Why is it so important to integrate your personal branding into your marketing?
Let’s start with the fact that people buy from other people, not businesses or brands.
In our digital age, what we crave most is connection.
Seth Godin says, “Connect, create meaning, make a difference, matter, be missed.”
New Relationships Start With A Connection
In this way, new relationships start with a connection. That’s not where they end. You don’t finish the journey when someone starts a relationship with you or your company. That’s where it begins.
How do you get people to connect with you?
Well, social media has proven to be a powerhouse here. The trick is to really USE social media instead of randomly posting unrelated or irrelevant content.
Next, focus on an approach of 80/20. 80 percent value and 20 percent promotion.
80 percent of your posts and content focus on the audience and how you can help them solve a problem or achieve a desire.
Then 20 percent of the posts and content can be a little more direct with a Call to Action that promotes one of your specific solutions.
When you’re first getting started with personal brand marketing, 10 percent promotion is even better.
Weave Your Personal Branding Into Your Marketing Messages.
Work personal stories into your content or let some of your personality shine through. This allows you to brand yourself while marketing your brand.
“It’s important to build a personal brand because it’s the only thing you’re going to have. Your reputation online, and in the new business world is pretty much the game, so you’ve got to be a good person. You can’t hide anything, and more importantly, you’ve got to be out there at some level.” – Gary Vaynerchuk
What we learn from both Seth Godin and Gary Vee here is that we all are creating personal brands. Period. So, the goal is to be intentional in creating your personal brand and your brand marketing.
Create content that will weave your story and personality into your business messages. Make sure potential clients know who you are and what you stand for – and what you stand against.
It’s Okay To Be A Little Controversial With Your Personal Brand.
You actually want to repel the people who are not ‘your’ people as much as you attract the people who are ‘your’ people. I do recommend avoiding subjects related to religion and politics unless it’s directly related to your business.
There are many approaches to apply this in your marketing plan.
- Choose one day a week when you share something personal on social media.
- Do an extra post every few days so work in personal info.
- Create a series of “behind the scenes” posts that you work into your content calendar.
- Be creative and choose what works for you.
The best approach for you is simply what works best for you.
The first step for many business owners is…
Clarity On How To Communicate Their Personal Branding Details.
Sally Hoghead’s book Fascinate dives into this topic.
You can get Sally’s book here (affiliate link):
For more personal help, connect with my good friend, Vicki Sowa at Bubbly Side of Life who is a Fascinate® Certified Advisor.
After you’re clear on your personal brand and how others see you, it it so much easier to weave that into your marketing.
Don’t shy away from selfies.
Don’t think you need to be 100% made up for every pic.
Do post when inspiration strikes.
Do post with consistency on your primary social platform.
How To Choose The Primary Social Media Platform For Your Personal Branding
Find the sweet spot for you – where are your people now? In your audience research, where is your ideal audience already hanging out? Are they on Facebook or Instagram or LinkedIn or Pinterest?
…or some other place?
Then, where do YOU already spend time? Are you more likely to scroll the newsfeed on Instagram or Facebook? Do you love Pinterest? If you’re in a traditional B2B space, you may need to be on LinkedIn.
I almost always recommend clients start where they are and do their best to meet potential clients where they are.
Next, think about your answers for both of these questions and choose the best platform to get started, or to focus on for now.
Once you’ve chosen your primary social platform, make the commitment to be consistent.
Post with clarity on who you are and how you can help your audience.
Share to other social platforms or create new posts there as you adjust to the schedule and have time.
Conclusion
Consistency and Clarity in your message is key.
You don’t need 1000 topics, you need to repeat the same 3 to 5 categories where you can significantly help your audience solve their problems or achieve their goals.
And…it’s much better to be consistent on one platform than sporadic on 3 or 4.
I hope you’ve found this overview of Personal Branding for your Brand Marketing helpful.
Join the conversation and let me know how you approach integrating your personal brand into your business marketing.
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Cheers!
Penny
