A personal brand is what comes to the mind of others whenever they think of you or search for you online. People represent what they find online with you. If there are negative things online, people might not get the correct impression of you. Your business may have strong branding, but what about you? A personal brand serves as a great marketing tool and offers a whole host of benefits, making it something that’s worth developing.
Your personal brand should encompass your goals, values, skills, and specializations basically, you’re dictating how you want the world to perceive you.
1. A personal brand opens up opportunities: The internet is the primary source of information when recruiters or companies are sourcing for hires. If people perceive your personal brand as one that’s reliable, trustworthy and provides value, they’re more likely to keep you in mind, or refer you when good opportunities show up.
2. A personal brand is important in the digital age: Imagine you’re getting a new job and HR needs to run background checks. It is likely that a quick Google search will take them to your LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or other social media profiles. This is why it is important to be mindful about building your personal brand online. Have a professional photo taken for your LinkedIn profile so that people will take you seriously. Share or create relevant content. Collect references from former colleagues or employers to corroborate the information you share about yourself online. The content you put forward is content that’s within your control, so make sure you do it well!
3. It separates you from the competition: How can your brand stand stand-out in a crowded marketplace? One way is for CEOs to promote their personal brand. It creates an individuality that competitors can’t match. For example, would Disney have been the same without Walt? Could Apple have survived without Steve Jobs? These dynamic forces were able to differentiate their brands because they were passionate and sincere about their brand. Without CEOs like Disney or Jobs, it’s hard to imagine that their brands would have found much success.
4. It drowns out negative results: Since we’re only human, we’re bound to make a mistake here and there. That hiccup, however, could be costly. For example, the brand reputation dropped for Papa John’s after CEO John Schnatter stated he would only allow employees to work 30 hours per week so that he wouldn’t have provided them with healthcare benefits. However, when you promote yourself effectively, you’re able to have control over those negative results. This is accomplished by contributing to social media platforms like LinkedIn or sharing your expertise by guest blogging on publications like the Huffington Post or Forbes because the content that you’ve created will appear at the top of search results. In conclusion, promote your personal brand as much as possible and it will help your company to grow exponentially. It will also help others out there to follow in the path of your success.
5. Personal branding increases salesOne of the most popular benefits of personal branding campaigns is an increase in sales. Leads generated by employees through social media activities, as opposed to company social media activities, are seven times more likely to convert. Also, the B2B sales process is lengthy. It typically takes five to seven impressions for someone to remember a brand. Personal branding efforts, such as posting on social media, are a nonintrusive way to help nurture leads.
