Why you need to grow your personal brand
He was the head of a well-respected publishing house. A man with family values and a love for good books, Michael Hyatt knew the ins and outs of working with authors. His job was what some would consider the epitome of success: a CEO and chairman.
But he craved something more.
He wanted a platform, a way of sharing messages about leadership and creating a life plan, as well as how others can achieve success like he has. And yet despite all of his success as a CEO, he didn’t have a personal brand nor a platform. His work had been done within a company, and he was known only within his field.
Michael is one of the top bloggers in the world now. His personal brand is his business and his platform is on his site and podcast. Even though you may not want to create your own products and services under a stand alone brand, I’ve got a question for you: do you really think having a personal brand is optional in our day and age?
Let me go ahead and answer this for you. NO. It’s not.
With customers becoming even more dependent on the internet to make decisions about what they buy and what companies they choose to work with, they have more options and clarity than ever before.
That scandal a business tries to cover up with PR? Nope, it’s not cutting it. Nothing can be hidden when a person can easily snap a photo and post it to Instagram with a witty hashtag. It’s not going away.
Related Free Training: How To Grow An Authentic Personal Brand
On top of this, people are making more informed decisions about what they purchase. The peer to peer business model is only just beginning, and so is crowdfunding and collaborative consumption. Customers are beginning to care more about the stuff they consume.
How does this affect your business? If you leverage Social Media and your other online platforms to show your audience what your values are-not just as a business but as a person- people will connect better with you. If you show your personal quirks, it continues to add to how people connect with you.
Steve Jobs is probably the most obvious example of a businessman with a large company that also had a personal brand. His passion for Apple and technology went hand in hand with who he was.
Richard Branson is another great example, showing his rebellious and somewhat eccentric side with no abandon. He is who he is, and he’s proud to share it with the world.
You don’t have to be either Jobs nor Branson to share your personal brand. No matter what industry you are in, no matter what size of business you have, consider showing yourself more online. Claim what you love. Share helpful content. List your quirks. I dare you.
Elizabeth Kelsey Bradley is a writer & digital strategist based in Thailand. Get more tips on growing your personal brand over at elizabethkbradley.com
