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You're at a party and see a beautiful woman. You walk up to her and say, "I'm great in bed". That's direct marketing.
You're at a party and see a beautiful woman. You ask your friend to walk up to her and say, "See that guy over there? He's great in bed". That's advertising.
You go to a party, have a few drinks, and then you walk home. You climb to the top of a rooftop and shout at the top of your lungs, "I'm great in bed!" That's spam.
When many people think of "personal marketing", what they picture is something to the effect of that last situation: somebody shouting from the rooftops about just how fabulous he or she is. But, contrary to popular belief, personal marketing is not about spamming people with inflated descriptions of your abilities. It's about getting noticed for the value you add.
Here's how to do that:
In short, don't tell people you're brilliant, show them how you can solve their problems.
Instead of saying, "I'm just the most wonderful financial planner in the world," you're saying something more like, "I can help you with your financial retirement planning; it's my area of financial expertise and my passion". If you are clear and consistent about this, it can go a long way in ensuring you develop a reputation for what you want to be known for.
By giving people expert advice that helps them to solve a problem, you position yourself as an expert and raise your credibility.
To come back to that joke, the goal of personal marketing is simply to build a reputation, credibility and visibility in your field - to be recognised for your personal brand.
You're at a party and see a beautiful woman. She walks up to you and says, "I know you. You're the one who's great in bed". That's Brand Recognition.