Gone are the days where growing your personal brand was only for the heads of top companies with bottomless pockets. If done properly, building your personal brand can have tangible positive results for your business.
In today’s digital age we all have access to free tools and platforms to incorporate into our strategies which helps level the playing field for cash-strapped entrepreneurs. If you want to grow your personal brand and boost your sales then read on.
Have a Mission Statement
The key to any successful marketing or branding campaign is laying a solid foundation. Having a mission statement is going to give you something to refer back to when needed.
Your mission statement should include your business goals but look at it from the bigger picture. It’s not about how much revenue you want to make, instead take this as an opportunity to highlight the purpose of your business. Has this business been a dream of yours forever, does it have a focus on giving back to the community or supporting the environment? If you’re not sure where to start here are a few questions you can ask yourself when writing a mission statement.
What do we do?
How do we do it?
For whom do we do it?
What value do we bring?
Map Out Your Strategy
Personal branding requires more planning than many other marketing campaigns because reputation clings more strongly to individuals than it does to businesses. So, nailing that first impression with your audience is even more crucial!
Some preparation at this stage also reduces the likelihood of feeling overwhelmed and giving up before seeing any of the fruits of your labour. It doesn’t have to be overly complex but should guide you with a clear vision of how you want to present yourself to the world and what your personal brand will encompass.
Be Authentic, Create Value and Engage!
Remember that customers can spot a fake a mile away. So, when you are building your personal brand you must have the right intentions and be authentic. Anything artificial will be a signal to audiences to disregard what you have to say.
You can build stronger relationships with your community if you engage with them. If people are taking the time to comment on any of the value you are providing whether that is via a social media post, video or article you should try to respond. While it may not be possible to respond to all, you should aim to respond to a reasonable amount consistently, giving your audience an incentive to interact which will increase your reach to new people.
Highlight Your Expertise
Customers are on the hunt with the best of the best. If you can stand out from the crowd in your niche you are likely to get more leads than you can handle down the track. While it’s great to be relatable and interesting to your audience you need to make sure you are really highlighting your expertise.
Cut through the rest of the noise and drop some knowledge on them that is going to get them to pay attention to your skills. Many people who attempt to build a brand and fail will do so because they think highlighting your expertise means bombarding your audience with talk about yourself. Wrong! Demonstrate your skills and expertise by providing value.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Imagery
An important aspect of establishing your personal brand will include imagery, logos and colours. It’s important to create these early in the process as these assets would be used across your website, social media accounts, business cards and any other promotional items you may use.
Professional looking images are important because audiences engage with them more and it leaves a better impression. For entrepreneurs on a tight budget this doesn’t mean you need to save up to hire a professional or be left out. Be creative! Find ways you or your team members can create these images. If needed you can buy a DSLR pretty much anywhere and free tools such as Canva can be used to create beautiful social media content.
Collaborate for Exposure
Don’t be afraid to approach other prominent people in your niche for collaborations. The way you will collaborate depends on many factors such as the niche, what their personal brand is, where both of your audiences consume content and so on.
Remember, people will be happy to showcase your voice and expertise to their audience when you are providing value. This has to be a win-win situation for both parties, so you need to bring your “A game”! Some of the opportunities will be paid in the form of sponsorships and other instances you will be able to supply content to be shared with no charge. All you have to do is ask, you will be surprised how many people will be happy to oblige.
There are many tactics that can be included in your game plan of building your personal brand and it will be different for each individual so find what is right for you. Embrace unpaid opportunities for exposure and if or when your budget allows you can incorporate paid mediums such as sponsored influencer opportunities and paid social media advertising. At the core of it, personal branding is a tactic that injects your face and personality into the business, bringing a relatable human element. So get yourself out there! Remember that and you will be on the road to creating an awesome brand that helps you take your business to the next level.
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