I have written before about the struggles we initially had with our new space we had the most amazing space but we were for a while struggling to manage the branding, until we bought in help from Bernie Mitchell and Innocom. I am delighted with it now and can’t wait to show the creator economy our stylish new space with affordability at the heart.
We think we have created a space which will help the creator economy develop a strong personal brand, now you may be thinking this is a load of mumbo jumbo I can see from the outside why you may be thinking that. For many years I didn’t give any thought to my own or the BEC’s personal brand, it sort of just came together over time. However, I have learnt and that’s why we went to such extraordinary lengths to get the brand right for Three Sixty Workrooms.
There is no denying that a strong personal brand will give you more credibility, bestow recognition and prestige, and it’s worth focussing on. Taking the time to develop a brand that reflects your values and authenticity will help support your business goals and personal ambitions.
The reality is people do business with people! Your personal brand will build that trust, make you more memorable and it is your power asset for your business.
Here are some tips for managing your personal brand.
1. Define your personal branding USP
Your Unique Selling Proposition (your USP) is your golden thread which runs through the heart of you and your business, and it makes it easy for clients to understand what skills or experience or expertise you offer that other’s just don’t. What do you want to be known for? What is the one thing that you are great at? Your USP needs evidence. Awards, case studies, testimonials. Remember that what others say about you is more important than what you say about yourself. Always remember that your USP needs to be aligned with your values and ethics. You can be sure you are going to be more memorable, and a truer reflection of yourself, if your USP reflects not only your accomplishments, but who you are as a person, with your unique personality and character traits.
2. What does your personal brand look like on Google?
The best way to start your personal branding process is to search for yourself on Google. It is a great indicator to know how well Google understands you as a personal brand. So, I googled myself just now in fact, the first page to come up was my linked in profile, a professional page that I am lucky to have someone to manage for me but that doesn’t have to be the case. The page also links to Barking Enterprise Centre so that is great it is working, it doesn’t however yet link to Three Sixty Workrooms, so we have some work to do there!
3. Managing your personal brand on social media
Last week I wrote about social media and how it has become a key component of my role as CEO, undeniably social media is one of the key aspects of managing your personal brand online. On googling myself the next page takes you to my Instagram, what I discovered was a series of lovely photos which mean a lot to me but are without any explanation. There is a lovely image of my husband and I on a super yacht last weekend, (hotel sadly not ours) but of course without explanation may look deceiving to anyone who doesn’t know me! Some work needed on my Instagram. I know that I need to use one single profile picture across all channels, but I haven’t this will need to be changed!
The social landscape is rapidly evolving, so start by reviewing your customer personas, and the personas of other people you are looking to influence like partners, clients, employers, and other key stakeholders.
You must find and engage with social media groups that align with your specific industry or offering and share your insights by participating in the discussion and create and curate engaging content that demonstrates your expertise and authority.
4. Generating content: storytelling
The best personal brands leverage the art of storytelling: a framework that shapes your messaging, which helps you to build relationships, and communicates in a way your audience can relate to. Your personal brand storytelling should give a glimpse into who you are professionally, your motivation for what you do, and how you work hard to deliver your unique product or service.
Whether you’re writing blog posts, creating white papers, recording videos and podcasts – all this content should contribute to your one overarching story that you want your audiences to engage with.
Always remember the best content and stories are not always your own, personal branding is the art of the story that people tell about you when you are not present. This is sometimes quite daunting and something we need to think about.
5. Cultivating your personal brand
A god place to start is to research key influencers and popular individuals, and study how they are building their brand. What are they doing that works well? How do they engage with their audiences? Consider practical things, such as how frequently they create and share content, express opinions, or provide help and support.
Lastly if you think you need help with personal branding then join us on Wednesday 15th June at 10am where Kathy Ennis will be giving a personal branding masterclass you can sign up via our website www.beccic.co.uk.
To find out about our new space Three Sixty Workrooms.