Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, said it best when quoted as saying, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” This is true in many aspects of business and personal life, and you want your brand speaking volumes about you when you are not in the room. Simply put, you want to be in the room.
Why does your personal brand matter in business? Employers likely searched you before hiring you. People want to know about the individual and what unique contributions they may bring to the whole. In the age of social media, this information is often just a few keystrokes away. Your social media presence is a fundamental part of your individual brand, whether you like it or not. Essentially, your personal brand carries with you into the business world, and often helps to establish you within your career, and can leave a lasting impression with a group or organization. That explains why Employees at companies that invest in personal branding are 27 percent more likely to feel optimistic about their company’s future and why Eighty-five percent of U.S. recruiters and HR professionals say that an employee’s online reputation influences their hiring decisions at least to some extent. When it comes to growing your business with personal branding, Out of all business decision makers, 84 percent start their buying process with a referral and Google is the very first place people look after getting a referral. 65 percent see online search as the most trusted source of information about people and companies, which is a probably the highest level of trust than any other online or offline source. Despite this, nearly half of the 75 percent of us adults who Google themselves say the results aren’t positive.
So how do you continue to build on your personal brand? After all, first impressions are great, but you don’t want others to narrate your brand, you are responsible for branding yourself and creating your own opportunities as a result. For business owners, your brand is as important as the product or service you sell. How you manage your business online directly affects the success of your business. If you aren’t branding yourself properly, you are essentially missing out on opportunities to engage with, attract, and market to new consumers.
Here’s a simple example of the importance of building a brand. If a business owner receives a bad review, they should attempt to repair that relationship with the person giving it. Showing face, and amending the wrongdoing are important to establishing a positive reputation. You may not always appease the consumer, but your actions may reflect on the next person who interacts with your business.
In the age of digital media and social media, your online presence is how you can best develop and foster your personal brand. Engagement, content and consistency are so important to maintain your presence online. Here are a few things you can do today to better your brand:
- Establishing credibility through consistent engagement online increases your relevance online and helps deem you an expert.
- Boosting content that shouts your brand in creative fun ways will appeal to new clients and continue to engage your current clientele.
- Including a personal bio on your website makes you more human.
Attracting new customers and motivating them to remain loyal is all part of the effects of successful branding. Using a combination of these things are all within your control on social media platforms and will build your personal brand within your search results. Many business owners don’t have the time or ability to create an online presence within social media platforms or their websites, and that’s where the experts at BizCrown Media can help. Our Social Media and SEO Services will continue to brand you while you continue to do the things you do best.
