It’sno secret that businesses need to have effective brand strategies in order to
succeed. While the term “brand” can be associated with luxury goods, foods, and
services, a personal brand is simply a company’s branding strategy used by top
executives and business owners to build an identity of their own. If you
operate a small business or are just getting started in the freelancing world,
building your personal brand may seem like a waste of time and money. But if
you operate at a level where your opinions and name recognition matter, then
having an authentic personal brand is essential to your success. Here are seven
ways that having a successful personal brand can lead to greater financial
freedom, global recognition, and more–all without breaking the bank:
Define your value proposition to customersand colleagues
Thefirst step toward having a successful personal brand is to clearly define your
value proposition to customers and colleagues. While many business owners
assume that the product or service they offer is the most important part of
their brand, this is not always the case. Customers and colleagues expect
businesses to clearly outline the value they provide in exchange for their
money or time. If customers don’t understand what’s in it for them, then they
won’t buy from you and colleagues won’t work for you. This leads to a bad
experience for both parties, so it’s essential to clearly define your value
proposition to create a compelling brand story that resonates with your
customers and colleagues.
Have an effective personal brand
Whenyou start to develop a personal brand, you’re essentially creating an identity
for yourself. While your professional identity should always be first and
foremost, your personal brand is the story you tell about yourself and your
business. There are many ways to create a personal brand, but the most
important aspect is to be consistent with your brand story and image. If you
have a flexible personality, you can always create a new brand story for each
new role you take on.
More about author Marisa Hochberg
Train and manage a team of pros
Onceyou have a solid branding strategy, the next major step is to create an
effective team of professionals to execute it. You can’t expect everyone on
your team to have a personal brand, but you can expect them to understand your
brand story and be consistent with it. As with most things in life, having a
team that knows what they’re doing means more success for everyone.
Use influencer marketing to grow yourpersonal brand
Somepeople are naturally leaders, while others want to follow because they love the
idea of being leaders. This is a perfect situation for influencer marketing,
which uses online communities and celebrities to increase awareness, drive
sales, and create brand loyalty among the target audience. How does your
product or service fit into the following communities? If you don’t know the
answer to this question, then you’re doing yourself a big disservice and
missing out on valuable brand exposure. Here are four popular social media
platforms where brands can engage their target audiences:
Write and speak from a personal brandperspective
Oneof the best ways to create a genuine relationship with your customers is to
craft your brand story from the perspective of your own experience. By talking
to customers and employees from the perspective of your own experience, you
communicate to them that you understand what they’re going through and what
they’re dealing with. By doing this, you create a more trustworthy brand
experience, which translates into more sales, more reviews, and ultimately, a
more favorable reputation for your business.
Create a content strategy that leveragesyour personal brand
Oneof the best ways to create content for your personal brand is to write about
your passions and experiences. There are many ways to do this, but the most
effective way is to choose topics that interest you and your target audience.
If you have a favorite hobby, you can write about it, or you can choose a topic
that is relatable to your industry and your clients.
Conclusion
Thebest way to start building a personal brand is to find a niche that you love
and then focused solely on that. You can review books, articles, and websites
about that niche through your laptop or computer while you’re on the go or at
work. Focus on what you love doing and sharing that love with the world, while
retaining your professional identity.
