Are You Shamelessly Self Promoting?

There is a lot of buzz about personal branding and its value to your professional and personal life. Overall, I think it’s great, since it raises awareness and encourages people to focus on what makes them unique. It’s clear that people get the importance of branding for success. Yet, it’s also clear, however, that many simply do not totally "get it.” Consider:

• Dan Schwabel, at his  Personal Branding Blog, dispels the myth that personal branding is all about you. He notes that it is a matter of delivering value for others, and underscores this with a great quote from Dan Pink’s new book, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: “You’re here to serve, not to self-actualize.” 
• Luke Harvey Palmer, at  The Chief Brand Officer…, discusses integrity as an element of one’s personal brand. He says: “This element of your Personal Brand is influenced by what you say about others, your honesty and sincerity, the other people you associate with, and the things you are willing to do to service a clients needs or support a colleague.”
• Anita Bruzzese, at 45 Things, raises the question: “Does Your Personal Brand Taste Like Burned Toast?” She makes this point: “Your personal brand has got to be palatable. Too much self promotion, too little focus on bringing something valuable to the table, and you could find yourself getting discarded [like burnt toast].”

I’m sure you get the message: In communicating your brand, you do need to say what makes you unique, but you need make sure to consistently, clearly, and constantly communicate the value you deliver in a way that is vibrant and compelling for the people you want to reach.

Cross-posted at Threshold Consulting Blog

Comments

[Luke Harvey-Palmer]

Walter - nice simple little reminder here of the importance of AUTHENTICIY. There is a lot of shameless self promotion going on right now, as online tools make this so easy! Thanks for the reference...stay in touch!

[Walter Akana]

Thanks for your comment Luke!
You made a great point on your blog and I’m happy to reference it. I agree that Web 2.0 has vastly facilitated the rise of shameless self promotion. Our philosophy, as personal branding strategists, is to get in touch with who you really are – from your values, passions, vision, and purpose to the unique value you offer ant the people you offer it to!
As Erin Yoshimura points out, in a post here, Authenticity is great for your mental health – yet it takes some effort to unearth who you really are! Still, that work has a payoff in a sense of liberation, clarity, and ultimate effectiveness!
Will stay in touch!