Personal brands grow based on networking, opportunities and input

“Everyone has a personal brand. Sometimes your brand is known, and sometimes it is unknown. Your personal brand is a journey, and it takes a while,” McDermott said. “That’s where the formula comes in: Input equals output. The more you put into it every single day, the more you’re going to get out of it over the course of time.”

McDermott is a professor who specializes in marketing, branding, entrepreneurship and franchising with Purdue Global’s School of Business and Information Technology. He also serves as the faculty advisor to Purdue Global’s chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization and hosts the “Franchise Interviews” podcast.

Personal branding is important for a variety of reasons, McDermott said, beyond just helping one stand out in a crowded field. When he teaches classes on personal branding, he shares several tips with his students: 

• The best time to network is when you don’t need to network.
• Opportunities are going to come to you.
• The more you put in, the more you get out of it.

“One of the most popular reasons is web searches. Employers will go online, type in the name of the person they are researching and see what comes up,” he said.

Personal brands have evolved over time and now include everyone — from professional and amateur athletes, celebrities, and community leaders to one’s neighbors — thanks to the advancement of technology, the internet and social media platforms.

“The internet changed everything for us because it gave more opportunity, but even social media changed all of that as well,” McDermott said. “We can be the editor of our own magazine, blog or newsletter, or host of our own TV or web show or podcast, and have a forum.”

He suggests finding the platform that one is most comfortable with, be it blogging, video or audio. Another key consideration is how to distribute the content.

“I typically tell students that they should just choose one or two social media platforms. If you try to choose five of them, you’re going to be on those social media platforms all day,” McDermott said. 

Identifying a target audience and a message are key parts of the work.

With his podcast on franchises, McDermott began networking both in person and online with entrepreneurs, franchise organizations and companies. And that has changed his world over the past 17 years.

“Now people are seeking me out, asking for advice and feedback on a variety of topics,” he said. “Things happen to you that weren’t in your original plan. This is an example of input equaling output.”

People and companies sometimes have to rebrand due to controversy or other issues. McDermott gives an example of actors who branch out after being typecast into certain roles for part of their careers, showing that putting effort into personal branding has the power to change one’s image.

If a company must implement a rebranding strategy, it’s going to take time and effort — and sometimes that extends beyond a redesigned logo, updated facilities or new product. The same principles used for companies can be applied to individuals.

“I think a lot of times what happens is people expect it to work overnight, and people want everything to happen right away,” McDermott said. “I believe that anybody can rebrand themselves. For some people, it’s probably more difficult than others, depending on how well the brand is actually known.”

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://www.purdueglobal.edu.