When people think of marketing they often think of a television commercial, a magazine ad or a billboard. While these are certainly great ways to market your company, there is another—and maybe even more important—way to promote your business. Building a personal brand is an easy and inexpensive way to get your business in front of people. Here are a few tips to build your personal brand.

Assess Your Assets
What are others saying about you? It’s not what you say, but what others are saying about you. That’s what influences your reputation. So you need to get to know yourself and how you want to portray yourself—and your business—in the community.

See and be Seen
Get out there and show off your personal brand. Go to the events and places where people that you want to influence gather. Make sure you have your 15-30 second elevator pitch of what you do and how the people you meet can benefit from your business. Remember to have several versions of your pitch so you can tailor the message to the person you’re meeting.

Get Social
Your company probably has a Facebook and Twitter account but don’t forget to use your personal social media pages to talk about your expertise and your business. It’s probably more effective than your company page, because it’s a person talking to another person about topics that interest both parties.

Manage and Deliver
When you make a promise, deliver on it. That’s the most effective way to maintain your reputation and build your brand. Be true to who you are and continue to make investments in developing the person you want to be.