I was just reading this article on one of the entrepreneurship blogs that I follow. Usman Sheikh talks about the importance of a business owning their own word. Hmmm…instead of paraphrasing, how about I use that handy quote tool:
In the book “22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” by Al Ries & Jack Trout, they mention that “owning a word in the prospect’s mind” is “the most powerful concept in marketing”. When you think of words in the online space, words such as “bookstore” or “search”, the direct connection to “Amazon” and “Google” by many participants is overwhelming. The word “online” helps to focus our attention to a certain category, the single word then helps to forge a connection with a brand which is strong in that space. Similarly with cars, the words, “safety” & “driving” are often unconsciously associated with “Volvo” and “BMW”.
Now, while his post was about start up businesses, I think it’s just as important for individuals to have their own word that they carry with them wherever they go. You should be able to stand for something and keep your personal brand strong.
I’ve been working on the whole idea of personal brand building for the past 5 months or so and it’s not easy. While I have a very good idea of who I am, I don’t quite think I’ve reached the point where my personal brand screams. After reading this article, I’m now pushing myself to come up with one word for who shannon s evans is. And as any good writer will tell you, it’s much harder to write effectively with less words.
So what about you? What’s your word?
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Rhona
2 years ago
Good question Sharon. I gotta say that I have never thought of self branding and at this point in my life, I don’t think I can do it effectively and with accuracy. I thought that by now I would know exactly who I was and know exactly what my next steps would be but surprisingly, things change and keep changing. It is something I think I will keep in the back of my mind but right now, I can only say that I am a “progressor”.
Rhona´s last blog ..Supreme dissatisfaction
shannon
2 years ago
That’s a great word Rhona! I like it lots. Yeah, I keep changing also, but I have to say that even though I change a lot, at my very core, I’m still the same person that I was 10 years ago. That’s the ironic part, the closer that I get to “finding myself,” the more I realize that I really did have it all figured out before. I just let society and fears get in the way.