot of people who share many of the same ideas of what it takes to brand yourself uniquely. And you hear the same things like,

Design a visual brand guide. Get professional photography. Decide on an expert title. Map out your career vision. Post consistently on social media. Develop a snazzy elevator pitch and nail your core messaging. Build a media kit, pitch yourself as a guest on TV podcasts and other media, maybe write a book. While all of that stuff is important, I also teach…

And it goes on and on. It only scratches the surface of what I believe it means to brand yourself. 

So, how do you brand yourself uniquely? How do you stand out and position yourself as someone different, an original, a leader and not a follower?

 Here are some tips on how to brand yourself uniquely in FIVE steps.

So what does it take to brand yourself in a unique way?

1. Remember that at the heart of every personal brand is a PERSON, so in your journey to becoming known and branding yourself uniquely you have to commit to self-discovery and of having a deeper understanding of yourself.

I’ve often had people come to my Instagram profile or my website and say “Candis, your social media looks and feels just like you.” 

Moreover, I didn’t create a social media profile or a color palette or imagery based upon prescribed templates or what I saw other people doing. I chose to be led by my curiosity and I got clear on my preferences. I learned what my ‘special powers’ are and I speak and teach about what I’m compelled to speak about even as it evolves. 

I’ve had clients say, “Working with you is a holistic experience” or, “This personal branding stuff is life-changing” because they have recognized that at the heart of every personal brand is a person – and they’ve embraced themselves as such.

I’ve committed to understanding my ancestry, my cultural identity and how it influences my self-expression. I’m in a constant process of personal and professional growth, and as I attain new levels of understanding, I share them.

I created a blog post about my cultural identity and being biracial. Check it out here.

2. Drown out the noise.

It can be really easy to just follow the crowd, especially when you’re first getting started. While looking to other influencers in your area can give you insight into what the marketplace may be interested in, there comes a time when you have to block it out and develop your own perspectives. 

You can seek out inspiration, but don’t be blinded by it.

 Which brings me to my next point.

3. Have your own opinion about things.

One of the reasons that I enjoy working with leaders and not followers, is that leaders have learned how to think for themselves. They may read or research or be inspired by the work of someone else and yet they’re able to bring their own unique perspective, story and flair to the conversation.

If you have an opinion about something, be bold in your sharing of it. Use your voice, talk about things that matter to you. Don’t water down or pussy foot around your opinion.

So many times people get crippled in thinking and analyzing and wondering how something they’ve said will be received. Branding yourself uniquely means your voice comes through and you aren’t echoing what everyone before you has said.

What’s your unique take and opinion on important topics?

4. Commit to mastery of something. 

“I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a brand. People kept referring to me as a brand and I thought, Well I’m just me.”

– Oprah Winfrey

Through her commitment to mastery and to just showing up doing the work, Oprah Winfrey built one of the greatest personal brands in history.

A lot of people think that a color palette, some core messaging, a consistent social media feed, maybe the occasional collaboration and a brushed up resume is all you need to brand yourself. 

But what I’m talking about is being different and being unique. Being a standout. Being someone that people want to listen to. 

And to do that you have to commit to mastery and to sharing your discoveries. Read, research, present, explore, create, present some more. Collaborate, re-evaluate your perspective, share some more.

And through your commitment to mastery, and actually doing the work, you become the brand.

5. Infuse storytelling in everything you do.

Whether you’re marketing yourself, trying to connect with an audience or deciding what to pitch to the media, your story is a superpower few people know how to effectively leverage. 

I have a client who is a powerful leader and blows me away with her passion and her expertise every time we have a session. And yet, when the time comes for her to speak to potential funders or pitch her organization to the media, she forgets that she has a powerful and compelling story that has the potential to seal the deal every time. 

There is a lot to be gained if you know how to tell your story, who to tell it to and how to tell it in a way that resonates with others.

So what do you want to be known for? How will you brand yourself in a way that’s a true reflection of who you are?

What do you want your legacy to be?

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I hope you liked this blog post!

I created a FREE 5-day mini-course that teaches the five things you must know in order to build a profitable personal brand. You’ll receive daily emails with audio guidance, stories and inspiration to give you the confidence to begin showing up online. So if you’re ready to stop hiding, start shining and finally become known to the people who need you then head over to candishickman.com/mini-course and get started now!