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You are a brand.

This is a fact, whether you know it or not. And when it comes to growing in your business career, you must build a personal brand that gets attention.

We’re not talking about the kind of attention that just attracts likes and followers on social media. We’re talking about building a personal brand akin to a corporate brand — like Nike, Apple or Google. We remember these brands for specific reasons and their reputations precede them.

If you want to craft a brand with similar staying power, then you need to uncover the opportunities in positioning yourself correctly in the job market. This includes understanding which skills set you apart and garnering credibility in everything you do.

Yes, it takes work to build a respected personal brand — but it’s worth the effort.

2.  Gain visibility in your industry

It’s important to be known for something at your company. However, you also need to keep your personal brand active outside of the workplace.

Why? Well, most people only last about four years at any organization, according to the . You need to be prepared should you decide to leave or if you’re laid off.

Fortunately, we can use social media as a personal branding tool.

 is a great personal branding example whom I follow. Known as “The Brand Therapist,” Griffin helps business professionals “stand out in their space” on LinkedIn^®. She hosts virtual events, writes books, posts content, hosts a free branding community and hosts a podcast.

Now, you don’t have to go out and duplicate Griffin’s efforts. Instead, start small. �����Ի��� on the platform. Talk about your career journey, discuss new things you’re learning and begin building an audience.

You’ll establish that authority we discussed earlier and learn even more in the process. Then, instead of just commenting on any LinkedIn post, you can focus on experts in your industry. Find the right people with the right skills and begin strategically cultivating those relationships.

Another option is . You can build a profile that showcases your knowledge and expertise just like on LinkedIn. Twitter doesn’t have an in-house newsletter, but you can use ���ǰ��� to showcase your writing. If you’re more of a speaker, Twitter Spaces offer the opportunity to host audio-only events with other users.

As Severy points out, “Within the job search, personal branding involves carefully crafting a professional image for employers, recruiters and colleagues to see us the way we want to be seen.” 

By approaching social media this way, you will be networking and gaining traction as a brand. 

3.  Know who your pacesetters are

In his book Raising Emotionally Strong Boys, author and counselor David Thomas talks about building a team of pacesetters for your life. These are people who help you through difficult moments and celebrate with you during life’s wins.

You also need pacesetters in your career. These are not just mentors — but they can be. They’re also colleagues, family and friends. They’re professionals at other organizations, in networking groups or even in social media discussion groups.

They carry you through tight spots and offer encouragement to weather storms. They offer constructive criticism when you need it and praise when it’s warranted.

Pacesetters can be instrumental to our personal brand. They can be the Steve Wozniak to our Steve Jobs or .

Going forward

Just like big corporate brands, personal brands are not built in a day. They require constant nurturing�����Ի���intentional action on your part. There is no time for being passive here. This is your business career, and you must take charge.

If you do, you’ll accomplish great things. Perhaps more importantly, your personal brand will stand for something. 

And that is the fertile ground your branding needs to lead others in your chosen industry.

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