Many luxury real estate marketing professionals confuse their headshot as being their brand. The majority of real estate print ads are simply a collection of "heads and houses". As a result, what you get is a sea of sameness. When your competitors all use their headshots as their brand what makes you distinct? This is part 2 of our previous post, Off With Your Head!
A personal brand is a representation, a symbol that expresses the essence of your authentic self, your unique DNA and, most importantly, what you stand for. A headshot alone does not comprise a personal brand.
It is possible to use your headshot as part of your personal brand. But, it must be carried off with the conviction of achieving celebrity status within a marketplace or a niche. A face without a context does not stand for anything. Martha Stewart stands for “homemaker extraordinaire”. Donald Trump stands for “deal maker par excellence”. Emeril stands for comfort food.
But, the three letter word BAM! as Emeril shouts when he seasons food, completes his brand identity in a single gesture because it communicates his unique flair that is inimitable. BAM! is now a product (BBQ Sauce) that is associated with Emeril’s face.
Rachel Ray also stands for comfort food, but what gives her a distinct brand identity is the "girl next door" trust factor. In fact, Rachel Ray rates higher than Oprah in terms of perceived trust, as a personal brand. Her “Yum-o” and "Delish" expressions have become her trademarks. Rachel Ray's pet food brand, “Nutrish” is an extension of her personal brand.
Here is our answer: If you seek celebrity status, go for it! But, make sure you also communicate what you stand in a logo and or a slogan. Otherwise, the need to use a headshot in email without a brand context, communicates that you are concerned about being forgettable, which may not be the case. Personal branding done right, as Natalie and Nat King Cole would say, is UNFORGETTABLE IN EVERY WAY!
GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!
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