How to Build Your Personal Brand

Lately I've heard a lot about personal branding. To learn more about it, and find out how it can benefit individuals and their careers, I talked with Dan Schawbel, personal branding expert.

QUESTION: What is personal branding?

ANSWER: Personal branding describes the process by which individuals differentiate themselves and stand out from a crowd by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition, and then leveraging it across platforms with a consistent message and image. In short, personal branding is how we market ourselves to others.

QUESTION: How does one go about creating a personal brand?

ANSWER: The first step is the realization that everyone has a personal brand. Therefore, it's not about "creating a personal branding" but about discovering who you are and what you're passionate about, and then managing your brand appropriately. Online, however, personal brands do need to be created, such as establishing a profile on a social network, developing a blog or writing an article. Your name and face carry your brand in both reality and virtual reality, such that wherever they are cited, your personal brand is at stake.