What is Personal Branding and Why Do I Need It?
We talk a lot about branding (and so we should because it’s absolutely crucial for businesses to get it right), but personal branding is an area to which we owe a bit of airtime.
You might think personal branding doesn’t apply to you for a variety of reasons, but if any of the below resonate with you, it’s probably time you establish some personal branding strategy:
Are you personally involved in your business in any way?
Do you have an online presence? For example, are you on social media or Google-able?
Do you want to advance from your current role / industry / career
If you answered ‘Yes’ to an of these questions, then personal branding is something that should be on your radar.
What is personal branding?
Branding is the process every brand *should* go through to develop a unique identity in the market. It’s among the most vital aspects of your brand and business. As Hubspot puts it: products are never just products, right?
Products and services are also experiences and can even be tied in with our identities as human beings. A great example is when we identify as being an ‘Apple person’ versus an ‘Android person’. It’s more than just the product itself.
In a nutshell, branding tells the world what your brand is all about. The process of branding explores both the rational and practical side of why people will choose your brand to access certain products or services, as well as the emotional side of things. That is, how your brand makes them feel.
Personal branding might sound a little inauthentic — the idea of conjuring up a fake public persona or some such. Not always the case. Well at least it shouldn’t be and certainly doesn’t have to be.
Creating a considered personal brand
Personal branding is about ensuring you put your best foot forward.
In a world where we can learn one another’s star sign, favourite food and high school crush with a savvy Google search and Facebook stalk (we would never!), personal branding demonstrates an admirable sense of awareness of the world we live in and of ourselves.
When you develop a thought-out personal brand, there are plenty of benefits to enjoy:
Increase your credibility in your field: With a strong personal brand and consistent messaging, your audience will grow to know and trust you. Share on brand content that provides value and you will be well on your way to being seen as an authority in your industry.
Open yourself to opportunity: Everyone wants to connect with the right people for the right job, and effective personal branding can attract new opportunities. Be strategic about your personal branding to show the world what you’re all about and make powerful new connections.
Control the narrative: People are, whether you like it or not, going to form an opinion about you based on what they hear, see or discover about you online or elsewhere. Use personal branding to control the narrative.
Best of all, these personal branding benefits extend not only to you as an individual but can have a run-on effect on your business or brand more broadly too.
Getting started on your personal branding
The personal branding process begins with a good dose of self-reflection (yikes).
Get deep and be honest with yourself to achieve maximum authenticity.
We have a tried and tested approach we take when working with individuals on getting their personal branding just right. Whether you’re working on personal branding as a standalone or as an offshoot of a business brand, give us a shout to nail it from the get-go.