Team Alpha 375

6 ways your personal brand can go horribly wrong

by Sally Hogshead on August 17, 2011

(Here I go again, biting the hand that feeds me.)
Yesterday I confessed that although I frequently speak on the topic of personal branding, I’ve always had a secret issue with it:

At best, personal branding is a helpful set of principles for those who need a self-promotional jumpstart, such as a recent college grad, or a salesperson starting a new role.
At worst, personal branding can lead to a manipulated persona.

Many personal branding strategies are one-size-fits-all... which is ironic, since the whole point of a personal brand is to stand out.

Personal branding is a good start. But it’s not enough.
Many personal branding strategies are one-size-fits-all… which is ironic, since the whole point of a personal brand is to stand out.
Reputations should be founded on more than image.
Relationships should be built on more than making the right impression.
Many of you tweeted and commented with awesomely smart points. Personal branding principles can guide us in many scenarios (for instance, when creating a visual identity for your business card and website). Yet overall the consensus was “personal branding” as a practice can get a bit dodgy.
In some cases, the pursuit of personal branding not only doesn’t help– it can actually be damaging.
Do any of the following 6 pitfalls fit your personal brand?
6. Your personal brand is artificially manufactured, rather than a living, breathing part of your personality.
5. Your personal brand isn’t based on who you are, but rather, what your audience wants you to be.
4. Your personal brand strategies are based on a set of one-size-fits-all techniques. (And as much as we all love simplicity, your personality is one-size-fits-none.)
3. Your personal brand is stagnant, not evolving with your career .
2. Your personal brand is designed to maximize your profit rather than serving your purpose.
Each of these 5 mistakes is a surefire way to build an inauthentic brand (not to mention inauthentic relationships). But here’s biggest potential mistake:
1. Getting so wrapped up in building a “personal brand” that you forget your own natural personality.
The lesson: Never, ever sacrifice your personality for your personal brand.
If you want to fascinate customers and clients, the answer is to become MORE of the extraordinary person you already are.
How can your own personality fascinate people? I’m working on a new approach, based on the concept of “personality brand.” Instead of focusing on one-size-fits-all ways to make an impression, this new tool will identify and articulate your natural personality strengths.