Personal Brand: Asset or Buzzword?

We hear a lot about personal brand and how important it is, but is it something that we need to be concerned about, or just another techie buzzword meant to sell us a lot of crap we don’t need.

Actually – it’s both.

But regardless of the negative, the plus is absolutely important.

Brand, personal brand, is who you are.
And what you do is who you are.

Personal Brand is the most important asset you can have in this business.  Any business.

It is essentially YOU presented to the world in every post, every email, every discourse, chat, forum comment and face to face you will ever have.

It is NOT your logo.
It is NOT your camera.
It is NOT your website.
It is NOT how much you spend on marketing.
It is NOT how much you make. Or how little.

Your personal brand is YOU.

What kind of person do you want people to think you are?
What kind of person, not what kind of photographer.

The answer to that is probably going to be a roadmap to your personal brand.

That perception IS your personal brand. 

It is so important to understand… your brand is what others think of when they think of you, your work, your business, and your trustworthiness.

I know what you’re thinking… “Don, you always tell us not to worry about what other people think about our work, we should stay focused and do what we believe.”

Yes. Yes, I do.

But this is a lot different. In fact, staying true to your vision is PART of your personal brand. Your body of work is your personal brand. Your persistence is part of who YOU are. 

And sometimes the people who do NOT like you help define your personal brand. As important as those who do, BTW.

A few things to think about regarding your personal brand.

Do you make yourself an asset to your clients, your friends, and your family?
How do they perceive you when you are working or not working? Do they see you as someone who is interested in them, or do they see someone who is more interested in themselves to lend a hand or pay attention? Lots of ‘interweb gurus’ should examine this trait of their brand.

An asset is someone who is willing to help and go the extra mile. They are the ones who keep their promises, work hard to build trust, and deliver what they say they will deliver. And usually, they deliver more than they promised to deliver. An asset is hard to find, and that rarity adds to your personal brand. An asset is a person that becomes a go-to person to solve problems. Because they deliver. And they are interested and focused on the person/company they are working with.

Be an asset in your personal brand.

How to check if you are an asset to your clients.
– Do you make promises that you don’t keep? Regularly?
– Do you promise photographs to people who help you and then never deliver them?
– Do the clients you work with know you have their back in each and every situation?
– Do the proofs get delivered on time, in order, and ready to go?
– Do you find yourself trying to explain why something didn’t happen when you said it would more than once a month?

Key to above: Yes answers are bad.

Are you truly ready to do what you are doing?
Being a professional photographer is really easy. There are no tests, no special licenses, no unions, and no entry point gatekeepers. You gotta camera, you gotta job.

But there are many people who enter the business simply because it is so easy from a standpoint of few entry barriers. That can be a good thing and, well, a bad thing. And really, so much of it is your personal brand that helps set the tenor of your business.

A professional can do what he/she does every time. Repeatable. Reliable. Perfect. Every single time. A photographer ready to go professional should know the rates in their town, or how to find them. They shouldn’t be wondering if anyone has any ideas on what shots they should do when a client wants to hire them to do some PR shots. Gear should be ready to go, and clean, and powered up. Getting the ideas to flow should be a natural thing developed through shooting as often as possible.

Not delivering a job correctly, as the client specified they wanted it says a lot about YOU as a person – your personal brand.

And it is not particularly good.

Being very knowledgeable about what you do is extremely important. Are you ready?

– Do you know what an RFP is, and how to respond to one in a way that makes sense?
– Can you make the shots you want to make, whenever you want? Or at least find out how to make them?
– Are you familiar with the usage rights / normal billing for the work you want to do?
– Do you have backup gear? Backups for your backups?
– Do you deliver the work you said you would, on time, and on budget?

Are you a compelling person to be around?
Do you inspire others to do better in their lives and work, or do you denigrate and gossip about others? Do people want to hear your opinion so they can be uplifted or do they simply love the dirt you dig?

Be a great mind.

I guess both are brands that work, cause there are a lot of muckrakers who ‘enjoy’ a brand as such. We know that controversy is a ‘brand tool’ that many use to raise their visibility. But it seems that the benefit is short, and the damage can be long. Very long.

I am not telling you what the best way to brand yourself is here, only that there are different ways to do it. I have seen some extremely arrogant and boorish photographers achieve great success… it was indeed part of their brand. And I have also seen those same personalities crash and burn due to not understanding the power and niche of such a brand. (Buddy Rich was a very difficult, and some would say terrible person to be around. But then, he did play the drums pretty good (heh) and was known for behind the scenes charity and great philanthropy.) Being a ‘brand’ in your attitudes and dealings with others is not a guarantee to success, but it is definitely a way for people to know who you are when making decisions on whether they want to work with you.

Are you who you say you are? Is there some consistency in your personal brand?
Consistent in tone and message is as important in all you do as is sharpness and color is in your photography. Have opinions and share them. 

Not with belligerence or anger, but with a full explanation of why, and how you came to that opinion.

When you take a look at your Personal Brand, be sure to consider that as a self-employed person, your every statement can carry some ramifications. And those can hurt some and help others, and being aware of that difference is very important. When you post something that may be offensive to some, be aware that they remember. If you want to be a consensus builder, build consensus. If you want to be helpful and an asset, be helpful and be an asset. All the time. Not just online, or on your blog, or an occasional tweet.

Changing your portfolio is way easier than changing your personal brand.

My suggestion is to take a bit of a personal branding audit.
– Ask 10 people who know you well to describe you in a paragraph.
– Ask them to describe your work and your business.
– Ask them what they would change about how you do what you do

Take a moment to evaluate what the last month has been like:
– Did you return every phone call as soon as you could?
– Did you get the proofs out when you said you would?
– Were you helpful to someone with a real question/problem?
– Did you have an altercation with someone over something that has happened before?
– Is there anything you can do to make this situation not happen again?
– Did you make and keep any promises? To others and yourself?
– Have you spent time perfecting your craft?

The negative side of all this is that there is an entire cadre of salespeople waiting to ‘sell’ you a personal brand “kit” or “package”. Resist this if possible. Developing your own style is something you should do on your own. Yes, bring in an expert if necessary, but be wary of those selling you something you do not need. 

Personal Brand is just that…personal.

BTW, your personal presentation is also your personal brand.

A wardrobe is important, as is personal grooming.

For more on this aspect see these articles:
Daymond Johns has some tips.
As does Sandy Grigsby.
Your Wardrobe Affects How People Perceive Your Personal Brand
The First Step to a Great Personal Brand? A Distinct Look.

You get the idea here. Dressing like a slob is out. Dressing like an artist is in.

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