Personal Branding can be described as your journey or your story. It’s long been said that people buy from a person and not the product.
The power of strong personal branding can be best illustrated by Kylie Jenner who became the youngest self-made billionaire in the world at the age of 21 and Rihanna who has become not only the first woman but also the first black, female designer under LVMH.
Both of these amazing women have something in common; a very strong personal brand that makes everything they touch turn to solid gold.
Their personal brands have allowed them to build their empires and here is why you should too.
A strong Personal Brand:
1. Evokes Emotion
As we mentioned before. Your brand is your story, your journey and no one story is the same.
As you build your brand stay true to that story. Your audience will not be attracted to your brand just on a name basis but through the emotions and memories they will associate with your brand.
Think of the every Coca Cola ad you have ever seen. They have put in years of marketing into developing a brand that is associated with happiness.
That said, think of your brand and what you want your audience to feel when they think of you.
Do you want them to laugh, feel happy and full of achievement or feel luxurious, fall in love?
Now that you know how you want them to feel, make sure that your tone and your messaging are consistent with that feeling.
This tone and brand voice should be consistent so that however a person encounters your brand; whether through the website or social media they are always left feeling good.
2. Your Brand Can Be Your USP
Let’s say Candidate A and Candidate B are applying for a job.
Candidate A has a great CV and all the relevant experience but when the company goes online Candidate A has no online track record and only has a LinkedIn page that doesn’t even have a profile picture.
Candidate B on the other hand doesn’t have as much experience but upon looking online they have a blog that talks about all the different topics relevant to their industry and provides great solutions for that particular industry. They also have great video footage where they demonstrate a greater understanding of the job and show great scope.
They also have a great LinkedIn page with references and recommendations. Which Candidate would you choose?
Having a strong brand works as a great competitive edge because it establishes you as a thought leader in your industry.This will help you create a first impression even before your meeting with anyone.
3. Personal Branding Will Lead to a Solid Career
Your career is like a business in which You are the business. Social media is the campaign platform and your website is the shop.
Your personal brand is your business plan and this is where personal branding comes in.
Building a strong identity means that you have control of the path that your career takes. You have control over showcasing your specialty and skills.
This helps you easily distinguish yourself from the rest and be able to easily pick and choose the right companies to work with or for and even what types of brands you are willing to be associated with.
4. People Trust You More
Think back to a time in your own life when you wanted to buy something or engage a service provider. The purchasing decision comes down to one thing. Can I trust them?
Can I trust Amazon to deliver my goods even though they have never delivered to me before? Yes! Why?
The answer is – strong brand name. Brands work hard to have 5 star reviews and to build customer loyalty because they know their brand will speak for them when they aren’t available to speak for themselves.
What does your brand say about you in your absence? Is it sending the right messages?
Hope this helps you and you can LEARN how to build a personal brand with us in our next blog as we explore this very topical subject.
