Building Your Practice Brand – Essential for Building Your Personal/Professional Brand After Graduation

Graduation is such an exciting time, with your outstanding scholarly achievements being rewarded and recognized. Once all of the celebrating has dwindled, you and your fellow graduates will begin

to pursue your professional careers. Perhaps you will be considering an associate position in a private practice or even partnering with a colleague to

purchase a practice. Aside from traditional protocol, including verifying credentials and letters of recommendation, you can be certain that your future employer, bank loan officer, partners and patients are going to Google you! Now more than ever, personal branding is important to most dental/ medical and non-medical professionals.

What is a brand? Your brand is simply what people know about you. So be proactive now in creating the impression that you want to make through building your personal brand. Your personal brand is what people (specifically your target employers, colleagues, business partners, community leaders and future patients) learn and recall about you. Remember, the goals of personal branding are to increase networking, shape perception and to build your reputation.

Be Intentional.

Here are some ways to start building your personal brand now and after graduation:

Establish Yourself as an Expert.

local publications — wherever there is an opportunity. Also, take advantage of any and all speaking engagements at civic organizations, rotary clubs, local schools and elsewhere in your community.

You should have a goal in mind and know where you are going. Each action you take should be done with purpose. Focus on your personal vision and present yourself towards that direction.

Volunteer.

Give back to the community where you practice and live. Volunteering at local nonprofits, schools, churches and events where you can showcase your expertise is a great way to give back, establish and build

Your goal is to establish yourself as an expert in the dental field. Share your knowledge! Write and contribute to newsletters for professional associations,

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meaningful relationships, as well as gain ongoing exposure as an active and trusted member of your community.

Establish Strong Business Relationships.

People are more likely to do business with you if they know you on a personal level. Engage and be responsive in person and via social media. Join new dentist groups and continuing education groups, and keep in touch with your fellow graduates. You may also consider finding a mentor. Many new dentists enjoy the benefits of a formal or informal mentorship.

Image Essentials

Oftentimes, the first impression that a potential employer, associate, or patient will have of you is your photo and bio. Introduce yourself and influence their image of you by presenting a professional quality headshot and well written bio. Take some time to write your bio, highlighting awards or recognitions that you have accepted, hobbies, academic achievements, community work, club affiliations and any other relevant accomplishments. Write it in third person or consider hiring a copywriter to write it for you. Also, have a professional-quality headshot taken and use it in all write-ups and profiles so that your image is consistent.

You may be wondering why your personal brand matters. YOU are the name behind your company, and therefore your personal reputation is important. Part of your practice’s value rests in the “name behind the company”. The rise of social media has unequivocally changed the way professionals strategically build their personal brand. It is not a onetime thing, so stay active, be careful what you post, and monitor your reputation regularly.

Here are some ways to add online elements to your personal brand:

Participate in multiple social media networking: Join Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Doximity, and be proactive by contributing to social media communities

of the first steps that I take with clients when building their practice brand is to have them fill out an in-depth questionnaire. The questions touch on subjects such as their passions, hobbies, work ethic, personal values, a list of professional strengths and skills, what makes their practice unique, among others. The key is to know who you are so that you can tell others so they will recognize your unique “signature” (your brand).

The rise of social media has

unequivocally changed the way

professionals strategically build their personal brand.

A corporate identity builds trust and recognition. This is the visual part of your brand that should reflect your company in an honest way and should relate to your industry, your name and defining characteristics about your practice or the competitive advantage that you offer.

within your industry demonstrating how you are up-to-date with trends and news.

ƒƒ Keep your profiles consistent

Be unique and present yourself clearly and dynamically. It is very important that your identity is consistent, with marketing materials that have a similar look and feel. These branded materials will also give your marketing efforts more “bang for your buck” and make your practice more recognizable.

throughout each social media platform: messaging, images, etc. ƒƒ Check out Google’s “Me on the

Web” or Google Alerts to be notified when your personal data appears on the web and take action to remove unwanted content. Bear in mind, you want to be known in a positive light. ƒƒ Be active on LinkedIn and start con-

Intentional brand building requires planning and ongoing participation but allows you to create your own desired perception and to be an active part in what others think about you. Begin thinking about your personal brand now before you graduate. Enjoy the process of sharing your expertise with others, networking, volunteering and being an active part of your community. Be intentional in building and sharing your brand and unique message and in growing genuine relationships and you will prosper. ■

necting. Give endorsements, answer and ask questions to increase your visibility. • Utilize video and image sites to post online presentations and video – Slideshare, Scribd, YouTube, Vimeo, etc. • Purchase a few domain names associated with your name. You should reserve your name if possible (myname. com, myname.net, other) and a practice name that reflects your own name and specialty (mylastnamefamilydentistry.com).

If you are considering opening your own practice, intentional branding and marketing is even more critical. One of the first and critical steps in your practice branding will be to develop your corporate identity and brand messaging.

The goal of brand building is to stand out, to shape perception and to effectively communicate with your target audience (your patients and future patients). One