Building a Personal Brand in Sales and Marketing

The sales and marketing job market is notoriously competitive and it is no longer enough to simply present a great cover letter or a killer CV if you want to stand out from the crowd.

Digital skills are highly sought after in sales and marketing these days and recruiters are increasingly looking for strong online profiles when vetting candidates for roles.

As a sales or marketing professional, it’s likely you’ll be familiar with the concept of branding and how vital it is to business success. Applying those same principles to yourself and creating and cultivating a personal brand both online and offline can, therefore, be the difference between getting hired or falling into the rejection pile.

So if you’re considering building your personal brand in sales and marketing, here are a few things to consider.

1. Become an expert in your field

When you look at corporate brands and how they distinguish themselves you will always find something that makes them stand out; a specialism, USP or specific set of expertise. Your personal brand is no different and you can differentiate yourself from other candidates by identifying your area of expertise and sharing this knowledge with others.

Fortunately, sales and marketing has many different specialisms but you should identify something niche which interests you and continue building your knowledge around it. By specializing you’re more likely to create a name for yourself quickly and build a strong authoritative base to branch out into other similar topics at a later date.

2. Dedicate time to establishing an authoritative blog

Studies show that 56% of recruiters are more likely to recommend someone if they have a slick personal website, so creating a well-written and informative blog will really help set you apart. Not only will it showcase your writing skills, it will also give you a chance to demonstrate and distribute your knowledge and expertise and ensure you have more control over how your name appears in Google search results.

However, having a well-crafted blog is one thing, making sure people read it is another. As a sales and marketing professional you will likely be familiar with techniques for distributing material and you need to do the same with your own blog. Using social media to promote new posts is essential and it’s also worth considering posting material on websites like LinkedIn Pulse or Medium to branch out.

Check out more personal branding tips in this video:

3. Never underestimate the importance of networking offline

LinkedIn has become a hugely important tool for the 21st Century job hunter and is a brilliant way to connect with important people in the sales and marketing world. However, whilst the importance of online networking cannot be underestimated, sales and marketing professionals should never neglect traditional face-to-face networking. The rapport you establish with someone face to face will often have much more of an impact than an email or LinkedIn messages as conversations will be more genuine and you can really show your personality.

Sales and marketing is usually flooded with industry conferences and events so consider attending as many as you can in order to meet potential employers who may well be looking to hire. You can also use these events to gather knowledge and advice from other like-minded professionals and gain a greater understanding of the hierarchies, relationships, and competition in your sector.

Don’t have the time to shape and manage your personal brand? Don’t worry, we can help you, just contact us.

Do you have any questions or tips on personal branding for sales and marketing? Let us know in the comment section below 🙂

This article was originally posted here.