All of us who are part of the creative world as professionals seem to be reluctant to anything that has to do with it. commercial world and marketing. We tend to think that the concept of marketing implies lies, deception and that behind a consistent campaign is a low-quality product or service. But this does not have to be like this. In fact in most cases it is not so, this is nothing more than a myth.
The absence of professional ethics or the quality of a product or service does not have to be at odds with marketing, at least not in a negative way. Generally when a consistent and attractive identity is created, there is usually a creative passionate about what he does. Also, it is a fact that the curriculum vitae as such is disappearing. At present, when a company assesses your possible hiring, the first thing it does when it receives your data is to track all the information it can extract about you through the network. Considering this, it makes much more sense the importance of personal branding (personal brand) and the powerful influence it can be for any professional.
Your personal brand is what you are, it is what you can contribute and a guarantee of quality. For this reason, if you have not yet developed your seal I'm going to propose some very basic first steps to start building your brand plan and your action strategy:
- If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up somewhere else: We can stand on the starting line and put everything of ourselves for the expected takeoff, but all this stops making sense if we have not established a more or less clear destination. Every strategy is built by focusing on an end. If there is no end, there is no strategy and it all becomes a waste of energy, time and a waste of meaning. So ask yourself where you want to go. What do you want to achieve behind all this: From a specific job to your first job or even independence as a professional doing what you like.
- One has to be something to be able to do something: Do you know what you are? Have you defined yourself? What sector are you in and what do you do best? As if it were a product, when we design ourselves we have to specify and position ourselves. Of course, keep in mind that this does not necessarily mean that you should build a rigid and limiting profile. If you are a multifaceted person and can offer good services in different areas, this can become a differentiating component. There may be many graphic designers, but there are not so many graphic designers who are also audiovisual producers, for example.
- Your reflection speaks of you: The image we project of ourselves is as important as the internal values behind its construction. There is a saying that says there is no one book that two people read. This represents very well what we are seeing. You are going to define a pattern, a figure, a work of yourself, but what others perceive of your construction will vary depending on many factors. No one will ever perceive you in the same way, but your goal will be to get as close to this as possible. It is about looking outside and observing ourselves, even asking for advice. Study the image you are creating from different perspectives and see if your communication exercise has really been effective. If you have managed to convey the message and create a unique space.
As you can see, these are three very general, open master lines that are actually focused on a more psychological prism. What we think and devise is going to be the workhorse to be able to deploy all our tools. Organize your thoughts and your goals. Once you have this done, you will have 70% of the work done. The rest will only be work doing what you like and feeling that everything makes sense. Let's get creative!