Having a personal brand is an idea that’s been popular in recent years, especially with the rise of influencer marketing. Online business owners need a personal branding strategy to attract the right clients, build trust, and increase the perceived value of their services. 

I’ve been doing some deep work on my own personal brand recently and want to share exactly how I’m doing that. I know it can be uncomfortable to be the face of your brand – but that’s sometimes the reason someone wants to work with you over a competitor! It’s important to consider how your audience currently recognizes you and how you can influence that perception.

What is a Personal Brand?

Your personal brand strategy is how you present yourself to the world, but more specifically, to your audience. It’s about connecting with the right people through your personality, experience, values, and communication. 

You are the face of your business. Clients work directly with YOU. It’s important that they get to know you as a person before they commit to hiring you. A personal branding strategy is built on individual connection with your audience. 

What’s the Difference Between Branding and Personal Branding?

Branding is a business’s identity, which includes a logo, color palette, tagline, tone of voice, and values. This type of branding communicates what the business does and who it serves, influencing how the business is perceived by its customers.

Personal branding is all about marketing yourself as the face of the business. It’s super important for entrepreneurs and small business owners whose names are closely tied to the business. 

Why Personal Branding Matters for Business Growth

A personal branding strategy helps business owners feel in tune with their business. Sometimes, trying to sell your services as a business can feel icky. But from a personal brand perspective, you’re simply offering a solution to help your customers with a problem. It feels more authentic and will help you grow your business faster.

Builds trust and credibility.

The more people know you, the more they trust you. Sharing more about yourself helps people get to know you. Talk about your struggles, life, relationships, passions, or anything else you’re comfortable sharing! People will connect with you, making them more likely to work with you on some level.

Helps you stand out.

Only you can be you! A personal branding strategy helps you stand out among the competition. It gives you a different mindset around marketing, too. You aren’t trying to sell something. You’re trying to connect with people by opening up and being vulnerable. 

And that doesn’t mean you have to share your deep, dark secrets. Let people have a glimpse of your life. Maybe you post on your stories that you’re going on a date with your spouse tonight and need recommendations for restaurants in your city. Maybe you can show your morning routine with your kids. Maybe you post a picture of your pet and why you named them what you did. As silly as those examples sound, you’re giving people something to comment on and connect with.

Attracts aligned opportunities.

Clients, partnerships, and media opportunities will feel more aligned when you have a strong personal branding strategy. The things you share won’t connect with everyone, and that’s okay! I bet you don’t want to work with everyone! Those who resonate with your personal brand are probably your ideal clients.

Increases visibility and perceived value.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer to know the person I hire to work in my business! I don’t want to be handed off to an account manager. Working with the business owner directly is more valuable because I’m confident in their expertise and commitment to helping me.

5 Tips for Strengthening Your Personal Branding Strategy

Building a personal branding strategy doesn’t have to be complicated! Follow these tips to make sure yours is strong and strategic.

1. Show your face.

Get professional brand photography done so you have beautiful images to share! If you are the face of your brand, then your face needs to be all over your website and social media. I know it can be uncomfortable, but the more you do it, the easier it gets!

2. Post consistently and with intention. 

You don’t have to post all the time, but make it intentional and strategic when you do. You shouldn’t be posting just to post on any platform. Give your audience something to engage with, learn from, or relate to.

3. Use personal experiences and stories.

Tie your personal experiences and stories into your content strategy. I like doing this in my newsletters and blogs. On social media, I share a lot of behind-the-scenes and day-in-the-life content. It resonates with my audience, and I tend to get more engagement than content without personal anecdotes.

4. Be specific in your messaging.

Entrepreneurs are scared to be specific because they think they’ll exclude people. And yes, you will exclude some people by being specific in your messaging. But when you take this approach, you save yourself from wasted time. You won’t schedule and join a discovery call only to find out that they aren’t your ideal customer. Be as specific as you can in your website copy and content!

5. Maintain consistency across all platforms.

Back to consistency! No matter where someone finds you on the internet, it should feel like the same experience. Whether it’s your website home page, a blog post, Pinterest, Instagram, or a coaching call, it should feel like YOU. Your audience should recognize you, and the experience should be the same. That’s the difference between a personal brand and a traditional brand.

Create Your Personal Branding Strategy Today!

A strong personal brand will attract the right clients, differentiate you, and increase your visibility. It’s something entrepreneurs tend to overlook, but it’s an important part of your marketing and branding strategy. Use these tips to get started, and reach out if you have any questions!