Your personal brand… as Kevin O’Keefe, suggests… Will save you as a lawyer. Most lawyers can’t conceive of themselves as a brand. But, let me tell you… YOU already have a personal brand! And I guarantee… 99.9% never give it a thought. What does your personal brand represent to the world? Is it substantive?

Why should you want to intentionally build a personal brand? It differentiates you… you can stand out from the crowd. It helps you be remarkable, YES…  worth making a remark about.

If your personal brand is outstanding… you just might hear… "You had me at hello!" In order to accomplish that you MUST have a strong online presence. It is no longer acceptable to simply have a good local reputation since when you are recommended to others they WILL Google you. So what will they find? Are you proud of the content that shows up on the 1st page of Google? If not download my FREE E-Book… Be a Celebrity in Your Own World. It’s a 4-part strategy:

1. Write articles… post them on article directories and start with JDSupra.

2. Give speeches… repurpose your articles for speeches. 

3. Participate in social media… write a blog. There is no better way to solidify your personal brand than a blog. 

4. Write a book… it can build your credibility in the strongest way.

NOW…  here’s the Harvard Business Review and Dorie Clark’s, How to Become a Thought Leader in Six Steps. In a nutshell…

1. Create a robust online presence. Blogs are particularly good because they showcase your knowledge – and search engines prize the frequent stream of fresh content.

2. Flaunt high-quality affiliations… If you’ve got well-known connections, flaunt them and leverage them.  

3. Give public speeches. Given the terror that public speaking instills in most people, your street cred will automatically skyrocket when you take the stage.

4. Appear on TV. Make it a point to build relationships with TV producers – you can often follow them on Twitter and strike up a conversation.

5. Win some awards. Identify the awards that matter in your industry, monitor the deadlines, and make it happen.

6. Publish a book… There is no more definitive proof of thought leadership than authoring a good book on a chosen subject.

A powerful personal brand will establish credibility, differentiate you from your competition, and ultimately make it easier to attract new business. The steps we’ve covered here will get you started in the right direction… so get going!