You have probably heard the term personal branding numerous times. No wonder, since it became critical in the digital era that businesses currently operate in. But what exactly is personal branding, why is it so important, and what strategies does it involve? We will discuss it in this article – we encourage you to read on!

What is personal branding?

Personal branding is creating an identity, an image of a person or a company in the available channels. It is often mistaken with reputation, since these two are similar. Yet, what distinguishes your personal brand from your reputation is that the former is intentional. You create your or your company’s image and consequently support it with additional content. Reputation, on the other hand, is based on how you or your company is perceived by people who you cooperated with, so you don’t have much control over it.

Why is personal branding important?

Knowing what personal branding is, you should not be surprised that it’s of an utmost importance. The digital era has one major drawback – people’s attention span is shrinking rapidly. Thus, businesses need to rely on quick, effortless means of communication and building a personal brand is one of them.

By personal branding, you create an image of yourself or your company, which the potential customers will quickly recognize. This helps you become visible and distinguishable from other businesses. What’s more, creating a strong personal brand also increases the trust that your customers have towards you. We are living in times when checking social media and reading opinions has become a habit, thus it is crucial to build an encouraging, trustworthy internet presence.

personal branding

Personal branding strategies – how to build a personal brand in practice

Knowing why personal branding is important, you probably understand that it should become an inseparable element of your marketing strategy plan. There are several good practices that you can introduce while building your personal brand – here we present the overview of the most important ones:

  • Think of your/your company’s principles – Before actually building a personal brand, you need to come up with it. Think of what you (or your business) are proud of, what is your mission and what gives you energy. Then forge it into an image – think of ways through which you would be able to communicate all these answers to a wider audience.
  • Tidy up your social media – As we have mentioned before, unlike the reputation, you can control what your personal brand looks like. Cleaning up your social media accounts is the first step to take. Delete all the content that is not in line with how you would like to be perceived, and ensure that future posts will comply with the image that you are building.
  • Make yourself visible – Reach out to colleagues working within the same field. Try using LinkedIn or YouMap, schedule some informal meetings to discuss the current trends in your industry, and simply become visible among your peers. The more they recognize you, the easier it will be for you to break through to a more common audience. After all, becoming a well-known expert is the first step in how you become an influencer, and it will lead to attracting numerous followers and establishing an even stronger personal brand.

The takeaway

What is personal branding? It is building a controlled image through which other people perceive you. Its importance has its roots in short attention spans, which call for quick yet recognizable ways of promoting oneself. The best personal branding strategy is to think about your message and mission, prepare your social media and begin networking with other professionals. So, what are you waiting for? Start building your personal brand now!

Do you desire to know how to promote yourself and your company? Then you should absolutely read about influencer marketing strategies!