Personal branding plays a critical role in your success as an entrepreneur.
If you want to thrive in today's business world, you have to know who you are and what you bring to the table. Without a personal brand, you are just like everyone else.
Your personal brand is your unique personality and the signature that people remember, and ultimately, will pay for.
Are you ready to learn 6 tips that will help you build a powerful brand?
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Personal branding is the most valuable asset in your business.
A strong brand improves recognition and builds trust, which in turn, generates life-long customers. Almost everyone has a personal brand, whether they are aware of it or not. According to an AVG study, even 92% of children under the age of two already have a digital footprint. If you don't have a personal brand, now is the time to build one.
Before you do, it's important to realize that personal branding is greater than simply advertising or promoting yourself. Rather, it reflects the emotional reaction that you want people to have, when they hear your name, see you online, or meet you in real life.
In a world where competition is the norm, it's imperative that your business stands out from the crowd. Ask yourself, “What makes me distinctive? What do I want to be recognized for? What am I able to do that nobody else, or that not many people can do?”
Personal branding is a lifelong commitment.
It takes a lot of effort, energy, and time to build a name for yourself and your business. When I was building Project Life Mastery, I made the conscious decision to focus on my personal brand before I even thought about selling any products or services. This is how I have been able to become a thought leader and create a 7-figure Internet marketing brand.
In the words of Kevin Stimpson, “Having a personal brand is important for an entrepreneur because now more than ever, it’s important for CEOs and founders of companies/brands to come out to the forefront and connect with their audiences. People connect with people.”
The more personal brand exposure you get, the more brand exposure your business will get. It's a simple, yet powerful concept. If your only reason for being an entrepreneur is so that you can make money, your business won't last. When it comes to building your brand, you've got to take a long-term approach.
I would like to share with you my personal branding strategy. Every business is different, but I'm confident that these 6 tips will help you build a powerful brand that you are proud of.
1. Build Your Foundation
When you woke up this morning, did you consciously think about your personal brand and how you could make a winning first impression with people? An integral component of building your brand is figuring out who you really are and what you represent.
Authenticity is the foundation of personal branding. Sharing your message in an authentic way sparks feelings of loyalty and trust in others. Being authentic is all about having stated values and acting in alignment with them. What are your values? When it comes to your brand message, be wary of being inconsistent. Saying one thing and doing another will get you into trouble. It will cast doubt on your values and undermine your brand.
What do you bring to the table that is unique, and how do your skills and strength separate you from the competition? Your personal brand should be a true reflection of your skills, passions, values, and beliefs. Think about your brand personality and the vision, mission, and message that you want to get across.
It's important to keep your values at the heart of everything you do, whether that's interacting with people, networking on social media, or creating content. Nobody is you and that is your power. Make your brand about that.
2. Understand Your Target Audience
Everything starts and ends with your audience. It's your job to discover as much as you can about them – their values, their goals, and the difficulties that they are confronting. The best way to do this is by studying their behaviors on social media, forums, and review sites. As you build your personal brand, one of the biggest mistakes that you can make is trying to appeal to everyone.
The reality is that, if you are a jack of all trades, you are an expert at none. Everyone is not your ideal client. The more you able to pinpoint who your client avatar is, the better you will be able to create products and services that people truly value and need.
Here are some questions to help you develop your perfect client profile:
- Demographics: What is their age, gender, education, relationship status, income, profession, etc.?
- Desires and aspirations: What is their desired future? What are their dreams, goals, and aspirations?
- Pain points and challenges: What are they struggling with? What is preventing them from achieving their goals?
When you know who your target audience is and what makes them tick, then you can figure out how to solve their problems. When you do this, you will create long-term customers.
3. Create High-Quality Content
This is what I spend the majority of my time doing in my business. If you want to take personal branding seriously, you need to take content marketing seriously. This is the heart of your personal brand. Storytelling is a vital piece of your personal branding strategy, as it deepens the emotional connection that you have with your audience.
In the book, The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design, Marty Neumeier says that a brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or company. It’s not what YOU say it is. Rather, it’s what THEY say it is. Because of this, it's important that you always create content that satisfies your audience.
There are so many unique approaches that you can take when it comes to creating content. You can film YouTube videos, write blog posts, share photos and memes, or write an eBook, just to name a few. The big mistake that I see a lot of entrepreneurs make is developing and communicating content with the intent of selling. This may be in the form of dull course content or uninspiring websites.
People want facts, but they also want value. Clichéd buzzwords will not go over well. Take your time to master the art of crafting content that connects, engages, and inspires people on a deep level. This is what has allowed my business to skyrocket over the last few years. More importantly, don't be afraid to be vulnerable – talk about your struggles as much as you talk about your triumphs. Doing so will humanize you and your brand.
4. Promote Your Brand On Social Media
The Internet is an amazing tool to build your personal brand. It provides you with a platform to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Once you've built a strong foundation for your personal brand and understand your target audience, now you can choose which social media platforms will best support your business growth.
Of course, this decision will depend on your business model and who your target audience is. However, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn should definitely be a part of your social media strategy. In my opinion, there is no better platform than Facebook to build connections with your audience.
I encourage you to experiment with private Facebook groups. This gives you the ability to host webinars, live Q&A's, or training programs to your group. There are unique benefits to each social media platform, and each platform operates independently from one another. It's your job to find the ones that align best with your personal brand strategy.
5. Engage With Your Audience
Every entrepreneur knows what it's like when they are hitting their stride. It's a great feeling. However, what happens when you hit an obstacle and your audience stops engaging with you? Improving your personal brand isn't just about optimizing your social media profiles.
Rather, you have to give people a reason to listen to what you have to say. Moreover, you need to pay attention to what people are interested in. Study their comments on your posts. What are their pain points? What makes them come alive inside? Make note of which topics are getting the most attention and then craft content that aligns with it.
For example, when people leave comments on one of your Facebook or Instagram posts, show that you care and respond to them. You can do this by asking a provocative question or sharing a personal experience. If you consistently deliver value and engage with your audience, it will result in more leads and better conversions for your brand.
Lastly, don't be afraid to ask your audience for feedback. This is a great way of making your audience feel like they are a part of your brand. More importantly, you become known as someone that they can relate to and trust.
6. Build Your Network
If you want to build your online presence and grow your personal brand, you cannot just create content. You also need to share your knowledge on various platforms and network with like-minded people. This is how you will start to become a person of influence. If you don't put yourself out there and let people know who you are, then how do you expect to build your personal brand?
When I was first building my brand I would actively put myself in environments where I could network. I purposefully would hang out with people that were more successful than myself so that I could learn from them. This is called “working smart.” I was committed to doing anything and everything to grow my business. Are you?
Personal branding is a powerful tool for leveling up your business.
I hope that the 6 personal branding tips that I've shared today empower you to stand out and find your unique mark. The sooner that you can develop a powerful brand message, the better. If you don't have one yet, now is the time to dive into the process. It starts with deciding which direction you want your business to go, and what you bring to the table.
Are you ready to share your personal message with the world and level up your business?
Are you ready to master your online business? CLICK HERE to join my Online Business Mastery Accelerator program!
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