You’ve been at the same job or running the same business for quite a while now, and you’ve gotten known for the work you do. Yay!
While that strong personal brand has served you well and has made you a successful woman in business, it’s now feeling a bit restrictive. Why? Because you want to go into a different area.
When you want to move up or over after having done the same type of work for a while, you might find that your personal brand seems stuck in that place. You are concerned people will always see you the same way they always have or that you won’t be taken seriously if you move in this new direction.
So what do you do?
You become strategic. It’s entirely possible to successfully rebrand yourself for your new work interest and aspirations, if you take a thoughtful approach, instead of trying to wing it.
Here are three steps to do it well:
1. Show the Connection
Look at what in your background or experience will help you succeed in your new role or business. Then explain as simply as possible how what you did in the past is an advantage in your new endeavor.
Highlight this connection on your website. You can show this connection in your Home and About pages on your site, as a brief description in your social media profiles, and even on your business card if you think of a clever enough tagline or descriptor.
Those who know you from before may at first wonder what qualifies you to do this new work, so connecting the dots and showing why you are qualified to do this new thing can be immensely helpful.
2. Publish with Authority
When you want to rebrand yourself, whether it’s because you are seeking a new role in Corporate America, you are moving your existing business into a new area of focus, or you are starting a whole new business, then publishing quality content can go a long way toward changing perceptions about you. And thanks to technology, you have many options!
You can publish a blog, book, podcast, video, etc. Choose the format that best fits you and go for it! It’s not enough just to publish once and think you’re done, though. The key to helping your new area of expertise stick is in showing up consistently. So if you are going to blog, for instance, then be sure to blog regularly.
Publishing only on a hit-or-miss schedule as the whim strikes won’t cut it. Your aim is to publish so much great content that those who knew you by your old brand are impressed about your depth of knowledge in this new area!
3. Meet More People
When you rebrand yourself, it’s a lot easier to make an impression on new contacts and acquaintances than to change the impression of those who know you already. So make it your business to start getting to know people in your new area.
Of course, this outreach is something you need to do anyway; after all, you will want to make connections in your new industry or area. Making this part of your rebranding strategy helps to ensure you are networking to build those relationships.
You can even look for opportunities to team up with some of your new contacts to do some ventures or projects together, such as cross-promoting each other’s blog posts, being on each other’s podcasts, and participating in each other’s events. Your associations with the new people you meet in your new industry or area can help build your brand in this space.
You never have to feel stuck in a career or as if you can’t move beyond where you are now. You can rebrand yourself and move confidently into a new area that allows you to use your knowledge and expertise in a different way — when you take a strategic approach.
Monica Carter Tagore
Monica Carter Tagore is on a mission to empower heart-centered entrepreneurs and professionals to take courageous action to do the work they feel called to do. As the owner of ChaseYourStar.com, she helps entrepreneurs and professionals build brands around their expertise, ideas, and gifts. For more than 15 years, Monica has provided small businesses, ministries, and individuals strategic communication solutions including book and editorial consulting, brand-building assets such as websites, and marketing services. She has authored or ghostwritten more than 45 books and her company has helped clients produce even more. Monica combines her communication expertise with her love of self-growth to help clients show up big in the world through their brands, while becoming better versions of themselves. Her most recent book, Stronger: 31 Inspirational Messages to Get You Through That Tough Time, empowers the reader to take courageous action in the face of challenging circumstances. You can learn more about her on her website, http://monicacartertagore.com. Connect with her on Facebook @monicacartertagoreauthor, on Twitter @monicatagore, and on Instagram @monicacartertagore.
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