What’s a personal brand? And why should I have one?
Your personal brand is the way that people see you online and relate to you. Personal branding is essentially marketing yourself as if you would a business or a product/service to sell. Ultimately, you are selling yourself—your knowledge, skills, or abilities – building your own personal image and “brand” as an expert in your business niche.
Personal brand is all about human connection, trust, and sharing knowledge.
Some people who build their personal brands make it all about themselves—which is the wrong way to go about it. The most famous influencers and people who have proven personal branding success are the ones whose online content is aimed at helping other people, not helping themselves. Successful business people like Gary Vaynerchuk and Seth Godin are constantly sharing stories, tips and tricks online without directly selling themselves.
But I’m not trying to be “famous!”
That’s okay. Building your personal brand shouldn’t be all about yourself and your pursuit for your own exposure. People naturally gravitate towards others who are authentic.
It’s about sharing content and information online with others, making sure to offer something that helps others or educates.
So if your personal branding adventure isn’t based on selling yourself, then exactly what is it based on? And how do you get started?
How Your Personal Brand Impacts Your Business
First, let’s look at why you’d want to build your personal brand, and how it can benefit your local business.
Having a strong personal brand is especially effective for a small business like a local real estate agent or a local dentist. You may not think it carries much weight, but personal brand can make a huge impact for a local business.
You don’t have to try to become the next Simon Sinek or Tony Robbins to care about your personal brand. Your personal brand MATTERS, and can greatly impact the way you do business and your business success.
How to stand out from the crowd
For example, do a quick search of dentists in your area. I searched “Best dentists in Saskatoon.” The first organic search result came from RateMDs, which then gave me a list of the best dentists. There is a grand total of 180 BEST dentists in Saskatoon.
Your mission is to stand out from among the many local providers -in this case, the local dentists. The best strategy to set yourself apart from the crowd is to establish relationships by building a personal brand and sharing knowledge with prospective customers. The dentists who are winning more clients in today’s world of marketing are the ones who are building solid client relationships online and promoting their personal brand digitally.
It is in our DNA as human beings to make emotionally-driven or “heart-based” decisions. Our hearts are attracted to service providers who resonate with us or who make us feel good.
A prospective client is going to choose the dentist who has shared and promoted content online that popped up on their news feed. This dentist may have shared a quick video talking about the importance of flossing, but they seem approachable and knowledgeable…and they just won more business.
Your positive perception of that individual can make all the difference in your decision-making process when you’re searching for a provider for your next dental check-up or procedure.
When consumers are searching for goods and services online, a business associated with an appealing personal brand is more likely to be the one that they remember. It can make all the difference in helping your business stand out from the competition.