First of all do you have a brand? Ask yourself that question. What do you represent? What are you viewed as? Brand is important and how you see it, especially if you are going to conferences and would like to be recognized for your hard work. Your brand determines how you work sometimes, how you are viewed, sometimes even attitude. branding definitely has a power in itself and it can be good or bad.
As you grow your brand, you want to make adjustments on certain things you want to be viewed. You can not say your brand is WHATEVER, it is your followers and readers that brand you. You can give yourself a static brand but within that static brand you can be given many others by your peers.
Branding is all about sticking out and being different and how people view you. How do you see yourself, more importantly how do others see you. Do others see you as an expert in a field? Do others brand you base on looks or performance. There is a lot of ways to get your brand out.
Personally, I have been branded several times over. My more popular brand is me pointing with my fingers in every shot I do. Another one is Ghetto Affiliate - seems I put a street sense to marketing online. But these are visual what are you known for marketing wise? Users see me as an affiliate, marketer, mr. networker, networking dinners, etc. There is just so much a person can be branded for. What do you do special that is outside the ordinary from others.
Well, the best part of your brand is using your credibility among others. How can you influence others? Can you get products for free with out paying? Can you gain easy access to someones lists without really trying?
Back in the day, when I was such a loser it was hard for me to get a response from certain people in the industry. Now everyone I talk to are best of friends. I use to send emails out on certain beginner products and get no response, I use to ask questions without any replies. It was hard, now I can send an email to people and get responses and even get review copies without asking how I will be promoting and when I will be writing the topic.
Use your brand to your advantage, even if your a small fry use it to your ability to influences others like you. Start small and then jump high. There are many ways to improve on your brand, visit people, go to networking events, be different. I have done so many things differently than others in the past. I have a local NJ IANteract Meetup, I host dinners at conferences and events, I pose in my pictures, I do a lot of things differently than others.
But leveraging your brand is very easy, use it with force and use it to your advantage. You are a nobody until you make it a fact that you are somebody. For example if there is a party and I can not get in, I will be like dude I am motherfriggin Ian Fernando! I make a statement and I get in. It should go for you and your brand. I use it to meet new people, gain access to certain places, receive products with a big discount, etc.
Be strong and represent!
