How to Brand Yourself

October 5, 2009

As a marketing consulting company we are often asked to help companies find and define their brand statement. Recently it seemed that a number of friends and business associates were looking for help in re-positioning themselves or providing a bio that fit their current experience level.

As I read the typical/standard bio which contains information like:

Ø Business successes

Ø Personal interests

Ø Tenure in your job market.

I was asked by these people how they might re-define themselves in their bio's. I started to look at a series of bios on line on websites for information. I also pulled out a copy of the book Be Your Own brand by David McNally and Karl Speak.

Here are some quick tips and tricks for helping you create or update your bio...

Rules about bios.....

Bios are written in complete English sentences in the third person, unlike a resume, which is written in an abbreviated first-person style (on a resume, "managed company" stands for "I managed the company"). Bios tend to be written more tightly than a resume. They often comprise only a single page and emphasize selected roles and achievements rather than offering an inventory of your entire career.

Well-written bios have a "voice." As pitch-pieces, they make a targeted, persuasive argument about what to think about you. This is a departure from conventional resumes, which should come across as dispassionate factual recitations that allow readers to draw their own (hopefully inescapable) conclusion.

A biography repeats your name throughout, making readers feel they know you on a first-name basis. By its very nature, this document can get away with using more stirring language than is appropriate for a resume. As Carleen McKay, a consultant with Right Management Consultants in Atlanta, notes, "A good biography is a factual document, a great bio is a factual and creative document and an exceptional bio is a factual, creative and memorable document."

That said, the tone of your bio shouldn't cross the line from being confident and positive to inflated puffery, unsupported self-praise or a wowie-zowie sales pitch. It should never compromise your image of professionalism merely to grab a reader's attention.

Need help to grow your online business? We show you how to use web marketing tools to attract, convert and connect with customers." The Marketing Chefs explain the web marketing tools and strategies that go into killer website design, email marketing, publicity, and search engine optimization. Whether your business is new, or you've had a long web presence, we help improve online profits by sharing our creative thinking and recipes for success. Nourishing a business is a lot like creating a delicious dinner: it starts with gathering the right ingredients and, like a chef, knowing creatively what to do with them.

Whether you attend our one-day workshops, purchase our workbook, CDs, or choose to participate in one of our "lunch 'n learn" teleseminars, you will come away with a smorgasbord of ideas, tips and suggestions that you can immediately start using in your business. http://www.themarketingchefs.com or http://www.themarketingchefslive.com




For more information contact:
Tricia Ryan
Phone: 416-259-6611
Email: tricia@themarketingchefs.com
Website: www.themarketingchefs.com

Click here to view our Sources Listing

Topics:

• Advertising
• Branding
• Business Coaching
• Business Consulting
• Business Growth Strategies
• Business Improvement
• Business Mentoring
• Business/Starting Your Own
• Coaching
• Communication
• Consultants/Consulting
• Consumer Research
• Customer Communications
• Customer Retention
• Entrepreneurs/Entrepreneurship
• Internet Consulting
• Internet Strategy
• Marketing
• Marketing Communications
• Marketing Consultants
• Marketing/Internet
• Marketing Practices
• Marketing/Small Business
• Marketing Strategy
• Marketing Training
• Marketing Trends
• New Media Marketing
• Online Communications
• Online Marketing
• Retail Marketing
• Sales & Marketing
• Small Business
• Small Business Consulting
• Small Business Development
• Strategic Communications Planning
• Strategic Planning Facilitation
• Strategic Visioning
• Training Seminars
• Web Marketing
• Women in Business