Last week I was delighted that my friend, Bryna Jones, and the good folks at her company, Engine Communications, invited me to write a post on Building Brand YOU.

It was a tricky request in that there's a lot of information to share when discussing a methodology for human branding on the web. Space wise, it takes much more than what's easily digestible in one post.

So with that in mind, if you'd like to read up on part 1, the Know Thyself part of the process, please go back to that last link and read the piece on Engine's blog. Hey, while you're there why not take some time to read some other posts too. These folks produce really insightful content that, in my opinion, is worth your time and eyeballs.

But today, let's pick up where we left off with our friends up in Ontario. You ready? Here we go...

Part II: Writing a Brand YOU North Star
In our last discussion, we talked about looking inward to really "Know Thyself". You learned how to apply tools like the Meyers Briggs assessment, SWOT analysis, journaling and few other tools that help you as you follow the path to self-discovery.

Next, you'll want to take the information you've gathered and build your Brand YOU strategy. When developing strategy, one of the most effective ways to begin is by focusing first on simplification. In brand strategy, that means boiling down what we want to communicate into one clear and succinct sentence. My friend and teacher, Artie Isaac, used to call this the North Star Statement, during the days of his Columbus Ohio Ad Agency, Young Isaac.

Why the North Star? Wikipedia does a nice job of telling that story for me:

"The North Star has historically been used for navigation, both to find the direction of north and to determine latitude. It has been used by lost campers to find their way back home. It always appears due north in the sky, and the angle it makes with respect to the horizon is equal to the latitude of the observer. The North Star is visible only in northern hemisphere skies and so cannot be used for navigation south of the equator."

Essentially, your Brand YOU North Star is a guide. Focusing on simplifying your message before amplifying it on the web will help you ensure that your Brand YOU will be clear, succinct and free from content that is disconnected from how you intend to influence your human networks. Your Brand YOU North Star serves as a singular point of focus.

What's in a North Star Statement
There's five key elements to a well crafted North Star Statement:

• Who is your target audience?
• What do you want them to think or believe about you?
• What do you want them to do?
• Why should they trust you?
• What motivates the audience to convert to action?

Now, think about what you've learned in getting to "Know Thyself" and work to write your North Star Statement. In some cases, it may be necessary to have a few of these. Maybe you have one for your role as a professional, and one for your role as a parent. Your North Star for being a student may look very different from the one you write for being an amateur athlete.

In any case, write these down and make them real. Once it's on paper you can claim ownership of your ideas. You might even go as far as to write them on a note next to your bed and read them each morning when you wake up. Coaches like to call this creating self-affirmations. Reading these statements each morning will help focus you for the day and keep you centered on what's most important in terms of your human brand.

So how are you doing with this so far? Comfortable? Uncomfortable? Do you have any questions?