Personal Branding Tips for the New Entrepreneur

Whether you own your own business or are working to own your success in your job, a personal brand is a valuable tool. Branding is the word used to describe the process of creating a unique and consistent impression; businesses do it through logos, color schemes and themed advertising.

Personal branding has many of the same goals, but, as an individual, you will use different tactics. Here are 5 personal branding tips for new entrepreneurs:

Define Your Personal Brand

What do you want people to think about when they think about you? Do you have a particular skill set or expertise where you want to become the go-to gal? Take some notes about how you wish to be perceived and brainstorm some ways to put it into action.

Make a list of words that describe you, especially words that describe how you fit into a team in the workplace.

What are words that colleagues use to describe you? How do people benefit from being on your team?

Next, consider your functional role: are you a planner? A creator?

These all will determine how you will present yourself.

Do Some Online Presence Spring Cleaning

Before you begin building a presence online, start by seeing what is already out there. First, Google your name. Make sure that you are logged out of all Google services in your browser and that you have the search engine set to hide private results.

This can give you a much better idea of what others will see when they search for you.

Are there images and websites that you would consider negative or inconsistent with the brand you wish to portray? Delete the ones that you have control over. The rest you will have to bury by bringing other results that refer to you higher in the search engine results.

Think About Your Brand's Look

Business brands create consistency through font choices, color schemes and writing styles. You can do the same by picking a consistent look in your wardrobe, resumes and digital presence.

Choose a professional, attractive font and use it for all online and written correspondence. Georgia has round and pleasing lines that are great for creatives; Helvetica has smooth efficiency.

Choose colors for your themes online. Pick a look that fits your brand and create a wardrobe that speaks to your personal style.

Develop a Strong and Consistent Online Presence

Think about the social networks and online resources that are relevant to your field, and stake out some territory there.

Are the visually oriented spaces on Instagram and Pinterest your speed? The intellectually engaging Quora?

Claim spaces in your name and become reasonably active on the sites. This creates more ways for you to be found, strengthens your brand and helps you better control what shows up on your search engine result page.

In addition to niche-specific networks, make sure you have a great LinkedIn profile, an About.Me and a personal website.

Domains and hosting are inexpensive and worth the investment. With a few minutes and a good free WordPress theme, you can have a professional page in minutes.

Be Purpose-Driven in What You Share Online -- And, What You Don't

Once you have created those spaces online, curate your contributions and profiles well. When you see news stories and blog posts that are relevant to your industry, repost them.

Share photos on your Facebook and Instagram accounts that support your image as a well-rounded, interesting individual. Avoid sharing content that can hurt your brand and your reputation.

These posts can include:

• Angry Rants - No one is helped by a permanent record of them losing their cool.
• Drunk Posting - When you go out for the night, lock away your phone.
• Off-Color Humor - If you wouldn't tell the story to your grandmother, you probably shouldn't post it on your social networks, either. The chance of causing offense and losing opportunities is too great.

Produce Value for Those Around You

We remember the people who, in one way or another, help us out. If your personal brand includes a genius for networking, make a point of frequently introducing people who you feel should know one another. If your brand is knowledge-based, share how-tos, explainer videos and other helpful content.

Don't limit your helpful efforts to digital spaces. Make a point of attending MeetUps and conferences in your industry. And, always get in touch with organizers in advance to find out how you can help out.

There will usually be tasks that you can dedicate an hour or so to. You not only add to the quality of the event; you come in contact with other attendees who will remember your contributions.

It can take time, effort and thought to create a brand that projects a consistent message and image. But, as you build a solid reputation, your investment will pay off in the form of better opportunities in the direction you want.