What are your skills?
Creating your own brand is essential when it comes to both professional and interpersonal relationships as you are establishing what you can bring to the table. By creating your own brand, you pave the way for what opportunities come your way by actively seeking them out and by word of mouth.
The first step is to concretely determine what your skills are. Consider the following questions–what do you naturally excel at? What do you find yourself doing on your own time without any tangible reward or compensation? What traits or talents do others take notice of? What activity are you able to do regularly out of your own motivation?
Your answers to these questions will help you narrow down your skills and while they are difficult to respond to, they are crucial as you carve out what you desire to be known for. For example, if you naturally excel at video editing, find yourself researching editing techniques and software, others notice your drive, and you regularly create your own projects then your skills are in creative endeavors specifically having to do with filming and editing.
What is your communication style?
After recognizing what your skills are, the next step is to decide what your communication style is. Qualities such as self-confidence, assertiveness, strong eye contact, and active listening will create positive impressions on those around you. On top of these qualities, your communication style is also imperative when determining your interpersonal skills. A ‘style’ in this case refers to one’s presentation of themselves through their choice of conversation topics and their approach to handling conversations.
One aspect that makes up a communication style are subject matter choices in conversations. For example, do you enjoy discussing common interests with others and finding a common ground through those interests? If so, consider how to make that a starting point when meeting someone new then gradually sharing your skills such as video editing. Since you established a rapport with another person, they will in turn take interest in you and what you do as your ‘brand’ takes shape. Likewise, your approach to handling conversations plays an important role in creating your own brand. Examples of this are your abilities to ask questions, share personal experiences, make occasional jokes to relieve any awkwardness, and the ways in which you talk about yourself. The key to establishing your communication style is keeping in mind that this is your opportunity to present yourself in the way you wish to be perceived.
What will you present to the world?
Above all else, when creating your own brand you must also consider what you wish to present to the world. The most direct way to decide what that will be is by answering the question of, “what do you want to be remembered for?” Your brand is an extension of yourself, therefore who you are as an individual intrinsically relates to the image you will put out. If you want to be remembered for your creativity, allow that trait to guide your choices as you will be authentically following what feels most natural to you. Additionally, if you want to be remembered for your communication skills, make your conversations with those around you a top priority.
What you decide to present to the world is vital for both your professional and personal growth which is also why your answer may gradually change and solidify over time. Allow yourself to grow and be receptive to your target audience. There is no deadline when it comes to creating your brand but the most difficult part is getting started.