From the course: Rock Your LinkedIn Profile

Use your profile to build your brand - LinkedIn Tutorial

From the course: Rock Your LinkedIn Profile

Use your profile to build your brand

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- "A brand is what others say about you "when you aren't in the room." This quote by Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, sums up the importance of building a personal and professional brand. A personal brand is defined as the sum total of all experiences someone has with you and is often based on the value you bring and promises you make. Think about your brand and how it will show up in your profile. How can you communicate the experience you create for others? When creating your LinkedIn profile, it's important to differentiate yourself from others who are in the same industry and hold similar roles as you. This is where building your brand comes in. A great way to do this is through stories and examples of your work. Want to showcase your creativity? Maybe you add videos, photos, or quotes that speak to your creative outlook. Excited to highlight your collaboration skills? Perhaps you seek out a recommendation from a teammate that talks about the experience they had collaborating with you on a project. However you connect people into your brand, make sure you do it in a way that's authentic to you. A simple way to get started defining your brand is by coming up with your top three to five brand characteristics. Brand characteristics are the key traits, skills, and values that define you. These can be things like trustworthy, innovative, creative, collaborative, or inspirational, to name a few. Believe me, I know that defining your brand can be a bit overwhelming, and the biggest question is always where do I start? Remember, you don't have to create your brand alone. Others can always help you. A great place to start is by turning to your professional community and asking some key questions, such as, "What words would you use to describe the work I do?" You can also seek out teammates, mentors, or managers and ask, "After you have a conversation with me, "what are the top three words you would use "to describe the experience I created for you?" And finally, you can even ask friends, partners, or leaders, "What can you count on me for?" Remember to ask a diverse group of people to get a broad perspective. Answers to these questions will help you begin to uncover your brand and the experience you create for others. Then you can bring your brand into your profile and stand out in your industry. Once you create your key brand characteristics, keep your top three to five with you as you progress throughout this course. That way you can evolve your profile and your story to differentiate yourself on LinkedIn.

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