We live in a world where, like it or not, your personal brand defines you. Even if you imagine yourself to be the shy and diffident type, you have to work on building your brand. You cannot rest content that if you are good at what you do, you don't need to spend any time showing the world that you are. To overturn a clichéd phrase, a book is judged by its cover. As a matter of fact, in today's hyper-connected world of social media, you cannot help but create a personal brand image, even if it is not the one that you care for.\Your personal brand is very important because it is your calling card in the digital world. It screams out about you to your peers, colleagues, family members, neighbors, potential clients, employers, and even your classmates from your time in school about what you have made of yourself in life. The right kind of brand image will offer you greater and better opportunities in life, allowing you to make the decisions that will propel you ahead in life.Defining a Personal BrandYour personal brand conveys who you are and what you stand for in terms of your values and how you profess those. It is quite similar to a business brand in that it helps you convey your abilities and offerings to your target audience, helping distinguish you from others who may be your competitors. It gives you your unique identity, allowing a clear communication of your value to your prospects.\A good personal brand is your tale told well.Why Develop a Personal Brand?Have you ever wondered why the great empires of the past, starting from the Egyptian and Roman empires of the ancient world to the European colonial empires of modern times, left behind grand monuments like pyramids, theatres, aqueducts, statues, cathedrals, forts, and so on? The idea was to convey the splendor of the empire in question, evoking admiration, pride, and loyalty in the citizens of the empire and awe and fear among the enemies. This was nothing other than building the brand of an empire, which often lasted for many centuries.\Similarly, a well-told story can help you boost your business or career. Your personal profile is often looked up by prospective employers and clients to determine if you are worth the trust they are thinking of reposing in you. A well-established personal brand shines a light on your strong suit, enabling you to grow your reputation as an expert in your line of work or endeavor. It lets your prospective clients or employers determine whether you are the right fit for their requirements or not.How do you build a personal brand?Identify Your USPJust like in the case of a business brand, you need to first and foremost zero in on what it is that makes you stand out from your peers, in terms of what your skillset offers to your prospects or clients. Your value proposition should be explicitly evident on account of your personal brand.Know Your Target AudienceYou need to know exactly who your target audience is in terms of who it is that could make the best use of your skills and expertise. You need to be clear about the demographic profile or the industrial background of your target audience. You also need to be confident in your ability to help address the challenges they face. This will put you in the right position to customize your brand message in a manner that is just right to hit home with your target audience.Let Your Expertise Shine Through AdvocacyYou need to diligently and consistently profess and advocate your brand via your digital as well as real-life engagements. Everything from your website and social media profiles to your email signatures and business cards should convey the essence of your brand. Care has to be taken to convey your USP to your target audience in the optimal manner.\The content that you put out in the online space should portray you as a thought leader in your domain. Content in the form of articles, social media posts, blogs, and Op-Eds can help you establish your brand presence, as can video content and participating in webinars, as well as offline seminars, exhibitions, and conferences. By letting your expertise shine through by providing your target audience a glimpse of it, you not only enhance your brand value but also help them believe that you can help address their concerns in the most effective manner.Build RelationshipsForging relationships helps grow your brand like nothing else, as you have others advocating for you. You should prioritize relationship building over everything else if you are serious about taking your personal brand to the next level. You should do whatever it takes to foster relationships with members of your target audience. \Engaging in online conversations by way of exchanging comments and attending offline events where you can personally interact with the right kind of people can help you build long-lasting relationships, which you can cash in on when the need arises. Entering into a collaboration with an influencer, for example, can help you extend your own sphere of influence considerably.\The best way of helping people take to you is by not holding back when it comes to sharing your expertise and knowledge with them. If you are supportive of them, they will be supportive of you.Be Yourself and Never Fake ItSincerity and genuineness outlive gimmickry and tall claims. If your personal brand does not truly speak of what you stand for, your credibility will never get established with your target audience, as they will very quickly realize that you don't offer them real value. The way you communicate should make it clear that you are the real deal. Let them know how you are passionate about what you do by showcasing your expertise and depth of knowledge. They should repose enough faith in you to trust you to help them with their concerns.\If the foundations of your relationships are based on genuineness and authenticity, you will go on to build long-term relationships that will help you achieve your professional and personal goals in the best possible manner.\Our personal brand determines how we fare in most aspects of life. It is worth everyone’s while to accord it the importance it deserves. You can dream the biggest and fondest dream and make it come true if you build a personal brand around that and sell it to the right people.\Build that personal brand of yours now!Feature photo by Engin Akyurt