The term personal brand has been thrown around a lot recently, and I think it’s worth taking a moment to clarify what it actually means. It’s nothing fancy—in fact, you already have one! Everyone does. Your personal brand is simply the way people see you. Whether it’s across your bar or on your uber-famous Instagram account, everyone has a personal brand.
Just like a large company chooses its logo, brand colors, and musical jingle, you also have things that people see about you: how you dress, the way you introduce yourself, and how you’ve setup your online presence say a lot about who you are and how you want other people to see you.
Personal branding for bartenders.
As a bartender, your brand is especially important. Unlike traditional desk jobs, our industry relies heavily on both social media and word of mouth to build relationships, vet potential employees, and learn about who is making a name for themselves in our markets.
If you’re interested in a long-term career in the hospitality and bar business, then you absolutely must spend a little time cultivating your personal brand.
Getting started:
The good news is, it’s not complicated, difficult, or time-consuming. All you have to do to start creating your personal brand is answer the following question:
What do I want to be known for?
Once you’ve answered this (admittedly big) question, then it’s time to start moving in that direction. Here are some things you should consider to see if change is needed:
- Your Appearance: Do you dress the part? If you want to be known as a professional, do you dress like it?
- Your Demeanor: If you want to become a brand ambassador, are you extroverted, friendly, and engaging? Do you spend time building relationships with people in the industry?
- Your Web Presence: Does your social media align with your goals? Say you’d like to open an eccentric sports bar and be known as the oddball owner. If all of your web profile photos show you dressed in a three-piece suit, it doesn’t support the personal brand you’re trying to build.
Telling your story.
In fact, if you want to be known as something, the best way to do it is to say you already are that something.
For example: Let’s say you’d like to be known as a bar consultant. Do the following:
- Print up some business cards with “Bar Consultant” as the title
- Change your social media profiles to say that you are a bar consultant
- Review your social media timelines and remove any posts that seem unprofessional or show you in a negative light
- Start posting photos of your cocktail creations on Instagram
Now when someone new Googles you, they will immediately see that you are a bar consultant. Voila!
Now’s the time:
The good news is, there couldn’t be a better time to start building your personal brand!
Networking that used to rely on word of mouth has now been replaced with social media and the web—something you can control much more easily. Furthermore, social media’s influence is growing every day, and the sooner you can build a cohesive and compelling presence, the better established you will be for the roles and opportunities you may encounter in the future.
Whether or not you realize it, you already do have a personal brand. It’s worth a little effort to make sure it’s a brand you actually like!