They say that we are living in the era of the personal brand, which really means that everyone is expected to be able to sell themselves in the 21C. There is no room in the inn for shy and retiring types any more. Kids at school are in the grip of a Facebook and Instagram fever, which is more virulent than any manifestation of Measles or Mumps than I can remember. Life is one long smile and a succession of catchy image titles for the Storyboard of your existence. Social media platforms are training our children for the brave new world that we currently live in.

Develop a Distinct Brand

Which is no bad thing when it comes to doing business in the modern world. Do you know your brand? This is the perennial question for the 21C, because without a clear idea of who you are and what you are selling, how can you stand out from the crowd. If there are more than a trillion websites on the net, the need to cut through the traffic is the number one issue for those hoping to make a buck via the digital age and marketplace. You might be selling widgets or training aids, whatever, it is a fundamental requirement that you develop a distinct brand if you are to breach the markets indifference to your very existence.

Branding is a Public Duty

Did you know that smart young things (and a few older soldiers) study branding at university? They consider things like brand loyalty, sustainable brands, theory of the brand, brand identity, brands as image, brands as personalities, brand relationships, and the evolution of the brand. Experts have written books about branding. Futurists have declared the 21C as the era of the brand. As you can see, getting clear about your brand is more than a necessity, it is now a public duty. The more amorphous your own conception of your brand is the more likely that you will chase success from afar in your life. That may sound harsh, but it is, also, the truth.

Brand Awareness Comes First

If you are reading this article because you are searching for information that might help you achieve better page rankings for your website or more likes for your social media pages, you need to focus on your brand awareness before any thing else. SEM and SEO work when clients are crystal clear on their branding. The process of brand discovery delivers all the data necessary to target keyword search volumes for your products, services and/or business. Inbound marketing via content creation flourishes when clients have developed brand awareness to direct the curation of this content in concert with values upheld by their brand. There are no short cuts to brand awareness and brand buy in. It is only through the process of brand discovery that brand development is possible.