Strategy for Building Personal Brand

A Strategy for building personal brand is the key to distinguishing yourself from the competition. The most valuable thing you can create in the internet marketing world is - a powerful personal brand.

Your reputation is the cornerstone of your business, and your personal brand represents your reputation. Building your personal brand is an ongoing process. How your readers, clients, and users feel when they interact with you, and your content also makes your brand.

Just mentioning the name of a company can cause a good or bad feeling.

Do you know why?

Because the world's most famous companies focus on branding, not primarily on sales. Just like companies, you as an individual need to share with others who you are, your vision, and what is important to you.

It is equally substantial, whether you are looking for clients or looking for work. Anyone who has never met you will mostly form their assessment of you based on the information they find on the Internet.

You do not have to decide between your brand and the company's brand if you are building a company that already has a brand. You can construct them simultaneously.

Few people take personal branding seriously, although it is an essential factor. Instead of posting useful information to their audience, the large majority upload images from cafes and what they had for lunch.
 
It is not even just about the logo and business cards that were previously used for that purpose.

It has to do with the concept that your authority grows and influences others in every way you express yourself. There is the power of your influence. That's where branding lies.

In this article, I will provide you with the best ways, tips, and strategies to help you create and build your personal brand.

What is a personal brand?

A brand is the definition of a good investment in yourself that grows over time. Your name is your personal brand and vice versa. It is creating a lasting impression about you in the minds of your audience and customers.

When it comes to personal branding, that's where what you stand for and promote comes to the fore. An effective personal brand represents the value you offer as a human being. Here's an example:

I'm a content marketing creator and educator who helps beginners and anyone growing an online business learn the skills, strategies, and knowledge to achieve their goals.{alertInfo}

Successful personal branding sets you apart from other professionals in your field. You stand out due to the combination of knowledge, skills, and experiences based on which you build your brand.

Your personal brand should be a true reflection of your values, beliefs, skills, and passions.

I believe that every person already has a personal brand, online and offline. It means that you are already known for certain things personally and professionally.

It's just a matter of access. Some people are more aware of their words, and others act as they feel at a given moment. That difference is the key thing that can change your business and your life. It is what separates the experts from the non-professionals.

To define your personal brand, you should first know the audience you want to target and think about - what kind of image you want to build, about yourself.

What problems does your ideal customer have, what does he look like, and what does he want?

In building a personal brand, you should be the solution to the problems of your target audience.

If you connect with people as a person, establish a relationship of trust, and build a personal reputation as someone who helps and wants the best for their customers, you are on the right track to success.

According to the Neilsen Consumer Survey, 33% of customers trust a brand recommendation, while 90% trust a recommendation from a person they know.{alertInfo}

Why is personal branding important today?

Building a brand increases credibility and broadens awareness of what you, as an entrepreneur, represent through your business.

Know that everything affects your brand: how you express yourself, write, and compose an email.

Focusing on brand development is particularly crucial in today's marketplace since clients prefer doing business with people they know and trust.

Building an online brand allows you to gain trust (with more users and customers) and position yourself as an authority in your industry.

One of the most important reasons for personal branding is that you are primarily helping yourself because it is an additional channel for your success and growth.

When you build a personal brand, you have no competition, which you have as an entrepreneur. There may be others selling similar products and services, but no one like you because you are unique.

By building a personal brand, you are different, and the difference from the competition is immediately visible. Therein lies the significant power of brand building.

Building a recognizable personal brand will open up business opportunities for you.

You want potential customers to identify your personal brand with a sense of trust, fulfillment, and long-term success when you want to increase sales.

The same is when you're looking for a job and want your future employer to connect your personal brand to the company requirements.

We all have a personal brand, whether we think about it that way or not. So let's be aware of it. A powerful brand to me means that your message is recognizable. When you have something that you're known for, it reduces the perceived competition. That's the strength.


Here are the numbers that show the impact of personal branding on marketing and sales:

• It takes 5 to 7 impressions to spread brand awareness. Consistency of experience and repetition over time increase brand recognition. Source

All well-known companies that have left their mark on the world and are worth a fortune are known for their: consistent products, client experiences, and top-notch services (Apple, Amazon, Google, McDonald's).

• 56% of marketers believe that personalized content marketing promotes greater brand engagement. Source

Content marketing encourages engagement with the brand and brand recognition. Investing in high-quality content is one of the best ways to engage consumers and foster relationships.

• 73% of consumers like the brand because of its excellent customer service. Source

If the company provides excellent customer service, it brings great results - when it comes to a positive impression of the brand. It may cost you little, but it is worth the time and investment.

• 50% of people follow one to four brands on social networks. Source

It is necessary to invest in work to acquire customers on social networks. Every customer wants to feel a connection with the brand. So we're back to the story of relationships, which are, achieved only through content that is relevant to your customers.

• Consistent branding increases revenue by 23%. Source

When you build a brand, be present and consistent, this will increase your income. It includes the visual brand, your work, and user experiences.

• Marketers who prioritize blogging achieve 13 times higher ROI. Source

 

An efficient strategy for building a personal brand

Start with your personal story and brand vision

Personal branding is a process of presenting yourself on the market, it's not quick and does not happen overnight. Each person has different goals, ways, and choices. Your brand will have no impact if you don't have a community of users and followers.

Let's understand each other. Simply deciding what you want to be and inventing your own story will not help you here. If you are not authentic, you will quickly lose connection with your audience, and your brand will have short-lived power.

You must answer the following questions:

• Who are you?
• What do you value most?
• What are your interests and passions?
• How do other people see you?
• What qualities of yours can you weave into the brand?
• Why do you want to build a personal brand?
• What goal do you want to achieve?
• Who do you want to influence?
• What do you want to leave behind?
• What are the 5 words you would like people to use when describing your brand?

There are no wrong answers. The success of your brand will depend on honesty in answering. What you must have as a set goal is the vision of the "ideal self."

When you set a goal, list the qualities, values, and skills needed to achieve it.

For example: if your company sells computers and you want to increase online sales, you must emphasize that you have the appropriate skills and knowledge.

If you make some items by hand, your passion and perfectionism should come to the fore.

You can get ideas of what to apply if you look at how other people behave, what they do on the Internet, and what they have achieved - from what you want to achieve.

Choose your target audience

If you try to please everyone, no one will like you. Not everyone who sees you will resonate with you. That is OK. You don't need to reach everyone, only ideal clients with whom you can develop a successful business.

Perfect client and customer profiles require research:

• Demographics: age, gender, age, education, occupation, income?
• Interests and desires: what are their goals, interests, and dreams?
• Challenges and pain points: what prevents them from achieving their goals? What do they need?

I recommend that you read: Buyer Persona - Get To Know Your Customers.

The more you understand the challenges, problems, and desires of your audience, the better chance you have of creating the products and services they need.

Allow your personal brand to be born from communication with your audience. You can build a solid personal brand when you understand a problem that your audience is facing.

Only after that, you can specify why you care, how you will solve these challenges and what you want to be remembered for. It is necessary to be exposed to places where your audience spends time.

Elements that will help you make better decisions while building your personal brand:

Create a place for your influence

To develop a personal brand, you need to be visible. You need a space where you can be dominant. For this purpose, you can use several platforms, whether they are online or offline.

One of the best online platforms that you could choose is a personal website, where the audience will be in contact with your ideas and work.

Rent a domain in your own or chosen name and create a WordPress or Blogger site. Running your website shows that you have actively taken responsibility for your career.

A website is more than just your online presence - it's a dynamic tool that helps you connect with customers and share information to build credibility.

It is essential to be present on social networks, but you have no control there - you do not own any social network.

Your website should be optimized and make it clear to visitors who you are and how you can help them. If they don't feel like they've come to the right place, conversions won't happen, nor will visitors turn into potential customers and clients.

Make sure you have these key elements on your home page:

• Logo - represent you or the name of your site. The logo doesn't have to be fancy. It should symbolize your image and help in recognition.
• A clear call to action - what step should visitors take (subscription to the newsletter, free consultation, webinar)
• The value you offer - whether what you offer is highlighted in a visible place on the page

In addition to the home page, it is essential for a personal brand that you also have pages like which are:

About Me Page - where you can tell your story and how you got started in your industry. Why do you do what you do and how do you help others?

Product Page - where you will list all the products and services you sell with their descriptions or links to details. It is how you make it easier for visitors to become your customers.

Free Resources Page - list of tools you've used and recommend, blog posts, podcasts, courses, videos, and the like.

Contact page - where you allow visitors to your site to contact you via a form, social networks, or email. 

Provide value that will keep your audience loyal

One of the most effective ways to build your brand and gain the trust of your target audience is to create and share free content.

Create SEO content that helps others learn and apply what they've learned instead of convincing them that you can help them. In this way, you build authority, position yourself as an expert in your industry, and most importantly, build a relationship of trust with your audience.

The most influential personal brands do this - by distributing great content to nurture relationships with their audience.

To create a content strategy for your personal brand, I suggest you first make a list of all the topics that will benefit your target audience. Using the keyword research tool will help you here. I recommend Google Keyword Planner, BuzzSummo, and Answer the Public.

Based on the list of topics: decide on the type of content (articles, videos, podcasts, webinars, infographics, online courses, PDF guides, etc.) and the platform where you will publish the content (blog, Slideshare, Youtube, email, social networks, etc.).

For your content marketing to work, you must focus on quality and consistency. Content marketing is a long-term strategy from which you can benefit greatly if you apply it correctly.

Most people don't realize that it takes a lot of time to create and share content. Don't just post content to meet the frequency of posting at the cost of reflecting poorly on your audience and your brand.

Long-term consistency is the key. There is no point in starting if you are thinking of giving up at some point.

For example, we can build a personal brand to compare with your decision to exercise to have a better line improve health and physical fitness. You find a personal trainer, pay and commit to exercising for 30 days, and then give up.

I honestly don't think you should have even started. What is the purpose of investing money and time for 30 days only to let everything go and go back to the old way after that? The point of paying a trainer and exercising every day is to invest in your habit, not your goal.

The same applies to branding.

It is not the purpose to invest time, knowledge, and energy and then give up. The purpose is to share with others what you know and what you are because that's how you develop your business. In the long run, you will gain the respect that cannot be measured by money.

Start a Blog

To get your brand noticed and recognized, a blog is a great tool to achieve this, especially if you building a personal brand for work. A blog is the best tool for spreading brand awareness, demonstrating your expertise and personality, and for SEO.

From an SEO optimization perspective, quality content that engages readers signals to searchers that your content is valuable, thus your authority helps to brand.

Search engines place such sites with authority ahead of the competition in the search results, so you get a chance to increase the number of visitors to the site, who will be exposed to your brand and engaging information.

The formula for building a brand and growing an audience:

Consistent content creation + search engine optimization = more authority = highest chance of ranking in search results = higher chances of the audience finding you = successful building of a personal brand.{alertSuccess}

Make sure that your blog has a unique design because it plays a significant visual role, no matter that it is not more important than the content and message of your brand.

Building trust in your brand lies in constantly providing value to your audience through helpful and quality content. It is the cornerstone of your brand.

When you influence people in terms of helping and changing their way of thinking, you are likely to become an essential source of information in your industry.

Since content is the main focus, creating a free opt-in offer is an incentive for visitors to sign up for your email list, which is one of the fastest ways to build trust.

You can use the GetResponse email service to build a list.

If you want to build a profitable personal brand, you need to have a product for your target audience. That product should help the audience to achieve some results and solve some of their challenges.

Here again, we start from the buyer persona because based on it, you will know who you are helping and what kind of product is the solution for them.

The ideal product solution lies in the intersection of these three things: what you love to do + what you do best + what your audience wants most.{alertInfo}

Your product should answer two questions:

• What value are you providing in exchange for their money?
• How will you do it and achieve it?
• How does it stand out from competing offers that offer the same or similar results?

Choose a social media platform - build a community of loyal followers

If you imagine your website or blog as your online office, social networks are something like conferences where thousands of people like you who run their businesses participate.

I believe that you don't want to miss opportunities like this.

Social networks are a great place to build your brand, presence, and visibility. Given that - there are many social networks, you can't be on even half of them.

A common mistake people make when starting to build a personal brand is to be everywhere at the same time. They try to post videos on YouTube, post content on Twitter and Facebook and share photos on Pinterest and Instagram.

I claim that you are just wasting your time.

It is much more efficient, to begin with, to choose one social network, master it, and slowly attract more loyal followers. When you achieve some result - you can easily invite them to follow you on other platforms.

I advise you to choose a social network that aligns with your interests and the interests of your audience. It should correspond to the topic you are dealing with.

For example, if your topic is in the field of nutrition, fitness, and fashion, then Instagram would be a logical choice because that network primarily relies on product images.

If you are into entrepreneurship, Instagram could be a challenge because the audience on Instagram is not there to engage in business insights and deeper thoughts.

Anyway, I believe that you should invest in something that comes naturally to you.

Your profiles on social networks should be informative and engaging. Success can bring you engagement. It means that: you post relevant content, respond to comments, use video, etc.

To help organize and manage social networks, I recommend marketing tools like Buffer, which will help you plan and schedule posts, and track your followers.

You get a lot of value if you manage to keep people's attention because you can build a community around what you do. This attention opens the possibility for cooperation, sale of products and services, and building credibility.

Your brand must be visible, so that it adds value to a larger audience at once, wherever possible:

• If you write articles, use a blog, LinkedIn, or Quora.
• You can post the videos and pictures you create on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
• Audio recordings - SoundCloud, iTunes, and Spotify.

Increase visibility using other strategies

An excellent way to reach a larger audience is certainly to publish content on the blog, website, and social networks. Since this will not happen in a short time, you can use faster ways and expose yourself to an audience of other people:

Guest blogs - you can write articles and other publications for
blogs that your target audience also reads

Hosting public events - conferences attended by your audience, seminars, local live shows

Interviews - as an expert, you can give an interview for a podcast, for an event, for newspapers and magazines, on TV, radio.

Partnerships with other people - you can build a relationship with other entrepreneurs who have already built their brands, bloggers, and companies, for mutual benefit, which can be reflected in the form of recommendations, joint guest appearances, investments, and other opportunities.

To build a community, focus on becoming a leader in a specific niche. Here are some ways:

Create a site with membership - you can create a site for a monthly fee, so that your users have access to special content, your webinars, with the possibility for members to communicate with each other through a group or forum.

Facebook groups - you can create a private Facebook group for your audience to support them, answer questions, and communicate with them.

Live events - these are events where you spend time with your customers and serve to build long-term relationships. These can be workshops, planning meetings, or support groups.

Conclusion

Building a personal brand is essential and helpful today, as never before. Start with your story, which others will understand and find themselves in. Your brand will gain strength if you create your vision, invest energy and make your message recognizable.

If you only take one lesson away from this article, remember this: no one will notice you if you don't work on your promotion and marketing, no matter how much you have talent. You can't wait for other people to discover you.{alertInfo}

Building a personal brand isn't about glorifying your ego, emphasizing your importance, and praising yourself at the top of your lungs. It is a process that should help you achieve the success you deserve. No one else will do it for you.

Thanks for reading this article. I appreciate it!

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