The Social Media Mistake That Was Killing My Startup’s Growth (And How I Fixed It)
When I started my company Translate.video four years ago, I was laser-focused on the product. As a video translation tool, I believed Translate.video would sell itself based on utility alone. Building a personal brand seemed narcissistic. I shunned social media and thought self-promotion was icky. In my naivete, I assumed outstanding product-market fit was all we needed to succeed.
But after two years of grinding without much traction, I realized something was missing. Our product wasn’t enough. To cut through the noise and connect with potential customers, Translate.video needed a face and voice. We needed a personal brand for the company that built trust, expressed values, and communicated a vision.
Once I got over my initial hesitation, I began putting myself out there on social media, speaking at conferences, guest posting on blogs — anything to start building a personal brand and relationships. My new focus on marketing myself alongside my company made all the difference. Here are a few lessons I learned about the power of personal brand.
People Buy from People
Consumers have more choices than ever when it comes to products and services. What ultimately drives decisions is not solely features or price — it’s the trust and connection people feel with the company behind the offering. As Richard Branson famously said:
“Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”
- Richard Branson
This principle applies to founders as well. Consumers want to feel connected to the people behind a brand. They want to know what drives you, what you stand for, what makes you human. That’s why putting yourself out there to build a personal brand is far more impactful than anonymously marketing specs and features.
You Become the Face of the Company
Early on at Translate.video, we hid behind the mystique of being a faceless startup. But over time, I learned that putting myself out there as the founder and CEO was powerful. It allowed customers to connect with the story of our company’s origin and purpose through my perspective.
As a founder, you embody the brand. By developing my own personal brand, I was able to humanize Translate.video and share why video translation technology is my passion. My personal brand builds trust and goodwill that the company benefits from immensely.
It Catapults Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Happy customers are the best marketing. And happy customers that connect with you and your story will drive word-of-mouth like no other. The more I built genuine relationships out in the open through my personal brand, the more word-of-mouth spread.
Suddenly, customers were feverishly promoting Translate.video because they felt personally invested in the company’s success through my brand. They could relate to me as a founder, so they became brand champions. Putting myself out there accelerated growth in a way we never could have achieved through anonymous marketing.
You Attract the Right Team
The best talent wants to work for leaders they can relate to. By being open about my journey, values and personality as a founder, I began attracting people that aligned well with Translate.video’s mission and culture. They felt they knew me before even joining because of how I cultivated my personal brand.
This allowed us to build precisely the kind of team we needed to take Translate.video to the next level. We hired people passionate about our purpose because my personal brand conveyed that purpose beyond just product specs.
Investors Back People First
When raising capital early on, I thought it was all about metrics, financials and projections. But I learned quickly that investors invest in people as much as ideas or traction. By developing my personal brand, I could share the vision in a meaningful way that fueled investor enthusiasm beyond just numbers on a page.
My story as an underdog founder resonated with investors who saw my scrappy resourcefulness. They knew I would see Translate.video through to success based on the personal brand I’d developed. This gave them the confidence to back the company with far more than just a cursory review of our product.
You Connect with Mentors & Advisors
Building my personal brand online allowed me to connect with all kinds of brilliant people I could learn from. I was able to reach out to experts for advice once they got to know me through my brand and content.
These mentoring relationships were invaluable in growing as a founder. I attracted advisors that wanted to help Translate.video because they believed in me personally. By sharing my story transparently, I developed connections through shared struggles and lessons.
It Sets You Apart from Competitors
In the video translation space, we compete on technology, turnaround time, language coverage and pricing. But at the end of the day, customers buy from brands they connect with emotionally through the people behind them.
Thanks to my diligent personal brand building, Translate.video forged a more intimate bond with customers. Our compelling origin story, values and vision differentiated us because I put myself directly out there as the founder. Our personalities make brands human. I realized that truth by embracing my personal brand.
In Conclusion
If you asked me 5 years ago, I would have insisted a founder’s job was to build product, not their personal brand. But my own experience has proven just how very wrong I was. Developing my personal brand alongside Translate.video transformed our trajectory in ways I never could have imagined.
Your personal brand adds the layers of humanity that turn customers into champions. So don’t make my early mistake of avoiding the spotlight. Put yourself out there transparently and watch your authenticity become your competitive advantage. Share your origin story. Talk about your values, quirks and vision. The more customers get to know the real you, the more they will love your brand.
What’s holding you back from developing your personal brand? Do you think it’s self-promotional or unnecessary? Trust me, it’s neither. Your unique humanity is what builds connections and trust. So take the leap and put yourself out there. Watch as your personal brand becomes the secret ingredient for growing your company.
