Talk with any marketer for longer than 2 seconds and they’ll bring up branding. Guaranteed.
Honestly, we can’t help it. If it’s not the center of our universe, it’s close. Branding is the crux of any marketing plan. Without a brand, there’s nothing to sell.
And by branding, we don’t mean creating a logo and then slapping it on every cheap piece of swag you can get your hands on. That’s called spamming, and your brand is not spam. It’s an organic component to your business. It’s an identity, a personality, and a promise—something that appeals to customers on a physical and emotional level.
So yeah, it’s important. Super-duper important. That’s why, historically, those of us in the marketing game have focused on creating and cultivating brands for businesses.
However, there’s been a shift. We now live in a world that lives and breathes on constant communication. We’re connected at all times. We’re always on, always moving, and more transparent than ever. If you’re a salesperson, marketer, manager, owner, or fill any other role that has you actively and openly engaging your audience, you need to focus on more than branding your business. You need to brand yourself.
The Brand Behind the Curtain
Personal Branding isn’t exactly a new idea, but it’s evolved far past its “self-help” roots from the 90s. Today, it’s less about empowerment and satisfaction and more about strategy.
Now, there’s a lot of junk on the internet about personal branding, and about 90% of it misses the point.
Personal branding is not a stand-alone alternative to business branding. These two strategies aren’t meant to put someone in an either/or situation. They’re meant to work together. Your personal brand is distinct, specific to you, but also a representation of your business with the same goals in mind.
To give you an example, we’re going to introduce you to Mike, our customer relations guy.
Everybody say hi to Mike.
(Note. This is a graphic representation of Mike. No cartoons actually work for WideNet)
Mike gets around. He sells. He builds relationships. He gets free food (never shares with us). When Mike sits down with a potential client, they aren’t sitting down with WideNet, they’re sitting with Mike. And he isn’t some faceless salesmen. He isn’t reading from a script, or vomiting up some cheesy sales pitch. Mike is selling himself as much as he is WideNet, and he’s giving customers what they really want: genuine, human to human interaction.
Personal branding is not meant to be a lone wolf mentality.
Mike has a brand, one that is compatible with WideNet but also totally distinct. Our clients recognize that, and they like it. And because they like Mike, they like WideNet. Personal branding is not meant to be a lone wolf mentality. It’s a business strategy. Your personal brand is the gateway to your company.
From the Inside Out
If you search the web, you’ll find blog after blog full of tips, tricks, and advice on the best ways to brand yourself. But all that noise basically boils down to four points:
- Identify and assert your values: What do you believe in? What are your convictions? What drives you? Why?
- Identify and assert your strengths: What are you best at? How can you use your strengths to support and act upon your values?
- Network. Network. Network: Whoever, whenever, wherever. Always be connecting with people. Everyone is a potential client or referral.
- Deliver: Work. Be true to your word. Give results. Prove yourself.
The truth is, personal branding is pretty straight forward. Just build from the inside out. Everything you need is already there, you just have to work and form it.
The Catch
There is one very important factor to keep in mind. Your business brand has the luxury of being static. No matter what, it remains strictly a business brand. It cannot change itself..
Your personal brand, however, is fluid. You carry it with you everywhere you go. It does not cease to exist at 5 o’clock. It cannot be put on hold or stored in a desk drawer. You are responsible for your brand at all times, and by association, any damage you do to your personal brand could negatively impact your business’ brand.
When Mike is off the clock, he still has to consider how his actions will be perceived in relation to WideNet. That doesn’t mean he can’t be himself, it just means he has to discern what behaviors are appropriate in certain situations, and so will you when developing your own brand.
Have you developed your personal brand? If so, how has it helped improve your business? Tell us below or tweet us at @widenet.
