In an online world like the one we live and breathe in today, it’s vital that you have a strong personal brand.
“Personal branding is about managing your name — even if you don’t own a business — in a world of misinformation, disinformation, and semi-permanent Google records. Going on a date? Chances are that your “blind” date has Googled your name. Going to a job interview? Ditto.” – Tim Ferriss, Author of the 4-Hour Work Week.
Here are the key benefits of building a strong personal brand:
1. Builds Your Credibility
By putting yourself out there and proving that there’s a face behind your brand, you’re showing your target market that they can trust you. They want to see that you can do what you say you’re going to do and that you’re the person you say they’re buying from. By having strong personal branding you are building your personal credibility in market.
2. Form Vital Relationships
As mentioned above, it’s vital to show your target market that they can trust you, but it’s just as crucial that (part) of how you do this is through building genuine relationships with potential customers.
A bonus? You build your network! You never know who you’re going to talk to and where a simple “Hey! Thanks for following!” will lead. Strong personal branding opens many opportunities for your networking ability.
3. Turn Your Passion into a Business
If you’re on Instagram, you’ve probably heard of A Bikini A Day. It started with two people simply posting about their love for the beach and bikinis and quickly grew into a cult-following with 546,000 followers and counting! Now lifestyle brands from around the world are paying them to promote their brand in their Instagram profile.
Individuals with a strong personal brand make more money because they can charge more for their services or products, employers in particular industries will pay higher salaries for valuable connections and they often get approached with partnership and advertising opportunities because of their large audiences.
4. Free Advertising
If your personal brand is out in the open and has a rapidly budding social media presence, you’re basically getting free publicity simply by regularly posting – in times where you can buy ads for hundreds of thousands of dollars, we’d say that’s a pretty nice perk!
5. Establish Yourself As An Expert
You have the power to post content regularly that establishes you as an expert in your field – if you’re considered an expert, you can charge more, be offered more publicity by big businesses and build a stronger network. A win-win-win! Strong personal branding is key for your career and/or business success.
