Why Building a Personal Brand Is Important For Your Business

Whether you know it or not, you have a personal brand. Google yourself and what pops up? These results are the first impression people will have of you. 

Is it a good one? 

Is the information you are sharing across social media consistent?  

Your target market is going to Google you to learn more about who you are.

Not taking your personal brand seriously can lose you customers as you don’t have a strong and engaging personal brand.

Not sure personal branding is for your small business? Take a look at these 2 examples.

Personal Branding Example #1

Jessica Alba is a mom and Hollywood actress. But if this wasn’t enough to keep her busy she is an entrepreneur. Creating her company Honest which provides natural baby products all derived from her experience as a mom. 

If you go on the website, you see Jessica Alba with her family. By doing this, she is trying to show authenticity whilst capturing the hearts of her customers.

Jessica Alba is using her personal brand as she has an already established following who will have already placed their trust in her.

Personal Branding Example #2

Shakira is a singer, which is how we all know her. Along with this she has a range of perfumes under her personal brand. In her personal brand she is using her latino side more and therefore attracting latinos to her brand. This is what will differentiate Shakira’s perfume range from her competitors such as Beyonce.

As a latino/a, you can engage with other latinos in a way that people who are not a latino can engage with potential customers.

As you can see personal branding works wonders. But what if you are not an actress or singer with an already established following, should you even bother?

Here are 4 reasons why you should be building a personal brand for your business.

Reason #1: Builds Trust In Your Small Business

Business success is about more than brand awareness, it's also about credibility and trust. Consumers want to feel positively toward the leadership of a new company before becoming its customers.

Creating a personal brand helps you to build trust with your potential customers. In a personal brand, relationships are built on a human level. Showing clear and genuine intentions towards your potential customers. 

Source | Huffpost

Managing your personal brand and reputation relies on you building trust in everything you say and do.

When we think of trust and what it means, we realize it encompasses many things. We use the word “trust” to interpret what people say and to describe behaviors. We use it to decide if we’re comfortable sharing information, and to signal whether we believe other people have our interests at heart.

Reason #2: Builds Connections For Growth

Your business is a community, not an island. You can't run it alone and that is why you need to build connections.

Running a small business and building a personal brand requires you to build connections. Connections help you to grow your business as they can give you the resources you need or put you in front of the people who shall grow your personal brand.

Overall, the breadth and depth of your connections is critical to your business success. Here are 3 strategies for you to build connections for growth.

• Maintain An Active Social Media Presence

  • Social media was built for professionals of all kinds to network. It was not just created for friends and family to share funny videos.

    Being active on social media (especially LinkedIn) can provide you with opportunities to connect with other influencers and experts in your niche.

• Cultivate Relationships Over Time

  • Sticking with social media, you need to build relationships, in particular relationships with staying power. Relationships with staying power are those which develop through a gradual, intentional process. 

    This process can take months or even years of consistent engaging with one another. So you need to be truly dedicated to building relationships for the long haul. When building relationships, don't just focus on the professional, but also the personal and inspirational sides. 

    This helps you to make stronger, more valuable connections.

• Try Different Networking Events

  • Of course social media is not the only place you can network. There are network events happening right now in your local town. These networking events have business owners who can assist in the growth of your small business.

Reason #3: Builds Credibility

Having a personal brand is important for your business as it allows you to build credibility. Building credibility in personal branding enables you to

• Establish your name as a thought leader

• Positions you as an expert in your niche

• Helping to gain recognition in your area of expertise

To build that credibility with your target market, then you need to increase your visibility. Increase your visibility by being on social media, having webinars, attending networking events and speak at events.

Building credibility will drive a personal brand to the top of the chosen marketplace.

Reason #4: Show Authenticity

Consumers are getting more and more skeptical about brands they should be buying from. They are not just interested in what you are offering. Consumers are interested in the brand's story and values as they want to resonate and connect with brands.

With this in mind, you need to show authenticity in all aspects of your personal brand. Authenticity removes any feelings of skepticism about your brand and your offerings.

Personal branding doesn’t allow individuals to create a contrived voice or a fake persona that is not genuinely them.

Show authenticity in all aspects of your small business and you will not end up in this situation. In building a personal brand show your 

• Passion

• Skills

• Goals

• Values

Source | Smart Insights

Building a personal brand on social media is vital for you to really connect with your target market. Creating that authenticity, trust and credibility can all be done on social media. 

If you are struggling to grow your small business and create a personal brand then book a free consultation call.

If however you want to just grow your brand on Instagram. Let’s face it, Instagram is a growing visual platform that attracts millennials. So if your small business wants to attract younger customers then take advantage of this e-course.