Personal branding, or personal communication, is still an underestimated method of communication today. Here are 3 reasons from the SEO BRISK, why to build a communication strategy for the leader.
In recent years, business communication has undergone significant evolution, and an increasing number of entrepreneurs have shown interest in a highly trendy domain known as personal communication of the leader, or personal branding. The communication style of managers, which was previously unpopular, encountered a straightforward principle enforced in many companies: “everyone hides behind the institution; the company’s brand is what counts, not individual popularity.”
However, things have changed a lot, especially with the advent of social networks which have considerably reshuffled the cards. But personal communication isn’t just for Instagram influencers. It is aimed at everyone and also at business leaders. Are you new to the subject? Here are three reasons why you might consider developing your personal brand.
Personal branding tip #1: your reputation is an opportunity multiplier
At the top of the pyramid, the case of an entrepreneur like Elon Musk is a bit like the tree that hides the forest. It is clear that today, it only takes one or two phone calls for Elon Musk to raise financing to create any business. As controversial as it is, his reputation as a successful entrepreneur precedes him. So we understand your remark: “yes, but I don’t necessarily have the pretension or the means to be Elon Musk. Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean you have to reach Elon Musk’s level to grow your brand and awareness.
Whether you are a young start-upper, the manager of a local SME, the commercial director of a large group or a freelance photographer, SEO BRISK have excellent reasons to work on your personal branding. When your name becomes synonymous with expertise in a given field, it will facilitate the generation of opportunities which can be of several kinds:
- Find more new customers
- Raise additional funding
- Have access to interesting job offers
The whole point of personal communication is to put your personal brand in the best possible light so that everyone sees it positively and it helps the sales process. As such, having built your personal image as an entrepreneur will have a positive impact on the image of your business. Let’s not forget that the business owner is the first sales person in his company, and building a positive reputation will have an impact on the opportunities that will be available to you.
Personal branding tip #2: it’s easier to get interested in a person than a company
Have you ever tried to develop a Facebook page for a business, or create a LinkedIn page for your business? While this is very helpful, you may have noticed that increasing the number of followers of a Company Page on LinkedIn is not easy. Two reasons can be identified for this:
- It is very difficult to be passionate about a company, unless it evolves in a field of passion such as watchmaking, viticulture, etc.
- There is an inevitable commercial bias: Internet users know that a brand has something to sell them, so it is difficult to create a strong relationship of trust with the end customer.
- Finally, the company institutionalizes its speech, ensuring it remains highly politically correct in order to avoid upsetting anyone. But it makes the speech very slick, almost uninteresting.
We can understand that a company must comply with such rules in terms of communication, but the manager, the freelancer, the founder of start-ups have the possibility of speaking on their behalf, and therefore of adopting a more liberated and more authentic. Moreover, it is highly recommended and an agency like SEO BRISK can help you define your personal communication strategy.
The fact is that this personal communication, insofar as it is more authentic, is more likely to capture an audience and generate interest in your personal and entrepreneurial project. So indirectly, the impact of your personal communication will “ripple” over the image of your company. Today, being bombarded with commercial solicitations from major brands (more than 380 per day), and with Internet users and customers seeking transparency and authenticity, makes it increasingly important. Hence, your personal branding and journey as an individual are more likely to capture their interest compared to your company’s news.
Personal branding tip #3: you can’t please everyone and that’s good
At this point, you might ask yourself a question: “Okay, personal branding sounds interesting, but don’t I risk upsetting people and losing potential customers who don’t agree with it? Me? In personal branding, it is important to build your personal brand on the principle of authenticity. This indeed means that some people will not share your values. But those who buy into your values and your rhetoric will fully buy into it, and those are the people you need to focus your efforts on.
So SEO BRISK will see three types of people stand out in your personal branding effort:
- Those who totally adhere to your discourse: You will certainly find among them people likely to defend you or become your customers.
- Those who do not necessarily adhere to your values but who want to work with you despite everything: These are excellent clients because they choose to work with you for the quality of your know-how and your expertise, even if your positions do not interest them.
- Those who don’t approve and who wouldn’t necessarily have been the best customers anyway.
It’s a fact: you can’t please everyone, and there’s no point in trying. Your personal branding would suffer, and so would you personally. Instead, look forward to attracting people who share your values and who could become long-term customers.
Conclusion: personal branding, your career accelerator
You don’t build a personal brand with the aim of becoming famous; there are many other more opportunistic means for achieving that. A communication strategy focused on personal branding should allow you to build your executive brand, enhance your know-how, your expertise, and indirectly generate opportunities for you and your company. The time when the whole team disappeared behind the institution is over. Now everyone has the power to promote your institution using social media or other channels. If you don’t know how to build a personal branding strategy, you can call on a specialized company like SEO BRISK to advise you. Opportunities are within reach.