Creating a Powerful Personal Brand (for Affiliate Marketing & Beyond)

It’s been nearly two years since that Affiliate Summit panel of ours, but the things we’ve talked about are still relevant today. Back in January 2011 Barbara Rozgonyi, Jim Kukral, Marty Fahncke and yours truly addressed the subject of leveraging personal brands “for affiliate success.” The session ended up covering much more than applying the power of personal brand to affiliate marketing efforts. Hence, the title of this post.

Before I get to my tips on how one may create a powerful personal brand, I’d like to start with a quote that Marty Fahncke cited at the start of the above-mentioned conference panel. It went as follows:

A personal brand is your promise to the marketplace and the world. Since everyone makes a promise to the world, one does not have a choice of having or not having a personal brand. Everyone has one. The question is whether someone’s personal brand is powerful enough to be meaningful to the person and the marketplace.

—Raj Setty [emphasis mine]

Raj is right on the money with that observation. Whether you want it or not, you do have a personal brand. It’s just a matter of how powerful and effective it is to make a difference.

As far as I have witnessed, there is a set of very specific ingredients that goes into creating a powerful personal brand, and here’s my 10-minute take on the subject:

So, I believe there are 5 things you want to keep in mind:

1. Be authentic and stick to your unique promise of value;
2. Remember 3 Rs and stay reachable, responsive, and real;
3. You don’t have to have charisma; but practice 3 Is: inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration;
4. Through everything you do — build bridges;
5. Be courageous and prepared for the challenges.

Got something to add to the above? The comments are all yours.