Does your business need a refresh? Use this simple personal brand assessment to figure out where to start.
Sometimes it’s hard to see ourselves the way others see us – and that applies to our brands, too.
You work so hard, day in and day out, hustling to build your brand and achieve your personal definition of success. It’s easy to get caught up in the work and lose sight of the big picture.
You can’t see the forest for the trees.
That’s when it may be a good time to do a quick but powerful brand assessment.
Take inventory of the various components of your brand, and decide where you excel – and where you may want to improve or expand your presence.
To help you get started, here’s an easy personal brand assessment. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest. Just focus on finding clarity and insight where you can, and starting there.
Components Of A Personal Brand
Your personal brand is as dynamic and complex as you are. It’s influenced by the way you do business, the energy you bring to networking, the commitment behind your word, and the word-of-mouth reputation you leave behind. It’s made up of the stories you tell about your failures and successes, and the way you present yourself in life and business.
On a more detailed level, it also includes all of the content you create, from your social media platforms to your business card. Creatively, your personal brand is shaped by color and font choice, consistency in your graphics, and the look and feel of your photography and video.
Most importantly, it’s driven by your mission and the way you show up in the world each and every day.
Now, we understand that covers a lot of ground. To help you break it down, we focused on the six main components of a personal brand. Use each category as an informal assessment of your brand, to see where your strengths lie – and where you may want to improve your presence.
Let’s dive in.
Your Personal Brand Assessment
1. Personality
First and foremost, your personal brand is an extension of your professional personality. When you think about yourself as a professional, what are you proud of? Don’t answer with numbers or accomplishments. Instead, try to focus on the unique qualities you offer that others can’t offer the same way you can.
How would you describe your presence with clients? How do you help them beyond the products/services you offer? What separates you from your competitors? Do you add a soft touch to a predominantly masculine industry? Do you bring positive energy to a difficult process? Can you naturally put people at ease? Consider your personal strengths when deciding how you want your brand to represent you. That’s the overall focus of your personal brand, and it’s the perfect place to start.
2. Appearance
Even before someone meets your personality, they meet your look. It’s a reality of doing business, and it’s also why a main piece of your personal brand is how you present yourself to the world. Do you wear a uniform, dress casually or wear a tie every day? Each look communicates something different about what you do and how you do it. Then there are the details of your look to consider. Do you wear your brand’s colors? Maybe you rock a bold, colorful tie in an otherwise stuffy office. Is your makeup dramatic and eye-catching, or do you prefer a more approachable and natural look? It’s all in the details.
You also have to consider the appearance of your brand – and even your business location. Take a look at your marketing materials, your brand colors and fonts, and the products/services you offer. Is the appearance of your brand consistent? Does it convey the message you want it to? Does it need an update? Is it telling the story you want it to tell?
3. Voice
After your look and vibe, people are going to notice what you say. What message do you leave with them? Do you use a formal, educated tone – or do you focus more on relating to people with some fun slang and catchphrases that ensure you’ll be remembered?
This translates to the voice you use in your marketing, as well. Does your writing convey a casual approach, like you’re talking to a friend? Or do you want your words to match the seriousness of your industry and subject matter? Whatever you choose, make sure it’s intentional and it speaks to the ideal audience you want to attract.
4. Content
Once your personality, look and voice are in place, it’s time to share them with the world! In the age of digital marketing, you need tons of content that showcases your personal brand in a consistent way. That content could include: headshots, lifestyle marketing portraits, candid photos, videos, articles, blogs, graphics, social media posts, newsletters, fun swag and whatever else you can think of!
Your content will not only set the foundation for your digital presence, but it will also communicate your personal brand when you’re not around to do the talking. So build your arsenal of content with intention and expert guidance. Quality over quantity wins here!
5. Client Experience
While so much of your brand is geared toward attracting new followers and clients, the core of your brand comes from the way you treat the clients you already have. Why? Your clients are the people who are out in the community talking about their experience with you. Their experience shapes your reputation.
By providing a consistently positive client experience, you can build client relationships that speak for themselves. Happy customers will turn into raving fans who will support your business, refer new clients, and sing your praises even when you’re not around. So ask yourself: How consistently excellent is your client experience? Where are there inconsistencies in the experiences you offer? What can be streamlined or automated to create more consistency? How can you improve or elevate your experience in a way that’s different from what your competition offers? What do people love about your brand most? How can you give them more of that? What negative reviews or feedback have you received, and is there anything to be learned from those situations?
Ultimately, when a client is happy with their experience, they naturally become an advocate for your brand – and that’s the goal.
6. Presence
All of these decisions help you craft an intentional presence – both in person and online. For example, your images represent the best version of the professional you. Your voice communicates your work style, and your content showcases your strengths. Your client experience speaks for you when you’re not around, and when you put it all together, you’ve created a brand presence that the right people will want to be around.
After completing your personal brand assessment, all that’s left is to interact, build relationships and start getting noticed in the digital world. The best part is – a well-crafted brand presence will attract your ideal customer, the one who gets you. So all you have to do is start putting yourself out there, and begin strengthening your connections with an intentional, carefully crafted brand!
Visual Marketing Education
At SchlickArt, we know your marketing visuals are only effective if you actually use them. That’s why we help you create powerful photography and video – and then we teach you how to share it. With each session, we’ll give you our best tips based on your specific marketing goals. We provide the education and resources you need to brand your content, integrate it into your marketing strategy, post it with intention, and maximize engagement along the way. Hopefully this personal brand assessment helps you get started with confidence!
If you want even more tips and resources, we have an educational blog, newsletter and video channel to help you dive deeper, as well as professional presentations, workshops, and coaching sessions if you’re ready to take action and level-up your marketing now.
About SchlickArt Photography and Video
SchlickArt, a boutique photo and video studio in Santa Clarita, started in March 2012 with the simple idea that empowerment creates a kind of beauty and authenticity that shines through every camera lens. Built on a philosophy — rather than a product, service or person — SchlickArt has rapidly evolved, meeting professional portraiture, business photo and business video needs as diverse as the community we capture. It’s the desire to take care of you, the client, that drives us at SchlickArt.