It can be difficult to launch a new career, but using your digital brand to do so makes the process easier.

There are several benefits of having a robust digital brand: You can get more customers, close more deals, and increase overall profits.

But another benefit of having a strong digital brand is the ability to use it as a launching pad for your career.

Unfortunately, you can also fall flat if you try to use your strong digital brand to launch a new career that isn’t suitable for your skill set.

For example, take a look at Kim Kardashian’s attempt to leverage her popularity and digital branding efforts to break into the music business.

Kim allegedly tried to cover up the failure by saying she was donating half of the music proceeds to charity. Hmm…

Do you think Kim’s choice was intentional or a bad way to launch a new career? Post a comment at the bottom of this article.

How to Use Your Digital Brand to Launch A New Career

Anyone considering launching a new career must examine their talents and see if their following will accept a new career move. Using Kim Kardashian’s career launch failure as an example should serve as motivation to test your ideas before executing any new career move.

If you have that unique talent, however, you can certainly leverage the equity of a strong digital brand to adopt a new career. It seems like you can make a good living doing just about anything.

You can be a fish tank cleaner, a pimple popper, heck even a back scratcher.

My point is, if you have a strong digital brand, you can make a successful career move.

You have two options:

1. Use your digital brand as tool to create awareness of your new career
2. Actually use your digital brand as a business

Creating Awareness of Your Career Move

Using your digital brand to create awareness of your new career move is a solid option to create affinity and garner support for your transition.

Naturally, LinkedIn has automated notifications informing connections of your new career move once you make an update on the network.

For instance, if you change or add a new position, your network may get an email asking them to congratulate you on the new job.

Updating LinkedIn shouldn’t be the only way you create awareness of your new career.

You should also:

• Update your email signatures
• Remove your headshot from the old organization (since most organizations use their brand elements on staff photos, you should update the photo to avoid confusion).
• Connect with or Join industry specific groups

Using Your Digital Brand As A Business

Your Unique Experience + Digital Branding = New Career Potential

Step 1: Build Your Digital Brand

If you plan on transitioning from your ‘passion to profit,’ you must build a digital brand that positions you as a leader in your industry. One that showcases your talent, skill or expertise in the best way possible.

SEE ALSO: The Ultimate Guide To Building Your Digital Brand

As you begin to build your digital brand, you must determine what do you do, for whom, why, and how?

It is important to clearly define the tenants that drive your brand so you won’t end up thinking that releasing a song is good for your brand–especially when you really can’t hold a note. Ouch.

Step 2: Find Your Audience

Once you have determined your business mission and vision, you should start building an audience of potential customers, clients, or leads. You should naturally go where they reside online and begin engaging.

Remember, there is no need to be spammy or pushy. Just be helpful and you’ll notice primed customers will begin to follow your digital branding efforts.

If you’ve built a strong network of business referrals offline, I highly suggest you begin transitioning those relationships online. This is VERY important as it will bolster your credibility which is critical in your brand building efforts.

Step 3: Get Feedback

Understanding how you’re doing during all phases of the brand building process is key. Feedback is almost as important as the execution.

It will help you optimize your communications and engagements.

More importantly, feedback will provide you with a possible reality check if you decide to switch agendas.

Step 4: Make The Offer

So, you have built your digital brand, found your target audience, and collected their feedback. Now, you need to make them aware of your offering.

Start creating awesome content that will pull them into accepting your offer.

Step 5: Tip The Scales

That moment when your passion brings in more revenue than your current occupation is when the scale is tipped.

It’s an intoxicating feeling knowing you can potentially make a living doing what you love and have the life you’ve always dreamed of.

As referenced in the chart above, most people cite financial obligations as being the main reason for not launching a new career.

With digital branding, however, people can build on their passion while they continue working to meet those financial obligations.

‘Until one day when the scales tip, those financial obligations won’t seem like such a nuisance.

Is it possible to work on building your digital brand while working in your current occupation?