July 25, 2012 in Purpose Compass by Schuyler Kaye

Superhero Branding for Ordinary People INFOGRAPHIC

Your personal brand is your reputation. That means what people think of you determines your brand.  Straightforward right?

Not exactly.

I warn you… I’m about to break out my inner nerd.

Ok, so your personal brand is determined by what people think. That means you better consider those people’s opinions when building your personal brand. You can agree that two different people, with two very different life experiences, might look at you and have two differing viewpoints.  With over 6 billion people on the planet, your brand could be suffering from an EXTREME case of multiple personalities.

This makes me think of that story about the Blind Wise Men and the Elephant. To summarize the story, you have a number of blind wise men, and each one touches a different part of an elephant. They describe the elephant by what they feel. The man on the trunk is probably “seeing” things differently than the man on the tail. Can you imagine if the elephant defined his personal brand by what each wise man said? He would be one CONFUSED elephant.

It is my belief that your personal brand should be used as a tool to HELP guide you to your dreams. You can tweet me on that. How can something that is so dependent on what others think possibly guide you to ANYTHING?

The Answer: You need a Superhero Brand!

What’s the difference between a Superhero Brand and an Ordinary Brand?

• It has a strong cohesive story across the Internet. Now instead of the blind wise men touching different parts of the elephant, you’ve got them all wrapped around one leg.
• You have friends instead of followers. Picture a seeing man guiding the opinions of these blind wise men.
• You’re monitoring the water cooler with automatic alerts. Call the elephant Mr. Ed because he can now talk. So when the wise men are off track, you’re there to guide them back.

That’s good stuff… They’ll have a better understanding of who you are and what your purpose is.

But that’s not the best part. The #1 reason why a Superhero brand is better than an Ordinary Brand is… Wait for it…

(I’ve been watching too much How I Met Your Mother)

By defining your story and purpose, your personal brand becomes a guide for everything you do to achieve that purpose. You are not sailing the sea catching every fickle wind stream no matter what direction it blows.

You have a compass.

You have a purpose.

You have a guide to achieving your dream.

Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room. Will every person who looks at your brand like you? Probably not. What superhero’s loved by everyone? At the end of the day, it’s about looking in the mirror, and knowing you’re on the right track to fulfilling your purpose.

Now to show you just how far my inner nerd is willing to go… It’s time to look down…

Enjoy making YOUR Superhero Brand.

Helpful Resources by Superhero Branding Step:

Know Your Story & Have a Purpose

• Personal Brands: A Shakespearean View – will help guide you to discovering your purpose and telling your story.

Create a Home Base

• 7 Tips to Maximize Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn – will help you create an effective home base on LinkedIn that is easy to find.

Showcase Your Superpowers

• The TO-DO List after writing that Brilliant Post – will help you maximize the reach of the content you create.

Make Friends – Join a Cause

• Twitter and Grocery Stores, Always Have a Plan – will show you how to create a Twitter plan that focuses your efforts on meeting the right people.

Stay Ahead of the Villains

• Using Google Alerts to Gather Information – self explanatory.
• Using Yahoo Pipes to Gather Information – also self explanatory.