Why Personal Branding is so important right now
“In a world where you can be anything, be yourself”
Building a personal brand has never been more important than it is right now. Living in uncharted waters with the global economy taking a massive hit, none of us knows what the remaining impact will be on ourselves and our businesses. But one thing we can do - whilst digital platforms continue to thrive - is to spend time building and working on our personal brand and taking this time to invest in ourselves.
What exactly is a personal brand?
Your personal brand is a relationship with you, not your company. It’s what people think and feel about you by what you put out there. It’s what you become known for. People don’t do business with companies; they do business with people – and people they like. It’s therefore pivotal to develop a positive reputation by creating meaningful connections and allowing yourself to be known for these things.
Why should you build one right now?
Without a compelling and engaging personal brand, particularly amid a worldwide pandemic, it’s going to be difficult to sustain your business. Your brand sets you apart from those around you and has a lasting impact on your target audience and customers. Having your face and voice connected to your business creates greater trust and authority much quicker than through company branding. Building a strong personal brand can increase exposure and ultimately, the strong bonds you create lead to customer loyalty, and that’s how you develop your business.
So how do you go about building your brand?
Focus on who you are and your key message
Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not and don’t try to be a multitude of things. The worst thing you can do is copy another brand so be genuine and engage in a meaningful way with your audience. Focus on your skills and qualifications, your interests and passions, and your core values. Once you’ve narrowed down your focus to what you’re all about and you’ve decided on your key message, stick to it and stay consistent. How do you want others to see you and what do you want people to think when they hear your name? Make it something people will remember.
Develop the key elements of your brand
The next step is to look at the key elements of your personal brand and how these will piece together. Focus on your brand vision; what do you want to be known for?, your brand mission; what is your purpose?, your brand message; what do you want to communicate?, and your brand personality; how do you want to come across?
Find what makes you unique
What problem do you solve, what’s the one thing you can do that no one else can and what makes you special? Follow your life’s purpose and what you feel you’ve been put on this earth to do and everything will start to make sense and shift into place. Draw from your education, knowledge and past experiences and most importantly focus on your strengths and how you can help others through their struggles and to achieve something.
Choose your target audience and build a community
Not everyone is your ideal client. Carve your niche, identify a specific target audience and build a brand that relates to them. Think about demographics, desires and aspirations, and the challenges they face. Focus on becoming a thought leader in your specific niche and build a community for people to interact with each other, share ideas and contact you directly. Understanding your audience and the problems they face is crucial in developing a strong personal brand that meets their interests and it’s how you’ll make your impact.
Develop a content strategy
The most successful personal brands publish significant amounts of online content and it’s one of the most effective ways to build on your brand and earn the trust and loyalty of your target audience. Create content that actually helps them and you’re halfway there. Don’t be tempted to post large amounts of content to get your name out there that’s irrelevant or inconsistent with your brand messages. Focus on a few core themes you’re passionate about and keep it clear and concise.
Most importantly, be your authentic self.
Your personal brand is personal to you, so be vulnerable, be authentic, stay true to your values and you’ll appeal to the ones you want to leave an impact on.