In our daily lives, whether we realize it or not, we may know someone who is an introvert, who has been successful at building his or her business or career quietly and steadily while building a solid reputable name for themselves as a result of mastering their craft. It could be your next-door neighbor perhaps, a colleague or a business associate.
Farther away, however, these famous introverts are winning or have won at the branding game too...
The award-winning actress Meryl Streep, famously said in her speech in 2007 about the power of quiet strength and confidence, "It's amazing how much you can get if you quietly, clearly, and authoritatively demand it."
The author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling often spends time alone writing or sketching characters, settings, and plotlines for her books. She has spoken openly about her preference for quiet and solitude in accomplishing her creative work.
President Barack Obama shared with inc.com in 2016 as he wrapped up his tenure, that he was most productive in solitude. He led while respecting his introversion, setting boundaries, where usually after dinner, he heads to the quiet part of the White House.
As one of the world's most recognized physicists, Albert Einstein has often been quoted as saying, “The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.” He received the Nobel Prize in 1921 and is best remembered for developing the theory of relativity.
INTROVERTS make up approximately 25% of the world's population - Marti Olsen Laney, doctor of psychology and author of The Introvert Advantage
If you are an introvert in the business world, how do you compete with the extroverts who make up the remaining 75% with their massive numerical advantage, and build your brand? Well, you don't. You do not keep up with the Joneses but instead, stay grounded in your "quiet strength" lane, and build from there. I know it is easier said than done, especially when we live in a digital world that operates on the premise of the "attention economy" that trades on and rewards your ability to constantly seek attention, putting yourself out there or pushing for the survival of the loudest. We just can't deny that there is an inherent bias in favor of extroverted behavior that permeates all aspects of our culture.
In our society, the ideal self is bold, gregarious, and comfortable in the spotlight. We like to think that we value individuality, but mostly we admire the type of individual who’s comfortable “putting himself out there.” Our schools, workplaces, and religious institutions are designed for extroverts. - Gareth Cook, Scientific American
Here's a little something that not many people know about me... I'm an introvert. And... I work in an extroverted, and exciting marketing industry which should make me a natural extrovert, right? Not really. And the 2-time MYERS-BRIGGS tests that I took will attest to that. I love what I do, and what it's all about, but overexposure can tire me out. Despite pushing myself through the personal branding process and a lot of times finding success and enjoyment in it, I am still fundamentally uncomfortable. So, as introverts, how do we strike a balance between being productive, doing what we love, adding value to the community, building our "personal brand", and still being kind to ourselves?
Please read on and I'll tell you how... but if you want to skip to the good part and get the ebook, click BUY NOW.
Introverts are capable of acting like extroverts for the sake of work they consider important, people they love, or anything they value highly. - Susan Cain, Author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
How to win and thrive at quiet branding
Personal branding, in my opinion, is not about building an empire with your name splashed everywhere. It does not have to be on such a scale or enormity and influence, but if that's your goal, that's fine too. Starting small, growing slowly and steadily, even subtly, while keeping to your niche would be a better bet for introverts. While there are many ways to achieve results, here are the top FIVE steps that have been tried and tested firsthand by yours truly, since 2015.
First, evaluate your likeability level
As humans, we do not exist in a vacuum. Our presence influences others to some extent and vice versa. And in building a personal brand, we do not just need to know who we are as a person, we also need to know how others perceive us. In the book, I talk about how you’ll need to find out the uncomfortable truth if how you see yourself matches up with how others see you. To put it simply, how likable are you? However, I do have to caution about caring too much about what others think - because after all, this is about you and the impressive path that you want to embark on.
Secondly, find your purpose, then find your content
You can't try to appeal to everyone with your content and topics. I read somewhere that cheekily said, "You are not ice cream, so you can't make everyone happy". So, you do you. In the book, you’ll learn how to find a handful of topics that resonate with you, and that align with your purpose, and share them using your own experience and analysis, authentically. Reduce the attempts to embellish and just speak from the heart. The goal here is to inspire, educate, and be relatable by adding value to the community, so strive to know the exact key takeaways that you want your niche audience and readers to gain, and tell your story.
Thirdly, select your channels and pace yourself
Just like creating and producing your content, selecting the channels that you will distribute them on is equally important. Great content shared on a channel with the wrong target audience, on low-traffic days and times will not have the relevance, impact, and reach that you intend to achieve and deserve to receive. As an introvert, you’ll need to pace yourself too, so you don’t burn out with trying to do too much. In the book, you’ll learn what the channels are, what they are good for, and how you can measure the impact of your efforts, all while doing it at your own comfortable time and speed.
Fourthly, do an image review
First impressions matter. Human beings are built to size up each other quickly. People judge others based on how their overall energy feels or how a person looks and sounds, more so than their choice of words and verbal statements. There is a saying that encapsulates this, “Your energy introduces you before you even speak.” So, in the book, when I talk about your image makeover is not just about your wardrobe and external looks edit and update. Whilst that is true, fundamentally it starts with feeling good and confident about yourself, and that positivity will radiate and translate outwardly and dictate how you carry yourself and show up in the world. And having some professional photos taken to capture that energy and your new image, will be a boost to your branding and online presence, too.
Lastly, take a break, recharge, and do it all over again
Overstimulation, crowds, and trying to exist in an extroverted world can deplete an introvert. That is why introverts need to take more breaks than extroverts, especially in building a personal brand as it can get quite taxing if you’re not careful. To recharge, introverts often prefer solitude, while extroverts find their energy from being around others. In the last section of the book, I share 16 quiet ways how an introvert can take a break and recharge, before jumping into the feedback exercise to evaluate all the efforts done so far. Finally, there is a gentle nudge at the end of the section on how and when to start again after the break and the review.
I end this blog with a quote from Gary Vaynerchuk on personal brand:
It's important to build a personal brand because it's the only thing you're going to have. Your reputation online, and in the business world is pretty much the game, so you've got to be a good person. You can't hide anything, and more importantly, you've got to be out there at some level. - Gary Vaynerchuk
Building a personal brand may take you 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years, or maybe even longer to get the hang of it but please keep going. It took me almost 10 years and I'm still learning, so you can do this! You too, can win and thrive at quiet branding.
~M
The Introvert's Guide to Personal Branding: How to Win and Thrive at Quiet Branding by Mawarni Adam can be purchased at:
Mawarni's website in eBook format, click here.
Amazon Kindle eBook, click here.
Amazon paperback, click here.