Brand is a term that is often used in the worlds of business and marketing, but the word itself can mean more than one thing depending on the context. In today's blog post, I'll be talking about the meaning of term brand as well as the importance of consciously defining what our personal brands stand for. 

Recently, I was sitting down with a friend to discuss a project when I began asking him about how he'd like to present his brand. He asked me to explain to him what I meant when I referred to his brand. So, while most of us probably think we have a solid understanding of the brand concept, I figured it would be a good idea to start out by answering this seemingly simple question: what is a "brand"? 

​Generally, we think of brands as companies that sell products that are inextricably linked to the names they are sold under. If I were to ask you to give me some examples of well-known brands, you'd probably start rattling off names like Apple, Starbucks, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and maybe some prominent shoe and clothing lines. So, what makes a brand a brand rather than just a company that sells stuff?  is it a recognizable logo? is it product names that begin with an i or a Mc ? or is it something much more? In the words of best-selling author and marketing guru Seth Godin, a brand is "the set of expectations. memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another". Let's zero in on one of these things--expectations. 

Whether we are employees or entrepreneurs, we can all take a page from the book of brands like McDonald's, Starbucks, and even Jay-Z. While we might have celebrity status, we all still have a brand that we can maintain and develop. From our personal qualities to our professional image, most of us have defining characteristics that we want to be known for—and probably some that we'd probably rather not be. For this reason, it is a good idea to figure out what your brand is, and then take steps to actively manage it.

Google, and the online world in general, is a great place to start. In this day and age, a simple Google search of your name can uncover a rather extensive online footprint--especially if you are active on social media, Auditing where and how your pops up is a good way to start building your brand and managing your reputation online. Take this a step further by setting up a website for yourself where you can present yourself and your brand the way you want. 

Of course, a personal brand is about much more than a well-managed online presence.—it is about values, reputation, integrity, and actions. A personal brand is built and developed over a lifetime, so in the end, it is about the choices that we, as individuals, make every day. 

From college essays to business emails, writing is a daily activity for many of us. Yet it's the Achilles' of quite a few students and professionals. In today's blog, I'll be explaining four easy ways to make your writing more concise, easier to read, and, as a result, more effective.    

Like most things in life, simpler writing is usually better writing.  As a rule of thumb, it is better to keep sentences, paragraphs, and ideas simple, concise, and to the point. Fight the temptation to show off your command of the English language with overly-complex sentences and words that might be included on a high school vocabulary test. Unless you're dealing with a highly technical or academic subject matter, try to stick to words that are in common usage.     

Take these two sentences for example:

He was considered by many students to be the best math teacher.

Many students considered him to be the best math teacher.

The first sentence is written in the passive voice while the second is written in the active, While both sentences convey the exact same information, the active voice is a good way to cut word count and make sentences easier to understand without sacrificing any details.  Generally speaking, it is better to make the people or things doing the action the subject of the sentence. 

Unlike speaking, writing affords us the opportunity to collect and gather our thoughts before putting them into words. Creating smooth and logical transitions between ideas is not only important for style, but it helps readers to understand relationships how one thought relates to the next, Sentences and paragraphs should be ordered in a way that is clear and makes sense. It's good practice to begin paragraphs with more general sentences and more details afterwards.

While it is  important to make sure your writing is well thought out and free of basic spelling and free of typos, many writers make the mistake of thinking too much about what they're trying to say. This can drag out the writing process and lead to the inclusion of unnecessary details and information. Most likely, whatever it is that you are writing isn't going to be reviewed by literary scholars, journalists, or professors so don't get too hung up on wording and minor details. If it is going to be reviewed by any of these people, there are a number of free and freemium online tools out there to help catch spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.    

From writing emails to nailing job interviews, great communication is essential to success. Subscribe to my blog for tips to become a better communicator and marketer