Authored by Levi Wick, Client Development Specialist at Faegre Drinker and 2023 Communications Director of LMA Minnesota
In June 2023, the Minnesota Local Group hosted an educational program focused on personal branding. Stefanie Marrone, Fractional Marketing Director and Social Media, Marketing, and Business Development Strategist, shared her expertise and guided participants through actionable steps to establish and amplify their personal brands.
Key Takeaways
“You are your brand, no matter what your current job is, or whatever the priority happens to be today.” – Stefanie Marrone
People do business with those that they trust, and because of that, there are five essential marketing activities that professional service-based firms should focus on:
- Networking by attending and being active in networking events.
- Speaking engagements – even if they are a small format, they can be widely beneficial.
- Writing in industry-related publications, blogs, and journals.
- Participation in a trade association, such as LMA, to help build a trusted network and gain relevant tools and resources.
- A digital presence in the spaces that make the most sense for your industry – for social media that could mean LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Other digital spaces could include starting or being a guest on a podcast.
“Be yourself and help others!”
- Figure out what you do well, and why you do it, and ensure you do a good job at it.
- Commit to storytelling from your unique perspective. Be likable and engaging, and provide value in everything you do. But don’t force yourself to do things you don’t like to do.
- Stay top of mind by distinguishing yourself from others.
Use LinkedIn to your advantage – treat it like a homepage.
- Find time to engage with others by liking and commenting on their posts in valuable ways.
- Create content from articles, conferences, webinars, and events that include “key takeaways” that others may find interesting and trustworthy.
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