The word “personal brand” means different things to different people. Some people see it as your public image while others view it as the way you carry yourself as an individual. However, it is not that simple as personal branding is not something fixed, it evolves over a period of time.
But, why personal brand is important? Whether you are a CEO, entrepreneur, or the CXO of a multinational company, the way people perceive you matters a lot. Hence, it’s important to understand what is personal branding. In this blog, we will explore the 5 proven strategies for CEOS and CXOS to accelerate their brand.
First, let’s understand the basic definition of a personal brand.
What Exactly is a Personal Brand?
Contrary to popular belief, a personal brand is not just an extension of your personality, skillsets, and core values. If you ask, why personal brand is important? The answer is building a strong public brand will help you to stand out from your competitors and establish your company’s brand.
It’s not to make an individual famous but to leverage the branding of the CXO, CEO, and Founder to gain better visibility for the corporate brand. It’s about embodying your unique personality and sharing your experiences in a way that sets a powerful tone for your company. Take, for example, Elon Musk whose personal branding alone is building Tesla’s reputation. Therefore, building your brand lends credibility and authenticity to your business.
6 Ultimate Strategies for Personal Branding
A personal brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room. So, now that you understand why personal brand is important, let’s delve into 5 best strategies to improve your brand and increase your company’s growth.
1. Authenticity is the key
First, try to answer these questions:
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- What are your core belief systems?
- Who are you trying to serve?
- What is the long-term purpose of your life?
Once, you have answered all the questions, you will be able to align yourself better with why personal brand is important. Moreover, it’s also equally important for you to consistently deliver a promise to your target audience. The brand should be a mix of your image, mission, values, and vision.
Another essential part is the tone and voice of personality, the technical and visual aspects. People need to know they can trust you so figure out what works best for you. Remember, it’s always best to stick to being you. Do not fake it till you make it because people will instantly notice whether you are being real or not.
2. Present a Clear Value Element
The best way to define why personal brand is important is it can take you places where your position can’t. However, you need to be clear about what you plan to offer to your target audience in exchange for their time. Let’s say you are the CEO of an IT firm providing technical support to large-scale software companies.
The first question you should ask is the challenges these companies are facing in their day-to-day business activities. Do they have proper IT support and the budget to maintain the huge network structure and what do I offer to gain the attention of the top brass of these companies?
Whether you are providing IT support, network expansion tips, or advice on operational efficiency, you need to communicate it clearly to your audience.
3. Define Your Content Strategy
You are clear about your value proposition and how you want to position yourself in the market. However, what is the strategy to tell your story in an industry that is overcrowded with millions of branding stories?
Figure out the tone and understand why personal brand is important to you. There are 4 different ways to make an impact online.
- Inspirational – This is a tricky strategy but if people start to resonate with your idea or a personal challenge or anecdote, they will trust you easily.
- Engagement – The global attention span of an average human is decreasing rapidly. You need to engage your audience by asking proper questions, taking part in a competition, and inviting them to reply to a poll. Irrespective of your content, building engagement with people creates long-term value for your business.
- Education – This is the best way to impact others as a business. However, it’s important to make sure people are interested in your content. You need to educate people on things they are interested in learning about. Don’t force information on them.
- Entertainment – The tone of B2B content is authoritative, informative, and formal. However, that shouldn’t mean you can’t include a playful element in your tone. If you can catch the attention of your target audience, it’s a win-win situation for you.
4. Be Present Everyday
Consistency compounds to big results over time, and understanding why personal brand is important and building one takes a lot of effort. You can’t expect to build a brand in a single day. Neither will it work if you work for a single week and ignore it for 4 weeks straight.
You need to understand that building a brand requires consistency not intensity. Produce a variety of quality content and use social media marketing to boost your online brand and people will eventually find their way to your content.
5. Craft a Compelling Persona
Everyone loves a good story and your online presence should effectively reflect a relatable and impactful persona. It should define who you are and how you got to where you are today. The story should capture attention, create empathy, and compel your audience to take proper action.
Share your knowledge and expertise by weaving a great story that reflects your core principle. People don’t buy from companies, people buy from people, and whether you are selling technical products or services, your brand will create long-term value for your audience.
6. Company-Focussed Brand Growth
When we say personal branding, we shouldn’t talk only about the brand of an individual. The first step is to build your presence and amplify your brand to build a positive narrative for your company. It’s not about you, it’s your business that sets the tone for long-term professional success. Here’s why personal branding is important to build your company’s reputation.
- A strong brand linked with company-oriented messaging creates lifelong clients for your business.
- In highly competitive B2B industries, it gets easier for people to notice your product and service if you have a strong USP and brand.
- Irrespective of your niche, people will like to get in touch with your company because they feel it’s trustworthy and credible.
- Moreover, attracting top talent and managing resources becomes easy.
Still confused about why personal brand is important, don’t worry, let’s address the commonly asked questions that will solve your doubts.
FAQS – Why Personal Brand is Important?
Why is a personal brand useful?
Personal brand sets the stage for infinite opportunities and people start recognizing you as a market leader in terms of the value you provide.
Why personal brand is important for a CEO?
A solid personal brand will help you attract top talent, discover new opportunities, and bring potential leads to your company. By leveraging personal branding, you are building a public image that represents your personality, skill, and competency.
Everybody likes to follow a credible leader and branding allows you to enhance your credibility as a thought leader.
How to craft a killer personal brand statement?
Follow a long-term content-driven strategy which can include social media marketing, content marketing, and video marketing. When you have a digital presence as the CEO of a company, you will nurture genuine relationships and find newer ways to connect with people.
What are the 4Cs of personal branding?
The 4 crucial elements of personal branding include – Clarity, Consistency, Connection, and Content.
What is the power of personal branding?
Personal branding will open doors for you and take you to places you have never imagined. It will help you build relationships with stakeholders, suppliers, vendors, and customers. Branding is the secret recipe for your personal and professional growth.
Final Takeaway
To conclude, you are your own brand, and understanding why personal brand is important will enable you to deliver promises to people. Reflect your true self and above all be authentic to yourself and your target audience.
If you are looking for social media marketing solutions to boost your online brand, do not hesitate to get in touch with Midas. We offer cutting-edge branding and content marketing solutions to IT and technology firms in the B2B sector.