Personal branding is indispensable if you want to be successful as a DJ,
because you need to win people’s attention to succeed and personal
branding is a vehicle to do so. DeeJays need to win the attention of
potential FANS/LISTENERS in order to sell themselves. Since we now live
in an era of attention deficit, DJs need a way to stand out in the crowd
and personal branding is the way to do that.
What is a brand? In essence, a brand is a promise of the value people
will receive when they use a product. So, your personal brand is a
promise of the value people will receive when they come to listen to you
when u play. A promise gives certainty, and it makes people come again
and again.
Deejays better start building their personal brands before it’s too
late. Since it takes a long time to build a strong brand, the best time
to start is now.
Here are ten immutable laws of personal branding to help you get started:
1. Find your unique value proposition
What is the value you can offer as a DJ that can’t be offered by anyone
else? The answer to this question is the foundation of your personal
branding effort. While it might not be easy to find the answer, the time
you spend on it is well worth it.
2. Have a word or phrase to associate your name with
The goal of your personal branding effort is to own a word or phrase in
the mind of your prospects that is not owned by anyone else. You want
people to instantly remember you when they hear the word or phrase. For
example, what is in your mind when you hear the word MIXWELL, I bet the
answer is Fistaz. Or what is in your mind when you hear the phrase
"EXPENSIVE MUSIC" for most people in the vaal will Immediately think DJ
Vinno and Dj Chocolatebar.
3. Develop a strong message
Your message is the center of your personal branding effort. In essence,
the role of the message is to give your prospects a strong reason to
come to you. Why should they follow you and not somebody else? What
value will they get by coming to listen to you? It is the role of your
message to convince them. Your unique value proposition and chosen word
or phrase are your raw materials to build the message.
One good way to create a strong message is creating your one-liner. A
one-liner is a statement of your vision in ten words or less. It allows
people to quickly grasp the kind of value you offer. Our One-Liner is
"In Expensive Music we TRUST"
4. Identify your prospects
Don’t waste your time and energy trying to reach the wrong market; you
can’t please everybody. So find the kind of people who would need the
value you offer. To help you do this, there is a concept in marketing
called segmentation. It divides a market into distinct subsets which
behave in the same way or have similar needs. One of those subsets will
then be selected as the target market. While it’s not necessary to
create complex segmentation, at least you should have a clear idea about
the kind of people you want to reach. Don't go and play at a place
where they adore COMMERCIAL MUSIC and you don't even have one commercial
track in your bag.
5. Maximize your visibility
A strong message won’t do you any good if it doesn’t reach the right
people. That is why visibility is very important. You should spend a lot
of time to maximize your visibility if you want your brand to be
recognized. While there are many ways to do it, I strongly believe in
the phrase, First Impressions Last. Gone are those days when Deejays
used look like gangsters with sagging pants on. Remember as a BRAND, you
don't want to be associated with such activities i.e Gangsterism!
6. Repeat your message
As stated in law #2, your goal is to own a word or phrase in the mind of
your prospects. The only way to do so is by repeating your message
again and again. Only by repetition can you prevent your brand from
being lost in someone’s mental attic. Even Coca-Cola, which has one of
the strongest brands in the world, still spends huge amount of money in
advertising. It clearly shows how important repetition is. In your case
use social networks as form of repeating the message.
7. Prove your worth
While the way you sell yourself is important, the content is also
important. It’s useless to have many people follow you if they find that
the value you offer doesn’t meet their standard. They won’t follow you
again, or, even worse, they will tell their friends not to follow you as
well. So be sure to deliver on your promises. Whenever possible, go the
extra mile. I know this is easier said than done, but it will give your
brand an edge. The EXPERTS call it The Pursuit of WOW!
8. Be persistent
It takes time to build your personal brand; maybe more than you
expected. So it’s imperative to be persistent. Prepare for a marathon,
not a sprint, and you won’t run out of gas in the middle of your
journey. As long as you believe in your message, you have a great chance
to succeed. Just don’t expect an instant success. There's no SHORT-CUT
to FAME!!!
9. Be consistent
While repeating your message can strengthen your brand, broadcasting
inconsistent message is one of the fastest ways to weaken it. If
yesterday you said that you are an “A” but today you say that you are a
“B”, then who are you actually? People will be confused, and it won’t do
you any good. Being consistent is not easy, especially in the long
term, but this is how you can get strong position in people’s mind.
10. Leverage your existing network
One of the best ways to strengthen your brand is through word of mouth.
Word of mouth works because people trust the recommendations from
someone they know, and therefore they are more likely to also trust your
brand. One way to create word of mouth is leveraging the people who
already know you – your existing network, be it via Facebook or Twitter.
Build good relationships with them so that they become your supporters
and even your evangelists.
Remember the important aspect of personal branding is maximizing your
visibility, and one way to do so is by going to the places where people
gather even if you are not BOOKED to play there!
I hope who ever is going to read this finds it very informative.
"Develop it, Sell it and mostly Be it"
(Confidentiality and Disclaimer) Notice The contents of this note are subject to Deejay Chocolatebar!
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
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