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Why Personal Branding Is Crucial for Any Industry
Building a personal brand can boost sales and give you a competitive edge.
Table of Contents
Many entrepreneurs consider their companies extensions of themselves, and there’s a good reason for that: When you start a business, you pour your hard work, vision and values into it. But it also means you, personally, affect how customers, vendors and investors see your business — for better or worse.
This public image you portray is called personal branding. When others research you, they should discover your intelligence, knowledge and expertise in your field. They should also find that you operate with transparency, professionalism and integrity. We’ll explain more about using personal branding in your marketing plan and share tips for starting a personal branding campaign.
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What is personal branding?
Personal branding is the way someone markets themselves as an individual. Business owners and CEOs typically cultivate personal brands, but any professional can benefit from this effort. Several factors generate your personal brand, including your skills, job titles, experiences and personality.
You can evaluate your personal brand by checking your online presence. For example, if you Google your name, what results do you see? Is your personal brand favorable?
Here are some significant elements of personal branding:
- A personal brand tells your story. A personal brand is a tool for sharing your story with the public. In some cases, a personal brand outshines the business. Two examples of successful personal brands are Gary Vaynerchuk and Tony Robbins. Their robust personal brands have helped them build loyal followings and establish themselves as leaders in their respective industries.
- A personal brand can be part of your marketing tool kit. Branding is a vital element of any small business marketing campaign. Most companies take branding seriously because they want to leave a lasting impression on the customer. However, personal branding is often overlooked and can be a valuable addition to a business’s marketing strategy.
- A personal brand reflects a professional’s reputation. Most executives already have a personal brand; it’s just a question of whether they cultivate it. As Jeff Bezos said, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
- A personal brand can foster company trust. Personal branding of a company leader, typically the founder or owner, can boost an organization’s credibility. If customers trust the founder, they’ll be inclined to trust the company.
- A personal brand can be the face of the company. A personal brand can serve as a face for the company, which is essential for both business-to-consumer and business-to-business (B2B) companies.
There are many avenues for demonstrating your personal branding, including social media, blogs, email marketing and public relations. Executives can choose how and where to brand themselves and reap the benefits.
Why personal branding is essential for marketing
Personal branding brings numerous benefits to professionals and businesses. Here are a few reasons why personal branding is an important component of a marketing strategy.
Personal branding increases sales.
One of the most valuable benefits of personal branding is increased sales. Consider the following ways personal branding can boost your bottom line:
- Personal branding improves social selling. Establishing a social media presence is a great way to promote your personal brand, and it can pay off. According to LinkedIn, professionals who use social media in their sales process are 51 percent more likely to reach their sales goals. Additionally, 78 percent of professionals who utilize social selling outsell their colleagues who don’t use social media. These numbers are a testament to the increased trust and familiarity a branded social media presence can bring.
- Personal branding helps convert leads. The B2B sales process is lengthy. According to marketing strategist Pam Moore, it typically takes five to seven impressions for someone to remember a brand. Personal branding efforts, such as social media posts, are a nonintrusive way to nurture and convert leads.
- Personal branding can win over customers. When founders and company executives devote time to personal branding, prospective customers gain a “look behind the curtain.” Effective personal branding shows positive aspects of an individual’s background and values that directly impact the business while authentically showcasing their unique personality. These efforts humanize the company and build trust with customers and prospects. If a prospective customer has a choice between your company and a competitor, that comfort and trust can tip the scales in your favor.
Personal branding engages customers.
Social media users follow influential, knowledgeable, funny and informative people. When multiple people at your company develop personal brands, your company message, filtered through each person’s personality, can reach many more people. In fact, according to GaggleAMP, 73 percent of social media managers say employee posts have double the engagement of regular business posts, and 26 percent say employee posts triple brand engagement.
The aggregate of all employees’ personal branding reflects on the company as a whole, as followers gain insight into the knowledge and values of the people who work there. Personal branding can make followers feel like they know the company’s employees, making it more likely that they’ll do business with your company instead of one they know nothing about.
Personal branding enhances leadership visibility.
Consumers are drawn to companies that engage in personal branding efforts, particularly when CEOs and business leaders participate. According to Sprout Social, 63 percent of survey respondents said CEOs and business owners with robust social profiles were better company representatives than their offline peers at other companies. Additionally, 64 percent said a CEO’s family-related posts boosted their perception of the company, while 63 percent said personal-interest posts helped them feel more positive about a business.
Clearly, people want input from company leadership. Businesses that ignore this may be swallowed by their competition.
Personal branding can help build consumer trust.
Personal branding via social media fosters trust and credibility, which are valuable components of a purchasing decision. According to a well-known Nielsen survey, 88 percent of consumers trust recommendations from family and friends more than any other type of advertising. However, they don’t have to know someone personally to trust their recommendation. According to BrightLocal, 75 percent of consumers always or regularly read and trust reviews by other consumers before purchasing. By posting valuable content frequently, company representatives can establish trust with consumers and influence their purchasing decisions.
Personal branding establishes a business’s authenticity.
People like to do business with people, not faceless corporations. When business owners, CEOs and other team members establish a personal brand and help bring awareness to a company, they put a face on the business and humanize it. They can assure consumers that the company is authentic, has integrity and is a worthwhile place to do business.
Personal branding efforts may include details of a professional’s personal history, education, family, likes and hobbies, giving potential customers a way to relate to them and, ultimately, the company.
Personal branding establishes authority.
Creating a personal brand is an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise and establish authority. There are two primary ways personal branding can help you convey authority:
- Stories: Brand storytelling is a great tactic that extends to personal branding. Use stories to highlight how and why you decided to get into your business. Perhaps you noticed a problem and used your expertise to devise a solution. Potential customers will see themselves in your story, especially if they’re dealing with the same problem.
- Knowledge: Showcasing your relevant knowledge, education and experience is an effective way to establish authority. It’s a multipronged strategy that may include noting your relevant degrees and certifications, writing thought leadership articles and case studies, showing videos of interviews or speeches, and sharing links to articles about you and your company. This content shows potential customers that you’re highly respected in your field and have the know-how and background to solve their problems.
Personal branding opens you up to strategic opportunities.
Personal branding gets your name out there, and when it reaches the right circles, you can create strategic opportunities for your business. An industry group may invite you to be a keynote speaker, or a company may reach out about a co-marketing opportunity. You may even attract the attention of potential investors or merger partners.
How to get started with personal branding
Launching a robust personal branding campaign may seem daunting, but you don’t have to do everything at once. Instead, take your time and strategize. The goal of personal branding is to separate the person from the business. It’s crucial to determine how your online content can showcase your personality on a deeper level. Here’s how to get started.
1. Define your personal brand.
Developing a personal brand starts with defining what it means to be you. Answer the following questions:
- What aspects of your values and personality are essential to emphasize?
- How can you use your education, knowledge and experience to contribute to your personal brand?
- What personal characteristics will be compelling to your target market?
Rob Durant, founder of Flywheel Results, noted that personal branding is a balance of marketing and introspection, with authenticity being the most important component. “People talk about ‘building a personal brand’ as though it’s a marketing exercise,” Durant said. “However, it can be and should be as simple as sharing your authentic personality online.” Help people get to know the real you by being approachable, sociable and generous, he advised.
2. Create an elevator pitch.
In business, an elevator pitch is a quick summary of what you do and why people should want to do business with you. It should last no longer than the time it takes an elevator to go up a few floors.
Likewise, you must come up with a quick summary of who you are and why it matters. For example, if you’re in financial technology (fintech), your personal elevator pitch might be, “I’m making it easy for busy millennials to pay off student debt and build wealth like I did.”
3. Gather evidence of your credibility.
Gather all notable personal credentials, including the following:
- Degrees and certifications
- Awards and achievements
- Testimonials about you and your work
- Personal and professional references
- Stories about your career and achievements
- Interviews (with you, about you, or that you’ve conducted)
- Speeches you’ve given
- Published articles you’ve written or articles written about you
- Bios on other organizations’ websites
- Videos of presentations you’ve given or videos that highlight your work
You can post some of this content on your personal website and social media accounts. Other content should appear on your business website’s About page and social posts. The more widely this information is shared, the better.
4. Target networks your customers use.
Before you launch a personal branding campaign, it’s essential to examine your target market’s customer personas to determine the networks they already use. For example, if they rarely use Instagram, skip that platform.
Additionally, research social media trends for your target audience. This realm changes rapidly, so be sure to track social media trends carefully to maximize your content marketing.
5. Focus on specific platforms.
Focus on one or two social media networks for personal branding. Rather than trying to maintain a presence on too many platforms and doing a terrible job on all of them, choose one or two social networks or focus on blogging to build a follower base. Use audience insights to determine engagement levels. Don’t waste time on platforms that show minimal reach.
6. Demonstrate your value.
To get and keep people’s attention, you must continually demonstrate your value. Stuart Martin, business director at Talk Shop, recommended sharing concise, helpful content. “The most effective thought leaders I’ve seen keep their content tight,” Martin said. “They often ask questions, provide real value, observe trends and recap conversations they’ve had with clients, friends and colleagues.”
Try these low-effort tactics:
- Sharing other people’s valuable content on social media
- Making thoughtful comments on other people’s posts
- Posting valuable original content
Deeper-level efforts to demonstrate your value include these more time-intensive ventures:
- Mentoring others
- Offering your expertise to industry organizations or nonprofits
- Writing a book
- Creating a course
Martin said consistent, valuable input is key, especially when you’re starting your personal branding campaign. “Stay consistent with two to three LinkedIn posts,” he advised. “It’s more than enough to start. For example, a good jumping-off point is, ‘A question I keep hearing in meetings is X. Here’s why I think it’s a good one.'”
7. Ask for recommendations and referrals.
Build your social proof by asking happy clients, partners and other connections for recommendations and skill endorsements on LinkedIn and in writing. Similarly, if you want to meet someone, ask a mutual contact for an introduction, either online or in person. Sometimes, people volunteer this type of help. However, when colleagues and industry peers have positive, impactful experiences with you, they’re more likely to go out of their way to help you.
8. Make personal connections both online and offline.
When you’re working on personal branding, it’s crucial to create lasting personal connections with colleagues, clients, partners, potential customers and others. Here are some tips for making personal connections:
- Continually expand your LinkedIn network by connecting with relevant industry insiders.
- Proactively work to expand your followers on all of your social platforms.
- Volunteer to write articles for industry blogs.
- Attend industry conferences and events.
- Join your local chamber of commerce.
- Participate in alumni chapters.
- Get involved in community activities.
9. Stay consistent.
Post frequently to keep followers updated on trends and news. It can be substantial work to get up and running, but a personal branding campaign can pay off significantly. Remember that your brand should be unified online and offline. Emails, social media accounts and business cards should have consistent brand images and color schemes.
