The Business of Attention: Make Brand YOU command ‘IT’- Part 1

Be attentive to your Brand’s Attention  Quotient;

The more you command ‘IT’, better be your Brand Quotient.

The irony of life today is that we live in a perpetual attention seeking economy-in the age of mass attention deficit disorder. With Brands, Companies, People, Places all vying for your attention, the most prized real estate of this digital economy is your attention, your mental real estate. And the most coveted  business strategies today are the ones which help you command ‘IT’- command that priceless Attention!

And yet the beauty of this business of attention is that one can command it for all the right reasons with a little strategic planning and personal branding! The power of personal branding lies in the ability of Brand YOU to stand for ‘something, be known for ‘something’ and be wanted for ‘something’. This ‘something’ is the exclusive expertise quotient of the Brand YOU: it is the promise of value which you offer as an executive or an entrepreneur to your communities.

When you have a few seconds to stand out and command the coveted attention of your clients, customers, prospective employers, potential partners etc… it becomes imperative for you to take active control of your brand, your story and present it to the world-such that it offers an irresistible experience of the Brand YOU! This 4 part series of articles will focus on the 4 main components of commanding IT (attention) at the first point of contact:

A. Brand Identity

Your Identity stems from how well you know YOU, and how well you ensure the world knows of you! A powerful brand identity evolves from the 4Ws of the Brand YOU:

Who are YOU; What do YOU do;

Whom do YOU do it for; Why YOU are the go-to guy

Define your 4 Ws by highlighting the following aspects of each W;

1. Who are YOU: This is your professional brand identity influenced by your personal brand attributes. Use your Values and Passions to add more depth to your professional brand by making it truly YOUnique. Focus on what you believe in and why you love what you do to add an emotional layer to your brand.

Remember: The first rule of commanding attention is to build an emotional connect.

2. What do YOU do: This is your scope of work and area of expertise; Talk about the implied benefit of your expertise and not just the rational value you offer; when you tell them how your value addition impacts them and adds exclusive value to them; then you have all their selfish attention.

Remember: The second rule of commanding attention is to answer for your audience, ‘What’s in it for me?’

3. Whom do YOU do it for: The target audience that you add direct value to; the companies/verticals/industries/challenges/visions that you can impact with your experience and expertise; the ideal pool of clientele that you love to work with as you add inimitable value to them. Perhaps the most important element to boost the attention quotient for the Brand YOU; it is critical to define your ideal target audience so your message is reaching the right audience, and you DO NOT waste time being everything to everyone.

Remember: The third rule of commanding attention is to focus your attention on a niche audience to be the cynosure of that audience’s attention.

4. Why YOU are the go-to guy: The make it or break it element of your Brand’s Attention Quotient-why YOU matter: You need to craft a compelling brand promise, which is influenced by your bragging rights, your proven accomplishments, your work legacy and your thought leadership. This is what seals the deal and catapults you from the attention zone to the consideration zone; and eventually to the conviction zone.

Remember: The fourth rule of commanding attention is to take ownership of what you are shamelessly good at, and present it to the world, so they too know the ‘best of you!’

Use these 4Ws to build and own your personal brand identity, and share it with the world across relevant Social Media Platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, G+, You Tube etc.

The next post in this series ‘The Business of Attention: Make Brand YOU Command IT’ will highlight how to create an Invincible Brand Positioning for the Brand YOU!