Personal Branding For Entrepreneurs
For some entrepreneurs, building a Personal Brand is best for their business. It’s a choice, however, and a choice worth making as it can help inform your overall brand strategy.
If you know a Personal Brand is right for you, you aren’t afraid to step out in front and be visible in your business. You are positioning yourself as the authority and people are seeking you out for your expertise.
These days, customers WANT to know the face behind the brand. The challenge you’ll run into with a personal brand is when you’re starting from scratch you have to build up your reputation to be known for what you do and who you help.
When you’re inventing a company name, you can often build the benefit of your business or hint at what you do within the brand name itself. When the brand is your name and built around you, you must decide what you and your brand stands for and assign meaning to it. You have to clearly and consistently share your vision, your mission, your values with your audience until you become known for what you do.
Let’s play a personal branding word association game:
When I say Amy Porterfield…you say __________.
When I say Gray Malin… you say ______________.
When I say Steven Spielberg… you say _________.
When I say Ralph Lauren… you say _____________.
When I say Walt Disney… you say _______________.
All of these people became KNOWN for what they do, the brand they’ve built, and the promise their brand offers.
If you answered (in order)…
Online Marketing
Photography (especially the bird’s eye view beach landscapes)
Film Director
Fashion / Lifestyle brand
Family Entertainment (or fill in the blank with Theme Parks, Animation, etc)
…then you’ve heard of the people I mentioned.
They are all glowing examples of Personal Brand success stories. Growing a brand named after them, they strategically chose:
What it stands for
What it provides / offers
The promise and experience it delivers
In their own unique way, Amy Porterfield, Gray Malin, Steven Spielberg, Ralph Lauren and Walt Disney all took their personal vision and mission and added clear messaging, unforgettable experiences, meaning, value and heart to their brands. They stand for something, and they’re known for something.
Personal Brands ARE personal. They often start because of a personal passion or interest and then the brand grows that passion into a business. That business attracts people who love the person and what the brand stands for and they keep coming back for more…they turn into fans.
When you build a personal brand you can’t be afraid to show up consistently, to keep going and to believe in yourself and the brand you’re building.
Don’t know yet if a Personal Brand is right for you? No problem. Take my free 60 second quiz – Personal Brand vs Business Brand: Which Is Right For You?