Personal branding is the overall effect that you have on others. It’s what they remember about you or your organization after they have left your company or clicked away from your website. Many people have misconceptions concerning personal branding and are led by various personal branding myths that, in effect, are costing them a lot of money in the long run. The foundations for modern business success are based dominantly on effective branding efforts. Let’s look of some myths concerning branding:

Four personal branding myths:

1) Not everybody is able to become successful.
a. This is untrue. No matter who you are, what disadvantages you are experiencing, where you’re from, the color of your skin, or anything else – in this modern and wired world, you have every bit as much of a chance of succeeding as anybody else on the planet.
2) Personal branding has only to do with you.
a. This is completely false. In fact, personal branding has everything to do with everybody, especially those that encounter you. Your personal brand is totally reliant upon what you make other people think about you. It’s how you impact them. Without other people, your personal brand would not exist.
3) Some people just do not have personal brands.
a. Again untrue. Everybody on the planet has a personal brand. Think about anybody that you know right now. Certain things about that person will come to mind first. That is their brand. They have branded themselves in your mind in a particular manner. Everybody has a personal brand.
4) A person’s personal brand is simply how they manage their image.
a. Guess what – that’s false as well. While your image certainly does count, there are loads of other personal attributes to consider. Your personal brand is the overall representation of your thoughts, core competencies, experiences, beliefs, values and actions. It is what you say. It is the look in your eyes. It’s everything about you put together.

Assessing personal branding effectiveness:

➢ Make a list of your personal attributes and then ask yourself which of those you would like to improve.
➢ Think about how your friends describe you to others. Better yet, ask your friends how they describe you to others. Tell them to be honest.
➢ Think about the things that you like to do the most in your free time. What excites you? What do you truly enjoy?
➢ Think about the subjects that you have always enjoyed studying. Which type of topics to you find easy to delve into?
➢ What is your personal definition of success during this life? What is it that you feel that you’re actually here to accomplish?

Remember that everything you do is contributing to the development of your personal brand. By avoiding personal branding myths and taking the time to regularly access your branding effectiveness, you will increase your overall happiness in life – and your ability to generate appreciable revenue streams. Personal branding affects everybody. It is the comprehensive summation of how you cause other people to feel about you.