Personal Branding and Business Branding

5 Winning Strategies for any Business Owner

· personal branding,business branding,customer service,Brand Credibility

Let’s face it, with the ability to find out almost any information instantly with a few simple keyword searches now available to almost everyone, when you’re an entrepreneur and owner of a small business, building your personal brand is an important part of marketing and business development.  

Our personal brand is the image you present to the world and cultivating a strong personal brand means that your customers will recognize you and associate you with your company in a positive
way. 

But where does the issue arrive? Knowing HOW to create and cultivate the RIGHT personal brand can set you apart from the competition and grow your customer base. It’s important to give thought to how you want your personal brand to represent your business and the steps you’re going to take to build and harness that brand power. Here are five ways to help merge your personal and business branding for an ideal growth strategy. 

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1 Be Authentic 

When it comes to self-branding, being authentic is essential. But what does that mean? It means be yourself. Use your positive attributes to effectively merge your personal brand with your business brand. Emphasize the knowledge that you have as a business owner. Your business is a reflection of your values, goals, and morals. Your personal brand should reflect your reasons for starting your business. 

2. Provide Value 

Finding opportunities to share your expertise, like writing posts or appearing in news features, is a great way to get visibility for both your business and your personal professional brand. Try to build connections in the industry and with media publications so that you can spread the word through print PR. When you have these opportunities, you can and should mention your company, but you should also share your philosophies and what you stand for as a professional outside of your current role. 

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3 Be an Expert 

Branding yourself can behard when you don’t have an area of expertise. Every business owner has his or her own niche. Another way to look at it is to build a brand around your own area of expertise. Share creative and innovative ways that show how masterful you are in your field. Allow your personal and professional audience see how knowledgeable you are and let that speak for itself.

4 Monitor Your Online Reputation 

In order to know how your customers perceive you, you need to monitor how your brand and your company appear online. That means keeping tabs on your website and your social media
presence, but also on review sites where customers talk about you. 

Pros recommend regular Google searches for your name and that of your company to keep tabs on what’s out on the Internet. Take a look at Yelp, Google’s reviews, and other relevant sites to hear what people are saying about you. If there are reviews that are abusive or false, you can ask the site to take them down. In any case, it’s a great way to learn what people like (or don’t) about your business. 

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5. Strive For Honesty, ALWAYS 

Honestly is the mostimportant rule in Business. Don’t try to be something or someone you’re not
when you’re building your personal brand. Cultivate an image that’s true to you
and your business – not anyone else’s. 

If you’re trustworthy and forthright, then your customers will respond to that and it will build trust. If you’re not, they will sense that, too. Maintian integrity when building your personal brand, and it will pay off with loyal customers and a reputable business. 

Creating and growing a personal brand is a process, just like growing a company. You can start with smaller steps with the goal of increasing the reach of your personal brand as your company matures. Self-branding instills trust and credibility in your knowledge and your abilities, so
companies know that partnering with you will improve their brand awareness. 

Branding yourself in an authentic way by showing your personality is an excellent way of
differentiating yourself from others in your field and developing your personal
brand. It can also help you land new opportunities like business deals or marketing
partnerships that you wouldn’t otherwise have, especially if you’re a person of influence. 

Your branding goals will evolve as you and your company do, so be flexible and don’t shy away from adjusting your strategies when necessary. Your personal brand is a reflection of who you are as an entrepreneur – make sure to put your best foot forward and use these tips to help make the journey a lot easier!