Personal branding and image may appear to be pretty similar, but they’re not. Yet, both of these topics are interrelated.

To ensure the success of one’s personal brand, it is necessary to define, optimize, and maintain a comprehensive personal image.

Why?

Let’s explore five reasons why personal image is crucial to building a personal brand:

An individual’s identity encompasses the expression of his or her values, beliefs, thoughts, and perceptions. It is the central component of an individual’s overall impression.

A person’s image is the overall impression they convey to the world. This relies on the person’s look, demeanour, and communication abilities.

Thus, a well-managed image presents one’s individuality in the most favourable light and serves as the foundation for a genuine personal brand.

Self-Presentation is a component of Impression management, which Erving Goffman initially defined in 1959 in The Presentation of Self in Daily Life.

Goffman developed this theory in which an individual attempts to align their self-image with the preferences of others in order to project an ideal identity.

It is defined as the process through which an individual attempts to influence the perceptions others create of them. Goffman used the term dramaturgy to describe the concept that humans are performers who play on life’s stage to conform to audience preferences.

Such self-presentation of one’s image contributes to the development of a solid personal brand.

To make a great impression, individuals must advertise themselves in front of their peers or the intended audience.

Self-promotion is another reason why image is crucial for personal branding. This is the subsequent stage of self-presentation.

This requires modest touting of one’s accomplishments, fair flattery, and conscious intimidation. These are human behaviour strategies used to promote an individual’s image and, by extension, personal brand.

A person with a holistic image exudes great looks, grooming, and communication abilities, which are incorporated into their complete personality. This ensures the individual’s professional advancement and recognition.

A strong personal brand is essential for establishing a person’s professional presence. By controlling one’s image, one may influence how others perceive them.

A personal brand is created when an individual’s professional image shines.

This comprehensive curating of one’s social image resembles self-promotion and, as a result, becomes a crucial aspect of constructing one’s personal brand.

We present our best selves on social media. Our professional achievements are portrayed by the food we consume and how we dress. A user of any social media guarantees that his life appears positively on the timeline.

Personal brand promotion results from the control of our social image.

Thus, positive self-presentation and successful image management contribute to an individual’s personal and professional success. Image management therefore plays a crucial part in the process of establishing a remarkable personal brand.