You are Unique and so is your brand.
While building your own brand doesn't always start with colours that is the easiest and best place to start. The colours I chose for my brand are my wedding colours. I loved and still love the South of France style and wanted that vibrancy of joie de vivre at my wedding. I still want that feeling in my virtual assistance business and my life. I see a lot of people spending lots of time and money building the business brand. But what happens when that business has to end? Where do you go to start again? Was that brand you to the core and is that brand repeatable? Personal branding is the intentional effort to shape and manage the way an individual is perceived by others. Here are several reasons why you may want to consider creating a personal brand: 1. Building Trust and Credibility: To me, this is the main reason. Having a consistent and authentic personal brand helps build trust and credibility with others no matter what company you work for, with, or own. Your brand helps you be able to engage with others who will see you as knowledgeable and reliable. When you show true authenticity, you become more relatable. You can still be quirky even when you need to be professional. An example: Nicholas Boothman former fashion photographer and author of How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds on Less likes to wear a dress shirt, blazer, black denim jeans, and red shoes. He says that he can be seen as professional, casual, and fun. 2. Differentiation in a Crowded Marketplace: In today's digital age, where information is abundant, a personal brand helps individuals stand out in a crowded marketplace. There are a plethora of network marketing companies and millions of distributors for each company. Many lead with the product or service and struggle to build a successful business. However, successful network marketers learned quickly that the best way to serve customers is to create a personal brand that is not the company's. Being authentic makes it easier for people to remember, connect and ultimately follow. Eddie Villa, a leadership coach, started with his wife Angela in doTerra Essential Oils making podcasts about building the business. He had a saying "Be Real, Raw, and Relevant" regarding presenting to people whether that is a business presentation or shooting a YouTube video. I followed him and his wife because he shared himself with the world, the good the bad, and the ugly. Very relatable and his confidence and enthusiasm are infectious. 3. Personal Development: Developing a personal brand is a process of looking within and what you want to draw out and share. You will define and refine your personal brand over time finding a deeper understanding of your identity and aspirations. You want to be the change you want to see in the world and it starts by looking from within. Awesome Note: Your content is what you love to talk about. These are the passion topics that you can talk about all day, every day. The top topics are family, faith, hobbies, business, and leadership. Choose 3 - 5, share and be consistent. 4. Networking Opportunities: Having developed a personal brand, you will need to go out and test to see what works and what still needs refining. There are so many online and in-person networking opportunities. Seeking out like-minded individuals you connect with and your brand will make your networking efforts more effective. 5. Entrepreneurial Pursuits:
Looking to attract clients, investors, and collaborators? You need to build a brand that they find appealing. Even if you are not planning on building a for-profit business, a personal brand will be beneficial when you find a passion that may turn into a business or non-profit organization. 6. Online Presence and Reputation Management: It's the digital age, and people often form first impressions based on online presence. You need a presence and you are in the driver's seat. Managing a personal brand online allows you to control the narrative, showcase your expertise, and present a positive image to a global audience. If you feel overwhelmed, stop, take a breath, and start small. One social media platform at a time. Even better, start with an e-newsletter that you publish once a month. Build a foundation step by step. Go slow to go fast or at least keep to a pace that works for you. 7. Adaptability and Resilience: Businesses come and go but what is left are people. People who like the proverbial phoenix do rise again. In times of career transitions or shifts in personal circumstances, a strong personal brand can serve as a foundation for resilience and reinvention. A former client of mine changed companies due to the company's change in direction. She didn't feel connected with the company she had marketed for several years and decided to switch. Since she had built a personal brand that was separate from the original business, she was able to move to the new company and share her new passion for it. Her followers were connected to her, her values, and her ideals, not the company she built the following with. Sharing yourself in a way that is unique to you will create a following that can shift as you shift in your life. In summary, personal branding is a strategic effort to shape how others perceive you, and it can have significant benefits for career development, networking, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. It allows you to take control of your narrative and present yourself in a way that aligns with your values and goals. Build the you you want everyone to truly see, know, and trust. If you don't know where to start then let's have a Discovery Call