The thought of branding can be very daunting to someone who has limited or no budget to spare.
While some marketing techniques require a lot of money, there are many other ways to get your name out there and get noticed as a professional.
So here we are with some ideas to help you take a step forward to achieving your professional dream!
Create a Linkedin Profile:
If you want to be a professional, you gotta act like one!
Linkedin is the best way to showcase your experience, your ideas and your accomplishments. What more, it’s a great way to engage with other professionals in related fields. Utilise their discussion boards to bounce of ideas and get real time feedback.
Create a Portfolio
Whether you’re selling a clothing line or home brewed beer, having a place to showcase your products or services is the best way to get noticed. While you can have a portfolio in Linkedin as well, it is not as extensive. So analyse your needs and choose what works for your business and it’s growth.
You don’t have to be a designer these days to create a portfolio. There are many sites like Wix or carbonnade that allow you to set up a website for free or a nominal price. This is a great way to kick start and get your products or services out there and create brand awareness.
Write a BLOG
If your first thought is “I can’t write” or “what can I possibly share that people would like to read” – ERASE and rethink! — Every brand has a story to tell!
Blogging is a great platform to voice your creativity and showcase your knowledge and experience. You could share your process, ups and downs of your journey in creating your brand and what your long term goals are. It’s a way to educate those who share your dreams and ambitions.
Network Locally
In this era of digital marketing and endless leaflets, nothing beats meeting LIVE HUMANS! Communicating your ideas or your brand, one on one is far more likely to be remembered than a cold call or a broadcasted mail, that land up in the junk anyway.
It doesn’t have to be an intimidating affair. If a network event is not for you, start by talking about your brand locally to your friends and family and create awareness.. After all word of mouth is the best form of marketing.
Social Media
Everyone uses social media and it’s a great way to get your brand out there. But choosing the right social media for your business is also essential to maximise your efforts. Pick what fits your business and share your journey with your followers to engage your target audience and build the brand.
Be consistent:
In order to have a recall value its important that you are consistent across all medias and communications. From emails to invoices and social media profiles. It doesn’t have to be a fancy logo when you start of – it can be a font, the colours or a tagline that you use to define your ethos or an icon that you hand sketched. Be consistent with your elements to form the brand with the resources you have.
What are the other ways you use to market yourself and your brand? Please comment and share your thoughts and ideas with us – We would love to hear from you.
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