If you are marketing your business with social media then it is important that you understand personal branding and how it impacts your business. Whether you are a solopreneur, or part of a larger organisation your digital footprint contributes to how your business is perceived and regarded. So you need personal branding as part of your social media marketing strategy to ensure brand integrity and consistency.
Nothing new here
Personal branding isn’t just a social media thing and was first introduced as a concept in 1937 by Napoleon Hill in his classic book ‘Think and Grow Rich’. However, thanks to social media and search engines like Google personal branding has gone digital and continues to evolve.
If you’re not branding yourself, you can be sure others do it for you.
Everything that you post on social media is forming your personal brand. It’s important to take ownership of this and consider how future employers, potential customers and possible brand advocates will perceive your brand based on your activity and content. Brand Advocates can be the most effective sales people and can make a huge impact through their influence when they are committed to your brand.
Some benefits of taking ownership of your personal brand include that:
You can be yourself and be your brand - Be authentic and let us know who you really are. Your real brand should have no room for pretense.
You can build trust and credibility – Your reputation, reliability and relationships will all help win confidence and trust.
You can make an impression – If people take an interest in your brand they will form their own impression. You can (and should) help contribute to that impression.
You can set yourself apart – What do you do best or do differently? We are all unique and have something to offer. This is your chance to let us know why we should choose you.
Mixing business with pleasure
The connection between your business brand and your personal brand becomes more important each day. Social media has changed the way we connect and allows people to gain a greater understanding of the individuals behind the business. Those familiar with my personal brand know that I am a Christian, a family man, that I surf (& snowboard) every chance I get, that my dog Buddy is a huge part of my life, that I like positive quotes, that I’m a blogger and that I am passionate about helping businesses build relationships with their customers through social media. It’s important to consider how people perceive your personal brand and the connection to your business.
More on personal branding (check out theses great links):
The Real Definition of Personal Branding
Personal Branding History & Social Networks
37 Experts Share Their Best Personal Branding Tips For Entrepreneurs
How to start with a personal branding strategy using social media
Build your brand and increase engagement by thinking “community”
Conclusion
Personal branding needs to be part of your social media marketing strategy. By creating a compelling and consistent personal brand it will distinguish your identity, compliment your social media marketing efforts and help to build solid relationships along the way. Ready to start working on your personal brand? I’ve got some great ideas and would like to invite you to please CLICK HERE to contact me. The Infographic below also has 9 basic steps to create a personal branding strategy.
If you have found this content interesting, helpful or valuable please consider sharing it with your social networks. Thanks for reading and sharing. I’ll look forward to seeing you back here next week.
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Image credits [Wikimedia commons, Social Strategies] Infographic [Visual.ly]
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