The psychology of personal branding

Written by Megan MacNeill

How to use Psychology to build your Personal Brand
August 26, 2020

As my first-ever guest on the Personal Branding Exposed Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking to the personal coach and psychologist Doctor Marny Lishman. We explored many of the psychological aspects of building your personal brand, attract clients, and put yourself in a position of leadership. Some people have a harder time than others when it comes to this facet of building a personal brand, and you might be one of them, so here are a few tips about the psychology of personal branding. 

Your brand is you 

Firstly I would like you to take the notion that you and your personal brand are separate entities and throw it through the nearest window. Don’t worry, it won’t hit anybody’s head. Personal branding is all about letting people know who you are, if you try to build something outside your real self, they will notice and your personal brand will form nonetheless, just not the way you intended. 

In other words, people can sense when you are being authentic, and they will often reward you for it, so don’t try to be “Mr Coolguy McAwesome from Downtown Radsville”, no one is going to buy it (or from it). One of the most important things about attracting clients is that you should never make them feel like they are being fooled, because if they do, they’re never going to trust you. 

Be ready to divide opinions 

Please close your eyes and imagine the nicest public personality you know from the movies, the internet, or anywhere of the sort. Actually, do it with your eyes open, otherwise, you can’t really read this. Did you do it? Good. Now I’m going to tell you a secret: There are thousands of people who hate that person’s guts. That is an inevitable side effect of being a notable person in any field,  people are going to have an impression of you, which can go either way on the affection scale. This is an important thing to accept early on, as otherwise, you might only focus on negative feedback, which can only hurt you in the long run. Positioning yourself as a leader on your niche or industry involves a good deal of confidence, and if you let overly negative feedback get to you, this position can be compromised. 

Develop a thick skin 

Okay, so now that you have accepted that you can’t really please everyone, it’s time to put on your mental armor. Why? Because here is another little secret: People love speaking their mind, especially when they have nothing nice to say. In other words, some people will always be willing to put others down online for whatever reason they can come up with and you can’t let it get to you. That being said, you also shouldn’t dismiss every criticism as mean spirited, as there are many people that legitimately trying to help. Telling one from the other is a skill that only experience can provide. 

Count on your audience 

Just like there are going to be many who will go out of their way to try to negatively affect you based on your personal brand, there are those who will stick by you specifically because of the things that others use against you. These people can be your YouTube audience, your online community, or anyone who is there to support what you are doing. 

Not only are they going to encourage you on the building of your personal brand, but they will also help you define your niche, they are your allies, your legion, okay, maybe not your legion, but they are the force that will help you define your personal brand and show you what you’re doing right. 

It’s really easy to lose yourself after you’ve decided to put your face out there into the world, many people can’t handle the pressure or even create a twisted image of themselves that is completely different from whom they really are. 

The secret to avoiding such mistakes lies in never losing sight of whom you really are, keeping a realistic, but not too harsh view of yourself that will guide your judgment and not let you go astray. That,  and knowing when to ask for help. Speaking of which, if you’re serious about building a strong personal brand and becoming the go-to person of your industry, feel free to contact me on any of my social media. 

Want to know more about Marny – https://www.marnylishman.com.au/

Keep in touch and send me your questions.

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