During our series on Personal Branding, we have looked at how to build your brand, identify your goals and develop your professional image. The next stage is to start communicating all of this to the people who matter.
 

Audience Targeting

Let us start with your target audience. One of the biggest mistakes that individuals and businesses make is trying to appeal to everybody. In the social media age, we come across examples of this on a regular basis. You have almost certainly encountered adverts on social media sites such as Facebook that have been completely irrelevant to you. Given that Facebook is well known for its ability to target, you might wonder why? Occasionally, it is Facebook’s fault, and the information they have about you is wrong. Often, however, it is the responsibility of the advertiser.

You might have a product that you believe will appeal to a particular demographic. Therefore, you would create your advertising campaign and target 18-35-year-olds. However, what if your product was more suited to women than men? Perhaps the product is a tech product, and now you are wasting advertising views on technophobes? If we do not put the thought into marketing, we do not target the right audience.
 

Focus on What You Want

Audience targeting begins at a young age. We learn which of our parents or relatives is most likely to give us the treat we want. At school, we learn which teachers are more tolerant of certain behaviours. We learn which of our friends will be more inclined to spend their Saturday with us playing video games, and which one would be more likely to go to the pool.

It always boils down to the same thing; we want something, and we want to focus our attentions on the ones who might give it to us. If a high salary is what we want, then we will consider our job applications in line with these aspirations. When job security is the key, we are more likely to apply for jobs with established companies over start-ups, even if the latter offers better pay.

There is absolutely no point in developing our personal brand unless we are going to target the right people. How do we do this?
 

Empathy

We should start by building relationships. I have previously written about networking, and today we are going to expand on that.

If you are looking for a new job or opportunity, consider empathy. Whether you are applying for a job at a company, or you are looking for clients freelance, you must have empathy. A job opportunity becomes available when there is a problem that needs to be solved. Nobody takes somebody on just to fill a position; they want a solution.

When you apply for work, you must show an understanding of the problem. If it is a sales job, they want to increase sales. If it is a marketing position, they may want to create more brand awareness. Take time to research potential opportunities to understand where the employer is now and then consider what you can offer to solve their problem.
 

Do Your Research

If you are wondering how to do this, remember that we live in a connected age. Interactions on social media can quickly identify problems a business is facing. Similarly, comments sections on blog posts, or where applicable, newspaper articles. If possible, try and talk with people who have worked in the same field and get a sense of any industry-wide problems. Take a look at financial reports if available. Build up a profile of the opportunity, and then think about how you can add value.

Once you have this information, you can begin to prepare your case for why you can add value. Gather your testimonials/references and any relevant case studies. Highlight what skills you have that could solve their problem. As the Scouts might say, be prepared!
 

The More You Do, the More You Get

Just like you are looking for something from them, they want something from you. Empathy is crucial to building that relationship between you and others. It shows that you are aware of the problem and that you will help to solve it. In both our personal lives and our business lives, the more you are willing to do for someone else, the more they will be willing to do for you.

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