The power of personal branding
Most entrepreneurs and top executives completely miss out on one of the most powerful branding strategies available in today’s marketplace… Creating your own personal brand. Most people in business understand the need to build brand equity at the corporate level or for products, services, intellectual property, etc., but very few understand the substantial benefits that are created by increasing the value of your personal brand.
As you read newspapers and periodicals, listen to media interviews on the radio, watch TV guest appearances, and see who gets the speaking invitations, you’ll notice that it’s usually those professionals who have positioned themselves as innovators and leaders of opinion through a carefully managed strategy. personal brand campaign These people may or may not have something more to offer than their peers, apart from the fact that they knew how to brand themselves as experts in the field.
Picture a very successful, high-profile company in your mind and you will likely find that its executives have not only established themselves as leaders within their companies, but are also perceived as industry heavyweights and power brokers in the world. outside world. When a company’s top executives are seen as subject matter experts and leaders outside the company, they become more valuable to the company. It is a true win-win scenario in the sense that the executive who knows how to manage his brand value in turn increases the brand value of the company. Because the corporation benefits from executives’ ability to brand themselves, they are willing to pay more for their services and work harder to retain their talent.
Regardless of how you feel about the following list of people, you must agree that they have done a remarkable job of building a personal brand that has many times resulted in the creation of modern empires. Think of Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Sam Walton, Ted Turner, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, and many others, and you’ll quickly see how powerful a strong personal brand can be. In fact, spend some time browsing through the Forbes 400 and you’ll find you recognize a lot more names than you don’t… See a list of Fortune 500 CEOs and you’ll be surprised how many of their names have become solid personal brands. . Look at the Inc. 500 or Entrepreneur Hot 100 lists and you’ll see several strong personal brands developing.
The reality is that most of us will probably never achieve icon status, nor do we really aspire to it. However, increasing the value of your personal brand is good for adding value to your company brand, leveraging your purchasing power, and improving your job security and/or marketability. Personal branding is much more than an ego game; it’s smart business. If you don’t know how to build a strong personal brand, the following tips will help get you started in the right direction:
1. Make those around you successful. While some personal brands are built at the expense of others, or on the backs of others, the most respected personal brands are built on the success they have created for other people. Think “selfless” instead of “selfish.”
2. Hire a coach or mentor. This is something many successful people struggle with, as their pride can be a barrier to seeking wisdom and advice from others. However, this is one of the best investments you can make to build a powerful, sustainable and respectable personal brand.
3. Invest in continuing education: Well, you already have a six-figure median income, run your own business (or someone else’s) and are busy… The sad reality is that it’s much easier to get to the C-suite to stay there. You will only stay in the corner office if you continue to refine and improve your skills and competencies. Never sacrifice or give up learning because you think you don’t have time or, worse yet, because you think you already know everything.
4. Learn to work with the media or hire someone to do it for you. When it comes to the media, you only have three options: a.) you can try to remain invisible, but anonymity won’t help you build a brand; b.) you may be a target for the media and, while controversy is not always a bad thing, it causes more unnecessary brain damage than you probably want to incur, or; c.) you can be a friend to the media and serve as a subject matter expert who is available as a resource to the media…While the choice is yours, I would personally recommend option C.
My advice is simple… find a good coach or mentor and start building your personal brand strategy yesterday… you’ll be glad you did.
