Your business brand is vitally important, but so is building your personal brand.
As with business branding, your unique brand should be built around an individual voice and a signature image, as well as a standard that is instantly recognisable by your customers or clients.
Personal branding is so important because people have a tendency to trust people much more than businesses. Many will believe that businesses are only in the market to make money – unlike individuals, who can be perceived as having far more benevolent and attractive assets.
People generally prefer to do their business with individuals rather than faceless businesses, meaning that strong personal branding can ultimately boost business success.
Good personal branding will allow you to form a reputation and establish an identity whilst building up trust and interacting with both present and future customers and clients. You can become well known for being an expert in your field, attracting people through your reputation and expertise.
In order to build your brand, however, it is essential to be true to yourself. A fake image is impossible to maintain in the long run, and insincerity is surprisingly easy to spot. In contrast, a brand built on honesty and authenticity is one most likely to inspire trust and loyalty.
The key to building up your personal brand is getting yourself out there, whether through speaking engagements, conferences or other networking opportunities.
In order to ensure that you make the most of this sort of event, work on honing your communication skills to ensure that you stand out from the pack and demonstrate both your knowledge and confidence.
You should also take other opportunities to get attention for yourself and your brand, such as taking part in interviews or writing articles. Start small if necessary and build up to bigger forums and audiences.
Forming relationships with media companies and outlets and having your name attached to a wide variety of articles or televised pieces will also add to your brand authority, reinforcing the idea of your being the go-to person in your particular field.
You must also ensure that you keep abreast of your industry or sphere of expertise in an ever-changing world in order to maintain this position of authority.
Another essential part of personal brand building is working on your online presence. This means not just building it but monitoring it and constantly refining it as well.
A social media presence is essential, but so too is a personal brand website and a commitment to ensuring that you are presented in the best possible way on all sites. Google your name frequently and monitor perceptions and opinions, using these to refine your approach.
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