The Power of Personal Branding
During the start up stages of my image consulting business, I quickly learned that 'personal branding' was a requirement for me to grow my business and to clearly establish what was different about 'me' and my business from that of my competitors. It took awhile but I eventually came to terms with understanding that if I didn’t craft a powerful, visible and consistent personal brand, I would be putting myself at a major disadvantage in terms of marketing myself and my new business. "Who knew?"
Fast forward two years and I can now say that I am a true convert of personal branding. Actively working on my personal brand has helped me to find a signature image, a unique voice and a prominent standard that my readers, clients and followers have grown to recognize. I might add, that personal branding also takes a fair bit of courage to experiment with what resonates with your audience and what doesn't. Sometimes you just have to take a chance and hope you get it right.
Having a strong personal brand as a business owner is vital but so is having a website. One cannot exist without the other. Much of my new-found success at jennifergrantinternational.com has been made possible by Peter Rudd at New Media Syndicate in Kelowna. Peter created my site which I am very proud of and he handles all of my marketing and social media with true expertise and genuine care for growing my business.
By definition, personal branding is the practice of people marketing themselves, their careers and their companies and it is the ongoing process of establishing a well-defined image or impression in the mind of others about who you are.
Here are the seven reasons why I actively work on my personal brand and why I recommend that you do as well.
1. Opportunity Knocks More Often
When your personal brand is attractive and inviting, customers, clients, vendors, and even companies looking to hire, will find you and reach out to you.
2. Online Networking Power
When you have a compelling personal brand, people are more curious to learn about you and connect with you. My reports show that I am getting very good activity on my social media channels and blog posts which tells me that people are looking at my brand to learn more about the services I offer at Jennifer Grant International.
3. In-person Networking Power
When I'm at a networking or business event, I have many facets of my brand to share on a professional and personal level. I can share expertise in my field and be confident that I have the online assets to back up my opinions and knowledge. I am confident speaking about the importance of image, first impressions, networking, entrepreneurship, blogging, leadership, social media, health and fitness, volunteerism and many other topics related to growing a successful profession or business.
4. Building Your Business
After 30 years in the corporate sector, I had already established a personal brand but I knew I needed to revitalize it in order to launch my own business in 2015. I needed to grow my personal brand in order to reach a broader audience of followers and potential clients. Good examples of people who have been incredibly successful in growing their personal brands are Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Sheryl Sandberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Michelle Obama. These people are in a whole other league but the same principles of personal branding still apply in that you need to identify and perfect what is unique about 'you' and your strengths in order to build a successful business.
5. Getting hired
Statistics show that 84 percent of hiring managers use social media to hire with 96 percent use of LinkedIn, and 53 percent use of Twitter. The most revealing statistic is that 66 percent of hiring managers use Facebook to hire. They want to know you as a person and understand whether you are going to fit into their corporate culture or not.
6. Make New Friends
A powerful personal brand doesn’t only benefit you professionally. When you are interesting and successful, people notice you for reasons that they can relate with or aspire to.
7. Confidence
Developing your personal brand requires confidence and authenticity. When you find your true self and properly define your value to your prospective clients, people will start to react positively and seek you out.
In conclusion, your personal brand should answer the following questions:
- What personal values are most important to you, and how does your company reflect this?
- What’s your story behind your business?
- Do you have the skills and knowledge that ensures quality others can trust?
- What is it about you that others can relate to on a personal level?
Whether you are trying to build your business, find a job, get noticed by the press, attract influential contacts or simply make new friends, a powerful, attractive and visible brand is the key. Your personal brand is also central to building your reputation, credibility and most importantly, being successful in your professional and personal life. If you need help to establish your personal or corporate brand, we are here to help at Jennifer Grant International.
