What & Why of Personal Branding
To firstly put it very, very simply, in essence, personal branding is the combination of who you are, what you are doing and how you are doing it. It is your purpose and your character; and how your audience perceives you.
But what does that mean?
The personalization of business is a key characteristic of how industries have changed in the last decade. Brands and marketing have become so incorporated and entangled within our daily lives that we are exposed to so many messages all day, often without noticing. Whereas in the past, the idea of a “brand” was exclusive to the business world. This is now an outdated concept.
These days, we are all brands, in effect. Even our personal social media account shares our brand with our friends and families—even if we do not always realize so. Our accounts are full of the things we care about, our interests, and the experiences we have. There are, often, a “highlight reel” of our lives and they are all the things we want people to see us as.
Hence, personal branding.
Your personal brand is, in part, the relationship that your audience will have with you and your endeavor. It is what you want to be known for and how people will recognize you.
See the similarities? You likely already have a personal brand, of sorts. But, since that you are probably already online you may be wondering why you need to curate such a defined brand, too.
There are an abundance of reasons why having a strong personal brand is a requirement of business.
Good personal branding helps attract more clients—it encourages engagement and feeds credibility. Rather than just being a mystery behind a screen, it shows that you are a real person, and therefore you have a higher level of influence over your audience.
In terms of a social media presence, people are often more inclined to want to follow another person, than they are a random, faceless business account. Thus, good personal branding can encourage people to follow you, as a person (a brand) and you will then introduce them to your business endeavors. This does not mean you have to have two accounts; you can be your business; it just means that your personality must shine through.
In addition, quality personal branding permits premium pricing.
Consumers pay more for a product that is backed by a quality and reputable brand. Just think about smartphones—despite numerous, cheaper options being readily available on the market, people tend to gravitate towards the same, more expensive brands. Without branding, you are just a product that is subject to intense competition; branding is what sets you, and your price range, apart.
Consumers do not want to engage in business with a brand, instead they would much rather to interact with a person and know that, by proxy, they are helping another person live their dreams. Therefore, good personal branding builds relationships with your audience—your interactions can be more authentic and personal, while your audience is more loyal, more engaged, and less likely to switch to a competitor’s product.
It is how you differentiate yourself from everyone else; how you show that you are better, more qualified, and more credible than the rest. It increases your influence and persuasive power over your audience and is a fantastic way to add value to your endeavors.
If you do not put in the time to develop your personal branding at the beginning of your venture, you will likely spend significantly more time later on undoing the damage of uncontrolled or chaotic branding. It is far better for you, professionally, to develop a personal branding strategy, implement it and then adjust and monitor as your brand develops. This helps you remain up to date and, over time, will change organically.
It is far better to have a cultivated personal branding strategy from the outset, than have to do damage control and completely reinvent your online presence.
Additionally, personal branding can be pre-emptive form of marketing—it means you already have a good reputation in the eyes of your audience. In the unfortunate circumstances that a bitter and disgruntled customer, or unprofessional competitor tries to discredit you or spread negative misinformation, you will already have a robust platform. Already having a strong positive brand association makes your personal branding more stable and able to withstand shocks and will also provide less of a need for crisis management.
A strong personal brand creates a bond with your customers before you attempt to market your products or services to them. It means they are already on your team and want you to succeed.
Now that the idea of personal branding has been well-established in your mind, it is time to begin, or revamp, your own.
When reading the following lessons, you may find it helpful to stop, and write down any thoughts you have, or any answers to the questions posed. Being able to understand what, and why, and how things apply to your personal circumstances is essential in succeeding to create a valuable and credible personal branding strategy.