How To Create A Personal Brand Identity For Your Business
One of the most powerful and influential marketing tools in the world is your Brand. It is a key to your business identity that helps to create a unique image and a consistent message to your prospects and customers. This is where understanding how to brand yourself properly comes into play and personal branding is particularly important in the current economy where first impressions can be affected by a bad first impression. Personal branding is an important step in your continuing career success, it s not just for students or job hunters, it is an essential component of any business you join or establish. Let us explore how personal branding can help you achieve your business goals.
How do you effectively create your personal brand?
Your Brand is much more than what you wear, your home accessories and your car; it is your consistent messaging that communicates with your prospects and helps to define your brand within your industry. Branding allows you to: Set the standard for your industry, build brand loyalty and recognition, set yourself apart from your competition, give your customers a reason to trust you and much more. You must brand yourself as a leader, a mentor and someone they can trust and rely upon. The most powerful branding strategy is personal branding because it allows you to position yourself as a leader within your industry and position your products, services and reputation in a positive light.
Brand yourself as a thought leader.
A thought leader is someone who is considered an expert in their particular field. There are many examples of thought leaders such as Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and President Obama. Applying this same concept to your personal brand will allow you to position yourself as an expert within your particular field.
The second step to personal branding is to start to use social media correctly.
The internet is a powerful marketing tool and should be treated as such. As a social media platform it allows you to connect with millions of potential customers that you wouldn’t otherwise have access to. Branding yourself through social media allows you to become the go to person for your particular niche.
Finally, your personal brand statement needs to be consistent with your marketing plan.
Consistency in branding allows you to maintain integrity, credibility and professionalism. If you are inconsistent in applying your branding strategy to your personal brand you risk losing those consumers that you have cultivated over time. The last thing you want to do is get rid of all your relationships with these consumers but instead keep them in your mind.
Brand yourself as a thought leader, a mentor and someone they can trust and rely upon.
This brand image will not only help you to build relationships with your target market but also help you to become an expert within your specific niche. Consistency of personal branding will help you to develop a strong brand image. With the help of a clear brand image you are far more likely to achieve the success you are looking for in your business.
Question
How did you create your brand the first time ? Leave a comment below with your answer.