People who hear your name, see your face or read your email signature form an opinion about you based on your personal brand. It’s a vital part of starting a business but it can also be complicated and overwhelming.
Here are some pointers and ideas for developing a strong personal brand:
1) Defining your brand.
You have a wonderful concept and are eager to start as an entrepreneur. But first, you need to figure out who you are and your unique brand. People who meet you or hear your name form an opinion of you based on your brand. It’s the sum of their contacts with you—from business meetings to parties at friends’ houses—and what they take away from those interactions: a general impression, an attitude, a characteristic that connects with them and makes them want to work with or buy from (and remains loyal to) YOU.
- When developing your own brand as an entrepreneur, consider the following:
- What do I want people to say about me?
- What do I want to be remembered for?
- What are my strong points and weak points?
- What are my interests?
- Are there any themes or attributes that I identify with most strongly as a person/entrepreneur/business owner/leader/etc.?
2) Developing your brand.
You may know your brand and where it stands, but how do you build it? How do you publicise it? How do you safeguard it?
First, a brand collects all products and services that reflect your company. It’s not only about the logo, website, or social media accounts; it’s about everything from the appearance of your workplace to how clients are handled in person. Your personal brand is also comprised of how others perceive and view you as an entrepreneur or business owner: are they impressed or intimidated by your talents and knowledge?
3) Getting your brand seen.
It is critical to be active online when developing your personal brand. Social networking is a wonderful tool to spread your name and gain a large following. You should use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn to upload photos or videos of yourself or your company and to spread the word about what you do. You can also set up profiles on these sites so that people can follow you and see what’s going on in your life.
Consider starting a blog where you can write on topics related to your business. Make these posts fascinating and useful so that readers will want to return frequently enough to not only visit but also return when new pieces are released on a regular basis!
Whatever hat you wear at the time, your personal brand is what you want people to know about you and think of you. You promise clients, prospects, employees, and other stakeholders that certain things may be expected from working with you. It’s an extension of your character (and vice versa).
Your personal brand is a moment in time that reflects who you are right now. And it will alter over time as your talents and knowledge develop, your firm grows and expands its products, technology changes how we communicate with our customers…and so on.
People notice your brand when they look at their associations with your name, company name, or emblem. They may not notice it instantly, but everyone instinctively associates brands with specific traits like as excellent products or services; high-performance standards; dependability; trustworthiness, and so on.
In conclusion, your personal brand is the most significant aspect of your company. It determines how others will engage with you and what they think of you and your company. It can be tough to identify who you are, what makes sense for your brand, and how much time and work it will take to build—but if you take these steps seriously from the outset, it will pay off in the long run!
