This post has been modified to reflect new information since its original publication.
To get hired or gain new clients for your business in this challenging economy, you need clearly define your value to your intended audience. A smart way to do this is with a personal brand statement—a short, one- or two-sentence slogan you use to market yourself.
Your personal brand statement is not the same thing as your job title, your personal mission statement, or even your career goals. None of these concepts are designed to sell your services to anyone.
Instead, your personal brand statement is more of a catchy jingle—one that will easily stick in people’s minds. To increase the odds of doing so, you need to ensure your statement does the following:
- Is concise
- Explains what you do best
- Is solution oriented
- Targets your specific audience
- Reflects your values
- Is easy to remember
- Is unique
Here are 10 people whose personal brand statements are doing one or more of these things well:
1. Larry Kim
Personal statement: “Be a unicorn in a sea of donkeys.”
What makes it great: It’s unique.
Larry Kim’s personal statement stands out from the crowd with the whacky mental image it creates. Because of its uniqueness, people are more likely to remember it, and thus remember Larry, when they need to hire an expert on Facebook chatbot marketing, entrepreneurship, or startups.
2. Felecia Hatcher
Personal statement: “Step Into Your Genius.”
What makes it great: It targets a specific audience.
The call to action, “Step Into Your Genius,” in Felecia Hatcher’s personal brand statement is designed to appeal to younger people—the “new generation of leaders” she says she hopes to inspire with her presentations on personal branding, funding, tech innovation inclusion, and entrepreneurship.
3. Lisa Banks Paranjpe
Personal statement: “Creating your unfair advantage with content.”
What makes it great: It explains what she does best.
Lisa Banks Paranjpe’s personal brand statement on LinkedIn leaves no doubt as to what she does: She creates content that makes her clients look more impressive. The words “unfair advantage” also stick in the reader’s mind because they are so unexpected and therefore subtly humorous.
4. Ray Dawson
Personal statement: “Dedicated to being in the corner of those who feel that no one cares about them in society. And doing so for free.”
What makes it great: It reflects his values.
The most striking part of Ray Dawson’s personal brand statement is how well it expresses his concern for people in need. Although it makes his statement less concise, the added “And doing so for free” phrase serves to make his statement more memorable while underscoring his commitment to helping others.
5. Katie Martell
Personal statement: “Unapologetic Marketing Truth-Teller.”
What makes it great: It reflects her values.
The one word that comes to mind after reading Katie Martell’s personal brand statement is fearless. As such, her statement does a good job revealing her character as well as her commitment to honesty. People looking for a marketing consultant they can trust to deliver the hard truths will remember Katie’s profile.
6. Maria Ross
Personal statement: “Make your brand irresistible!”
What makes it great: It’s easy to remember.
Because it’s only four words long, Maria (Piccininni) Ross’s personal brand statement is simple to remember. The exclamation mark at the end also makes it seem like she’s shouting this command to her audience, which paints a vivid mental picture that sticks in the reader’s mind.
7. Marie Forleo
Personal statement: “Hi, I’m Marie. An entrepreneur, writer, philanthropist and an unshakable optimist dedicated to helping you become the person you most want to be.
What makes it great: It’s solution oriented.
Marie Forleo’s personal brand statement clearly defines her main objective: mentoring others to help them achieve their goals. It also reflects the socially conscious, supportive, and caring persona that is Marie’s trademark. People looking for encouragement and advice on starting a business or making a significant change in their personal lives will be drawn to Marie’s personal brand statement.
8. Evan Kirstel
Personal statement: “Massively Grow Your Social Media Community.”
What makes it great: It’s solutions oriented.
Evan Kirstel’s personal brand statement is the definition of a solutions-oriented message in that it explains exactly what kind of results his clients can expect—massive ones. His statement also paints him as an authority with the experience and skills to achieve these kinds of results.
9. Lisa Sicard
Personal statement: “Inspiring You to Thrive Online through Social Media, Blogging and SEO.”
What makes it great: It explains what she does best.
Lisa Sicard’s personal brand statement explains what she does best by specifically listing her areas of expertise (social media, blogging, and search engine optimization). As such, people looking to boost their online presence via these methods will be more likely to contact her.
10. Mark Schaefer
Personal statement: “Marketing. Strategy. Humanity.”
What makes it great: It’s concise.
Mark Schaefer’s personal brand statement is the shortest one on this list at a mere three words long. This increases the odds of people remembering it. However, his statement is also deceptively complex.
Mark’s choice of words here is everything. “Marketing” describes what he does. “Strategy” describes what he focuses on, and “Humanity” describes his unique approach to what he does. As such, these three words sum up Mark Schaefer’s entire personal brand.
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Now that you’ve seen what a great a personal brand statement looks like, you might feel ready to create your own. If you have any questions about the process, feel free to give us a call. We are happy to provide complimentary advice.