Personal branding strategy how to do it- If you're a businessowner, you're probably well aware of the importance of personal branding. People are more inclined to hire you and pay more for your time if they are familiar with your personal brand.
Furthermore, having a well-known personal brand opens doors to opportunities such as speaking engagements, book sales, and media attention.
Establishing oneself as an expert is one of the most important aspects of developing an influential personal brand.
Many entrepreneurs are experts in their own right, but being an expert vs being perceived as an expert are two different things.
As a result, you may be losing potential clients to someone who isn't as knowledgeable or accomplished but has a strong personal brand.
Prospects who haven't worked with you before regarding strong personal brandingas the first (and quickest) indicator of trust in an economy where time is money.
#1 Personal Branding Strategy [To Grow Your Brand In 2023]
What Does It Mean To Have A Personal Brand?
Although the exact definition of personal branding varies depending on who you ask, the underlying notion is quite universal.
Personal branding is the process of influencing how others view you, usually with the purpose of establishing yourself as an authority figure in your field or area.
To put it another way, personal branding is the process of creating a personal brand - a distinct collection of characteristics or accomplishments that distinguishes you from others in your businessor niche.
Despite the fact that Larry's personal branding initiatives started by accident, it is usually a purposeful activity.
To put it another way, most people set out to build their personal brands in order to acquire traction in the industries in which they want to succeed.
Here are the 16 strategies to improve your personal branding.
Select A Television Channel
The first step in developing your own brand is to select a particular channel through which to make your mark. If you strive to become famous on numerous social mediaplatforms at the same time, you are unlikely to be successful on any of them.
“„Every major figure in the industry has a channel that helped them become renowned. Influential people find a venue for their message that has outrageously high engagement, whether on purpose or by accident - Larry explains.
“„Take, for example, Rand Fishkin(creator of Moz), who rose to online fame thanks to his YouTube Whiteboard Friday series. It was Medium for me.
Choose Your Message
It's time to choose your message when you've secured your personal branding channel. Hopefully, you already have some ideas for what you want to preach, but you must make sure that your message is appealing and consistent.
Larry explains, "There's the platform, and then there's the message." “What is your point?” says the message. Try to keep your message simple and consistent so that people will remember it.”
Larry suggests applying the same concepts to your personal message that you would to your company's branding.
What is your fundamental belief? Find out what it is, then make sure your audience remembers it.
Larry is most known for his tactical marketing hacks and as the industry's Quality Score algorithm expert.
While he has several messages that have connected with his audience, he is best recognized for his tactical marketing hacks and as the Quality Score algorithm guy. Larry has always preached the notion of "being a unicorn in a sea of donkeys." Why? Unicorns are exceptional, although donkeys are not.
Maintain A Professional-looking Personal Website
Though most businesses focus on PR, guest posting, and other methods to boost their own brands, they frequently overlook one of the few digital assets they genuinely control: their own websites!
Sure, having a feature you wrote appear as the first link on Google when someone searches your name is wonderful, but having a link to your page with all of your press features, services, work, testimonials, and more is even better.
You can make your digital presence more than simply visual candy by creating a personal site; you're providing folks the opportunity to work with you. Plus, if you don't currently contribute to a business newspaper, you can start a blog on your own website!
You can get it ready in no time with tools like WordPress, and with the correct blog content and approach, you can do a number of things:
- By sharing interesting information, you can gain followers.
- Use your blog as a lead generation tool to gain greater internet exposure and close more sales.
- Over time, establish credibility as a thinking leader.
It takes time to make a personal website work for you (particularly if you have a common name! ), but if done right, it pays off over time.
Twitter! Use It To Communicate With The Media
While journalists and writers receive hundreds of pitch emails from publicists and CEOs, they take the time to read each and every one of them.
Plus, writers enjoy dealing with the same people over and over, so if you proposed a wonderful idea or connected the writer to a source she needed once, you can count on them to help you again and again.
Here's how I'd suggest beginning the relationship.
To begin, keep in mind that you don't have endless opportunities to pitch, so make each one count. While email is a viable option for pitching, I recommend joining Twitter and following the writers who cover your industry.
Writers frequently issue "source requests," which are invitations to meet with people who fit the story they want to write. This is a terrific approach to get your tale in front of writers if you've been engaging with their posts.
Even if your story isn't a good fit, asking if you can make an introduction to someone who might be a better fit will save the journalist time.
Provide value first, and when you need something, it will all come back to you.
Make Your Stories Known
Though it's crucial to use assets you own (such as personal websites and email lists), existing platforms with built-in audiences can frequently be even more beneficial.
Contributing to reputable business newspapers or even smaller business blogs is a perfect illustration of this.
You could believe that in order to be selected for writing for these journals, you must be the CEO of a hugely successful firm.
That isn't the case at all. It all boils down to storytelling; if you have an engaging and valuable narrative to share, you'll have a good chance of being published in these journals.
Although your own blog may not have a large number of subscribers, some of these other publications do.
People who love your writing are more inclined to seek you out or employ you to assist them with a topic on which you've written.
Personal Branding Is 80% About How You Work With Clients (Not Marketing)
When it comes to personal branding, you're attempting to transmit the idea that you're dependable... on a large scale.
However, before you can accomplish something at scale, you must first be able to do it successfully in small doses.
In their pursuit of new clients, too many entrepreneurs overlook their existing customer base.
That's not a good way to run a business since, for one thing, your current customers are a great source of testimonials and referralsto new consumers.
According to Gartner, only 20% of your current clients will provide 80% of your company's future revenue.
Overall, focusing on customer retention can help you and your organization establish a solid reputation.
As a result, you will be known as a trustworthy service provider rather than a publicity-seeking opportunist.
Keep Your Eyes On Focus
“When it comes to press and media, too many people are unfocused, attempting to be "everything to everyone." Cooper Harris, the founder and CEO of Klickly, advises, "Decide what your essential message is and adhere to it."
Her personal brand has shifted dramatically, from professional actress to respected techentrepreneur, and she's handled it by focusing solely on one message at a time.
It will be much easier to both develop material around your personal brand and have others define you if you keep your message focused on your target audience.
In fact, when it comes to speaking, Adam Smiley Poswolsky, millennial workplace expert and author of The Breakthrough Speaker, advises speakers to "create a niche, and then carve a niche within your niche."
The most effective personal brands are quite specific. Juan Felipe Campos, VP of technology and a partner at Manos Accelerator, takes it a step further by focusing on the communities that his large-scale clients target.
“„To become memorable inside a specific audience, keep your message and content consistent to one niche topic.
It's easier for consumers to remember who you are if your brand is tighter and more focused. And when it's time to hire a speaker or a new employee, they'll remember your narrowed-down brand.
Be Sincere
Being real and authentic is a simple method to create your own personal brand. Monica Lin, a millennial influencer and the head of marketing at Popular Demand says:
“„People can see right through a deceptive act.
The more evident a brand's copycat status is, the more the audience will call out the perpetrator. Monica's personal brand exploded after she started communicating with her followers on Twitter in a more meaningful way.
“„Be sincere. It will make managing your own brand on a daily basis much easier.
Elumynt's Facebook ad expert, William Harris, noted.
Your personal brand should be a simple everyday filter through which you create content and communicate with your target audience. Finally, CoinState's Justin Wu advises:
“„Be a master of your specialty, skillset, or industry before launching a personal brand." Then your material will assist you to express yourself more clearly.
Make Up A Story
You've already lost half of your potential audience if your personal brand doesn't convey a narrative.
The most effective personal branding technique these days is to develop a true narrative - single character monologues are boring in Tinseltown, and much more boring for your personal brand,” says Allen Gannett, chief strategy officer of Skyword and author of The Creative Curve.
No one wants to hear you shout about your business into the abyss of social media, so construct a story around it that your audience can get involved in. Allen meets and converses with his audience in airports throughout the world on a regular basis, furthering his warm and approachable personal brand.
Written or video material is one of the most effective ways to share that tale. This is certainly the case with Pelpina Trip, a social video strategist. Her own LinkedIn video channel has some of the greatest engagement rates on the network.
“„Video is the most personal method to communicate online. Simply video chat your clients, build a personal connection with prospective clients, and communicate with coworkers using your smartphone. After all, you're always carrying your smartphone!
Consistency Is Key
Consistency is comparable to having a limited focus - much easier to become known for a single issue if you develop content and brand voice around it on a regular basis. Fyiona Yong, director and millennial leadershipcoach advises:
“„"Ensure that your personal brand promise remains constant, both online and offline" (ICF ACC).
She works with millennials in the corporate world on a daily basis to help them clarify their more conservative careergoals.
“„You must be consistent in your communication, seriousness, and physical presence. Don't overlook how minor errors can derail the success of your own brand.
On the other hand, CyreneQ, a top Snapchat storyteller, recommends "something consistent either visually or personality-wise." Something distinctive that people will associate with your brand and recognize as yours.
For instance, a sidekick mascot or a catchphrase that you repeat after each video - anything that viewers can relate to.” Ele, her companion mascot, has racked up millions of views on Snap for brand work, allowing her to represent big box retailers like Walmart and DC.
So whether you're developing a wild, out-there entertaining brand or one that's a little more conventional and business, consistency is crucial.
Prepare To Fail
Failure is difficult, and we all want to avoid it - it's human nature. However, in order to establish a personal brand that stands out from the crowd, you must first fail.
When Walt Disney reflected on his failed first attempts at developing an animation brand, he frequently mentioned this.
“„I believe that having a good hard failure when you're young is vital. That taught me a great deal. Because it makes you more conscious of what can go wrong.
And the worst-case scenario is never as terrifying as not trying at all.
Timothy Hoang, CEO of Stories By Tim, Inc., likes to advise his influencer clients:
“„You'll never attain the best branding until you fail a couple of times while pushing past your comfort zone.
The most successful brands are always the result of persistent trial and error, mistakes, and failures, rather than instant perfection.
Make A Positive Impression
There are basically two ways to continue to expand your personal brand after you've created it over time: jump over others and burn bridges, or steadily grow a community around your brand.
This advice comes from Jacob Shwirtz, WeWork's head of social partnerships, who has worked with several of the world's greatest influencers, including beauty artist Michelle Phan.
Maintaining a cheerful attitude and assisting people will only help your brand flourish in a healthy way in the long term.
Take A Cue From A Successful Person
“„Individuals who are interested in personal branding should begin promoting themselves in the same way that celebrities and prominent people whom they like do every day.
Says Jason Wong, CEO of Wonghaus Ventures.
He's been dubbed the "Meme King" after his own brand went viral multiple times over topics including ice cream in Japan, inflatable pool toys, and memes.
His success is typically the result of him researching trends and popular people on various social media platforms and then putting them into practice with a twist.
If you pay attention across many social media platforms rather than focusing primarily on one, you may be able to creatively deconstruct social statistics and identify the next big trend.
Make Your Brand A Way Of Life
Separating your personal brand from your personal life, as previously discussed, is one technique to make it tough for yourself to establish a personal brand.
While it is possible, it is easier to have your actual lifestyle and brand be one and the same when first developing a personal brand.
Tim Salau, the community builder and creator of Mentors & Mentees, believes in this concept as well.
He works with college students to help them establish brands that will get them hired.
“„You should carry your personal brand with you wherever you go. It must be a true reflection of who you are and an amplification of your beliefs.
With this in mind, your personal brand is more than just a collection of job functions like marketing, finance, or creative, it's also a representation of values like giving back, thoughtful leadership, and mentorship.
Allow Others To Tell Your Tale
Word of mouth is the most effective kind of public relations. This rule applies to building a personal brand in the public domain as well.
Aaron Orendorff, editor in chief at Shopify Plus, uses entertaining videos and the occasional rabbit co-host to communicate his personal narrative, and his audience remembers.
They can recall the bright costumes and animal buddies from the novel and connect those elements to their understanding of his brand.
Make A Lasting Impression
After you've established your own brand and created a following, the next step is to consider the legacy you'll leave behind.
What keywords and behaviors do you want to be remembered for?
“„Developing a personal brand is considerably greater than building a business.
Says Blake Jamieson, an artist at Blake Jamieson LLC who paints pop art portraits of notable tech and sports heroes. The only way out is to leave a legacy.
A personal brand is a never-ending project that changes and evolves. Even the specialists who establish or enhance the world's most well-known brands recognize that there are no hard-and-fast rules for developing a personal brand.
However, following fundamental rules might help you get started, especially if you're launching a new brand or rebrandingan existing one.
Not only will developing a strong personal brand help you become more well-known in your sector and secure more jobs, but it might also mean the difference between “Who are you?” and “Thank you for being here” in your career.
How Is Personal Branding Done?
Personal branding is discovering your individuality, establishing a reputation for the things you want to be known for, and then enabling yourself to be recognized for them. Ultimately, the objective is to design something that can be marketed while still conveying a message.
What Are The Branding Strategies?
A branding strategy, by definition, is a long-term plan for the development of a successful brand in order to achieve specified goals. A well-defined and implemented brand strategy has a direct impact on all areas of a business and is closely related to customer requirements, emotions, and competitive situations.
Is It Safe To Brand Yourself?
The burn, unlike a tattoo or piercing, is permanent, so be sure it's something you want. Make sure the operation is done in a secure, professional location. If done incorrectly, it might result in severe infection, a disfiguring scar, or both.