Everyone has a personal brand, by design or by default.
In this day and age, building a personal brand online is at the heart of personal growth. Not just that, as an entrepreneur, your personal brand is essential to start a business and scale it.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a business owner, or a consultant, your personal brand identity tells people who you are, what you do, why you do it, and how you do it.
Here’s a question: how do you know so much about Elon Musk, Bill Gates, or Oprah Winfrey when you don’t know them personally? Through their personal brand online, of course.
If as an entrepreneur, you are new to this concept, you might be in 2 minds about whether you should spend your energy on building a personal brand or you should focus all your efforts on your business brand.
I understand your dilemma. In this post, I share what a personal brand is and why it is worth investing in a personal brand online.
Let’s dig right in.
How Different Is Personal Brand Online from a Business Brand?
Branding is crucial for an individual as well as a business. But a personal brand is different from a business brand.
Personal brand online refers to the strategy you adopt to establish your public persona in front of your target audience. All your efforts are focused on building your reputation as a credible individual, a leader, and an influencer.
Business branding is all about building a brand for your company.
By means of a variety of marketing campaigns, you establish a distinct identity for your business. Your logo, products, services, and several other elements become a part of the business brand, helping people to distinguish you from your competitors.
Advertisements in a magazine, television ads, Google Ads campaigns, and other digital marketing tactics are all means of establishing a business brand.
While you cannot create an ad about yourself, you can share your ideas, goals, and expert opinions to form a positive personal brand online. In doing so, you expand your network and can use a tool to generate new leads that grow your business.
To help you understand the difference better, let me give you an example.
Fast-food giant McDonald’s is a household name globally. The logo, variety of products, outlets, customer service, and catchy advertising cohesively make up the business brand.
Chris Kempczinski, the president and CEO of McDonald’s, has a personal brand. We know him as a visionary, passionate entrepreneur, and trusted leader.
As a business owner, you should invest both in your personal brand online and your business brand.
A strong personal brand will always help in growing and expanding your business in the long run.
Why Should You Invest in Personal Brand Online?
When you search your name on Google, what you see in the SERP (search engine results page) results is the gist of your personal brand online. For instance, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk are first known for who they are and then for the successful businesses they have built.
Building your personal brand online can act as a springboard for personal and professional growth. Here are 7 solid reasons why it’s important to build your personal brand online.
1. Boosts Your Identity
Working on a personal brand online is a great way to stand out from the crowd and build your own identity.
Rather than being just another digital marketer, you can exhibit your skills and expertise on various online platforms. If you are excellent at something, be outspoken about it and let people know.
Your personal brand online is your USP (unique selling position), use it to your advantage. Why not make engaging videos to educate your target audience about your industry or share some valuable hacks? Go ahead and address user queries like a pro.
These efforts, down the line, will work as building blocks to establish your identity. You will see people coming to you for advice rather than your competitors.
2. Enhances Your Visibility
Recognition, isn’t that what everyone is craving for today?
You want people to know you by your name. And to be recognized on the internet, you need to work towards building your personal brand online.
By building a strong profile on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms, you introduce yourself to the world. An online presence showcases your expertise, abilities, and interests, and enhances your visibility in front of potential clients, customers, or employers.
3. Establishes Credibility
Persistent personal branding creates a positive reputation online.
Remember, people first go to Google or LinkedIn to learn more about you before getting in touch with you personally. That’s why it is essential to invest in building a personal brand online. It establishes your credibility in the industry.
What people read about you online goes a long way in gaining respect and admiration.
When I mention Kayla Itsines, you immediately think of her as a personal trainer and fitness coach. Thanks to her strong personal brand online, she has established her credibility in the fitness industry.
4. Helps You Stay Competitive
We all agree that it is a highly competitive world out there and you can’t afford to be complacent. By working on building your personal brand online and comparing yourself with others in the industry, you know what you are up against.
A good understanding of the skills your competition is acquiring, the tactics they are adopting to promote themselves, and the factors that are impressing clients will help you stay ahead of the curve.
If you are a consultant, you know how challenging it can be to bag the best clients. A solid personal brand online can help you impress the right clients and make money on Instagram.
5. Broadens Your Network
Growing your network is not easy. It takes a good amount of effort and initiation from your end to connect with people of influence in the industry.
This is where building your personal brand online can be extremely beneficial.
By building a positive reputation online, you present yourself as a trustworthy and resourceful individual. Connecting with a professional like you will be of value to others. Remember, the reach of personal branding goes beyond the digital realm.
Your online reputation will help you gain offline referrals and recommendations. Building relationships with like-minded people will help you widen your network and expand your reach.
Read more: How to Build a Personal Brand to Skyrocket Your Business
6. Accelerates Professional Growth
A positive personal brand online bears a great impact on your professional growth. It helps to create a lasting impression on employers and clients who are seeing you online.
This can improve your value and help you gain an edge over the competition. When you establish yourself as a credible voice in your industry, people will trust you.
If you are a freelance SEO expert, your online reputation will be extremely vital to gaining new clients and bagging more projects.
That being said, building a personal brand online should be a constant and conscious activity rather than a one-off task.
7. Helps Your Business Thrive and Grow
Business growth is every entrepreneur’s ultimate goal.
Building your personal brand online can play a major role in setting your business on a growth trajectory.
When you build a strong personal brand online, clients and customers will begin to associate your trustworthiness and credibility with your business and your products.
If you are starting as a freelancer, you can imagine how beneficial a personal brand online can be to gaining more credible projects.
Having a strong personal brand online is one of the best organic means to gain high-quality clients and customers.
Are You Ready to Invest in Your Personal Brand Online in 2022?
Are you convinced that a personal brand online is necessary now more than ever? Are you able to see the value of personal branding for personal and business growth?
If you don’t look after your reputation online, you are more likely to lose the race. With a shabby personal brand, neither employers nor clients or customers would be interested to connect with you or your business.
It’s a great time to come up with a practical strategy to establish your personal brand online. Go ahead and stamp your personal brand on the internet.
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