Building Personal Branding in the Digital Age 4.0 (Part 1)

In the 4.0 digital era, the Internet has a powerful presence and plays a significant role in connecting, trading, personal development, and business growth, not only within the boundaries of provinces and countries but also on an international scale. However, this also leads to competitive pressure, forcing many businesses and individuals to adapt, update, and stay ahead of emerging trends. Personal branding is a prime example of this.

1. What is Personal Branding?

According to the American Marketing Association, a “brand” is a name, term, sign, symbol, drawing, or a combination of these elements used to identify a product or service of one (or a group of) seller(s) and distinguish it from competing products or services.

Personal branding, also known as personal identity, can be simply defined as the positive impressions you create in the minds of others. It represents everything you do to demonstrate your abilities and values: “Who am I, what can I do, and how am I different?”

The World Intellectual Property Organization also states that a brand is a sign (both tangible and intangible) that uniquely identifies a product or service produced or provided by an individual or organization. For businesses, a brand is a concept in the minds of consumers about a product or service, associated with the company’s signature on the product or service to assert its quality and origin. Today, a brand is an important intangible asset for large companies and constitutes a significant portion of the company’s overall value.

In modern society, personal branding is crucial because a statement from a famous individual (with a strong personal brand) can dramatically affect the stock prices of a large corporation. In fact, some startups have been valued at billions of dollars simply because they have an individual with a strong personal brand. A prime example is football player Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Juventus, which helped the club’s stock price rise by 30% and significantly increased the number of followers, as Ronaldo alone has about 100 million Instagram followers. Similarly, private billionaire Kylie Jenner, who has over 100 million Instagram followers, launched a cosmetics brand under her name, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales from her Instagram alone.

.

2. Why is it important to build a personal brand?

Building a professional personal brand is crucial for success in one’s career as well as achieving other life goals. For entrepreneurs, a strong personal brand is also a necessary factor for business growth and success.

Building a personal brand, also known as personal identity, refers to managing the image you create of yourself in the eyes of others. The reason for building a personal brand depends on your communication goals, especially for individuals involved in business and trade. This is because the virtual world, the Internet, always carries risks and doubts; customers find it difficult to make purchasing decisions if they don’t know the owner or origin of the product.

A personal brand is not simply expressed through external appearance; it also reflects how you perceive your own core values, strengths and weaknesses, and capabilities. It helps you create differentiation and represents what you want to share with the community. This is something no one can take from you and it brings long-term benefits throughout your career.

• Convey your image, message, and human values
• Connect and share with people who share similar goals, values, or interests
• Enrich your personal experience, define, and improve yourself
• Discover your uniqueness and create distinct value
• Create business opportunities and relationships
• Easily expand and develop your work

3. Things to note when building an effective personal brand

• First, define your goal when building a personal brand

Defining your personal brand is the first important step in the process of building a brand. No individual can build and maintain a brand sporadically; it’s not about having an occasional quality. In essence, a personal brand is like “gold tested in fire”—it only stands out when it is refined.

According to P. Kotler, when positioning a brand, individuals will determine the qualities that make them stand out, so that they are always the first choice when others think of that field. Therefore, it can be understood that people, in general, or a specific individual, are a special kind of product. When defining and positioning a brand, individuals need to answer the following questions: Who do you want to become? What kind of person do you want to be? How do others perceive you? What will you use your personal brand for?

To answer these questions, individuals need to identify their talents, what they enjoy doing, specific fields of interest, and what they want to accomplish in the short and long term. Will this personal brand be used for business or sales? Which customer segment? What product? What price? What methods will you use to promote it? Answering these questions will help define a brand for yourself or others.

Properly positioning your personal brand is like finding a compass that provides direction for a smoother and faster journey in building your brand.

• Second, clear information

Your personal profile must be complete, with concise and direct descriptions of your personality, capabilities, and message. This profile should be shared across all available platforms, such as your personal Facebook, website, LinkedIn profile, and even on Twitter or YouTube introductions.

In addition to social media platforms, your brand must also be conveyed dynamically in direct communications. Therefore, you need to prepare a short but thorough “summary” of your information and the message you want to convey before every meeting. This way, when someone starts to engage with you, they can quickly grasp who you are and what you represent.

• Third, consistency in messaging

You need to maintain consistency in your messaging, between what you say and what you do, between your communication and reality. Everything you say, the work you do, the products you consume, the places you experience, and your social relationships should all evoke associations with you. Even a single conflicting message or image can undermine the overall impression.

In today’s society, where personal abilities and lifestyle are expected to align, consistency is one of the key elements to building a personal brand.

• Fourth, honesty in sharing information

In today’s world, anything can easily be verified. Therefore, the most important foundation in building a personal brand is truthfulness.

Don’t “sanctify” your perfect image, and don’t try to impress others with grandiose words. Instead, focus on being true to yourself, acting according to your abilities and authentic character.

• Fifth, perseverance in building a personal brand

A personal brand must be built on your true abilities over a long process, not created impulsively like a “trend.” A brand created through scandal will not only fade quickly but may also backfire in a negative way.

• Sixth, focus on emphasizing your unique characteristics.

In a society full of talent, it is hard to become the only one in any field, and even harder when trying to imitate someone else. In reality, you can copy someone’s style, appearance, and even tone of voice, but you will always be you, and they will always be them, because you cannot replicate their personality and inner essence.

Every individual has their own unique traits. The key is knowing how to highlight these differences. Barack Obama is a great example of the “American Dream” in action. His difference lies in the fact that he was not born into a wealthy family, but through his efforts, he inspired and convinced not only the American people but also the world to support him, becoming the first African American president in U.S. history.

HRDC gathered and compiled.