Brands aren’t just for businesses, but having a personal brand is nothing new. It’s actually something that more and more people – particularly those in charge – are trying to focus on as a way for their business to stand out from those around them. As a way to rise above the noise and as a way to be seen, heard and bought.
You see, people don’t buy from brands. They don’t even buy products. Not really. What they actually buy is the people behind the products, and the personality behind the business. So when you roll your eyes when we say that working on your personal brand will help your company’s brand, trust us.
What you don’t even realise is that you probably already have a personal brand. For example, if you have a professional LinkedIn profile, then you’ve already taken a step towards it. But how do you turn that into something big?
But, help is here. Manchester video production specialists, Standby Productions work with CEOs and business execs on a regular basis when it comes to working on their visual personal brand – here’s their tips for getting started.
- Start now
There’s no time like the present. Building your personal brand won’t happen overnight, so be sure to get a head start. Even if you’re faced with writer’s block of sorts, you won’t be for long if you keep at it.
- Know your values and stick to them
Your values – and how you choose to behave because of them – are a big part of who you are, both professionally and personally. Start by thinking about what values are dearest to you; what defines you? What’s important to you?
Simon Owen, MD of Standby Productions, weighs in here: “If you enjoy what you do, the client’s enjoy working with you and you enjoy coming into work every day. And that becomes the culture.”
- Find your niche
We all have a niche, so what’s yours? What sets you apart from the rest, especially your competitors and their CEOs? Why should someone come to you instead of them?
Knowing your niche helps your personal brand stick in the minds of your customers more clearly? Let’s consider some of the most well known personal brands out there, and why they were memorable. Oprah is a famed empath. Steve Jobs was a tech visionary. That’s what they’re most known for; they just so happen to also host a talk show and have founded a company. So, what about you?
- Be passionate
If you work for a company and you don’t love your job, it’s pretty clear to those around you. But if you’re in charge of a company, it’s even more obvious.
Let’s look at someone at a company where the staff’s love for the place is obvious. UK-based cosmetics company, Lush, for example. As soon as you enter one of their stores, you know in your heart that everyone in a uniform loves the products, the store and what the business stands for. And if you head over to the Instagram of their co-founder Mark Constantine, his feed is filled with product pictures and company updates. This guy clearly loves his company.
So rediscover your passion for what you’re doing. Why did you start your company to begin with? What makes you get up in the morning and do your job? Once you rediscover that, it’ll shine through in everything you do.
- Put yourself out there
In today’s fast-paced digital world, crafting and maintaining your personal brand is virtually impossible using content marketing, PR and especially social media. It’s important that you position yourself as an expert in your industry from the get-go. You need to become the go-to person for any and all questions related to your field, and that kind of recognition doesn’t come without consistent hard work and getting your name in front of the right people.
Make sure you’re writing (and if possible, speaking) about issues that your industry is facing. Set up a personal blog where you can contribute thought-leadership pieces on trending topics, submit yourself for speaking engagements and conferences, and write for publications to get your name out there. You could even produce a webinar or podcast.
Once you’ve created your content, it’s time to get other people to see it. Have your own LinkedIn and Twitter accounts at the very least, even an Instagram if you consider yourself edgy. Promote all your content across the channels, and be sure to engage with other people and your audience – and we mean genuine engagement, not just the occasional like or generic comment. And watch your follower count creep up.
- Keep up the momentum and adapt
We’ve already said that building a personal brand won’t happen overnight. And it’s certainly not going to benefit from a burst of sustained effort and then nothing for weeks. Personal brands fail for many reasons, but one of the most common is because people don’t keep up the momentum they originally started.
Start, but then keep it going. Keep posting regularly and just keep generating good content, for yourself and for other publications. Even if you’re ghosted and rejected 100 times, as long as you keep showing off your industry knowledge, it’ll happen for you.
One final word from Simon: “Adapt your creativity as a technician at the front-end to becoming creative as a business owner. This transition to thinking about delivering business concepts will help open your mind-set as a CEO”
Jesse Pitts has been with the Global Banking & Finance Review since 2016, serving in various capacities, including Graphic Designer, Content Publisher, and Editorial Assistant. As the sole graphic designer for the company, Jesse plays a crucial role in shaping the visual identity of Global Banking & Finance Review. Additionally, Jesse manages the publishing of content across multiple platforms, including Global Banking & Finance Review, Asset Digest, Biz Dispatch, Blockchain Tribune, Business Express, Brands Journal, Companies Digest, Economy Standard, Entrepreneur Tribune, Finance Digest, Fintech Herald, Global Islamic Finance Magazine, International Releases, Online World News, Luxury Adviser, Palmbay Herald, Startup Observer, Technology Dispatch, Trading Herald, and Wealth Tribune.