Think of your personal brand as a broad view of what you are known for and your brand personality as an attribute.
An example of this would be Michelle Obama, attorney and author who served as the first African-American lady of the United States of America. Obama’s personal brand is being a Servant Leader and her brand personality is recognized through authentic servant leadership characteristics — listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment, and building community. Your brand presence is just as important as your brand personality.
Are My Brand Personality and Brand Presence Interchangeable?
Your brand personality and brand presence compliment each other but they are not one in the same. Emotional Intelligence is a reflection of your brand personality. By increasing your self-awareness, you create a space for yourself and others to become inspired and empowered to take action on whatever it is that you believe needs to be achieved.
Brand presence is related to how your followers identify and connect with your personal brand. The COVID-19 pandemic “resulted in a disproportionate number of lost jobs for women, which is why their need to self-brand effectively is uniquely critical” (Cole, 2022). The ability to develop their brand presence was temporarily paused as women adapted to working from home or working moms who lost their job due to limited childcare options. Thus, online brand presence grew.
According to the Pew Research Center, 85% of Americans have an online presence. Professional Networking for Women has evolved from mainly in-person networking to more virtual networking. This phenomenon gives women an advantage to bounce back from the pandemic with their brand presence at the forefront.
How do I Develop my Brand Personality and Brand Presence?
When developing your brand personality and brand presence, you should start with a self-reflection activity in the form of completing an Emotional Intelligence Quiz and/or a Skills Self-Assessment. You will be asked questions you may not have thought of or avoided to escape insecurities. However, the results are for YOU. There is no better way to start your journey in self-development unless you are ready to acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses. Self-reflection plays a vital role in our own beliefs of what we can and cannot do, how we will do it, and what impact we will make.
There are necessary skills involved in developing your brand personality and brand presence.
Top 5 Skills for Developing Your Brand Personality
- Emotional Intelligence
- Adaptability
- Persuasion
- Charisma
- Empathy
Top 5 Skills for Developing Your Brand Presence
- Awareness
- Networking
- Storytelling
- Forecasting
- Verbal and Non-verbal Communication
Conclusion
Brand personality and brand presence are essential components of building your personal brand. By becoming a TAKe member, you will have a variety of options geared towards helping you develop your brand personality and brand presence through various workshops, events, as well as volunteering and speaking opportunities.
TAKe Brand Consulting also supports for-profit and nonprofit organizations looking to offer workshops, events, and keynote opportunities on building a personal brand with your employee resource group or organization, contact us today.
