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How Entrepreneurs Can Build a Stronger Personal Brand

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By Michael

While your company’s brand is key to its success, building a strong, personal brand around yourself is just as vital.

Since the modern consumer trusts people more than corporations, personal branding is more important than ever. Many people believe organizations and companies speak and act with only profits in mind.

When employees share content, it receives 8 times more engagement than the content shared by the brand’s social media accounts. Considering that we are bombarded by advertisements everywhere, this may not be so surprising.

Personal branding allows you to build an identity within your industry and gain a reputation that will benefit your business.

To establish a personal brand, you need to find a recognizable voice of your own, a signature image, and a standard that your customers, readers, and fans will recognize—just as with traditional branding.

Assess What You Already Have

Which of your skills do people need? What do people already know you for? What do you want to be known for?

Begin by evaluating what you have already done. For instance, if you have published some content, see which posts have performed the best. If you haven’t written anything yet, think about what people ask you about the most.

Your specialty doesn’t have to be the same as that of your business, but it should encapsulate something you want people to associate your business with.

For instance, Richard Branson, a master of personal branding, is famous for being adventurous. Because of this, many see Virgin as an exciting, risk-taking brand.

Keep in mind that quite a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs are devoted to personal branding. If you want to stand out, it’s best to develop a personal brand within a specific niche.

Choosing a general field like “human resources” or “marketing” isn’t enough, as they are far too competitive. So, for instance, if you are a marketer, you could focus on a very specific niche such as print marketing for small businesses, where the competition is lower.

You’ll have a better chance of proving your expertise with a niche focus. Even though your target audience will be smaller, it will be much more relevant.

Build Up Your Online Presence

Sophomoric Facebook activities, unprofessional Twitter feeds, and incomplete LinkedIn profiles are a strict no-no. One survey found that 70% of employers screen social media profiles of candidates.

As a self-employed entrepreneur, you don’t have to worry about HR checking out your Insta feed, but you do have to consider what impression you’re leaving on your customers and clients. Think of them as your employers.

Social media is the engine of personal branding, so one must treat it with respect.

Your audience will want to know more about you as a person. Social media gives you a chance to present yourself as a relatable individual, but still a professional.

LinkedIn has proved to be an excellent platform for personal branding, thanks to its organic reach. It’s a great place to share problem-solving strategies and personal success stories.

Short, 200 to 400-word posts with captivating headlines and interesting openers will grab people’s attention. By regularly posting content, you can increase your brand awareness.

You can search Medium and similar content-sharing platforms to check what topics are hot at the moment. Then, you can use those topics to jump-off your next video or blog post. You can stay relevant by offering your personal take on a current topic.

Get Others to Promote You

While social media is your greatest ally, you must exercise restraint while using it. You don’t want your audience to see you as a self-promoter. Jeffrey Pfeffer, a Stanford Business School professor, wrote about how self-promoting behavior can turn people off in his book “Power.”

Too much self-promotion will damage your reputation. Pfeffer suggests asking others to help you develop your personal brand.

For instance, if you are an SEO specialist who has helped a buddy with their business site, ask them to give you a LinkedIn recommendation or to share a story on how you helped them rank better.

Make a Business Plan

Treat your brand like a company asset. You need a 3-month plan with concrete steps that lead to your goals. Be as specific as you can. For instance, you can aim to have your first guest post published within the next 3-months or to create 2 pieces of content every month.

Just like with any other type of plan, accountability is key. You can find an accountability buddy who will help you stay on track.

Building a personal brand takes time. You’ll have to publish quite a few blog posts before you become a keynote speaker at a conference.

But, if you put enough time and effort into personal branding, you can expect a great ROI. You owe it to your business to start.

 

Author Bio:

Michael has been working in marketing for almost a decade and has worked with a huge range of clients, which has made him knowledgeable on many different subjects. He has recently rediscovered a passion for writing and hopes to make it a daily habit. You can read more of Michael’s work at Qeedle.

 

Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash

What The Bill Cosby Scandal Has To With The Viability Of Your Business

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By Lindsey Tolino

Would the allegations against Bill Cosby be less shocking if he were a football player? Or a rich businessman? Or a playboy-type actor? Would it be less shocking if they were against Charlie Sheen or Dustin Diamond?

Yes, it would. The alleged acts wouldn’t be any less deplorable, but the shock would be less. Bill Cosby may not be guilty. However, the allegations alone are enough to incite public outrage.

shattered glass

I watched Bill Cosby as a kid and loved him. His TV show character was inherently trustable. He did Jell-O commercials with children. He wore those sweaters. His public image was a funny family man.

He never branded himself as a bad boy. He created an image of a lovable, trustable man. Though the Cosby show was fictional, Bill’s public image was largely his Mr. Huxtable character. When I read the allegations I was sickened.

I still don’t know what’s true. Regardless, I had to deal with the shattering of a character I loved and enjoyed.

Whether or not the allegations prove true, there will always be some level in which Bill Cosby has become tainted.

In fact, TV Land has already pulled Cosby show reruns and NBC stopped the development of a Bill Cosby comedy show.

Netflix delayed his comedy special.

More recently, one of his upcoming live shows in Canada is to be protested by a women’s group.

Cosby’s image is being utterly crushed under these allegations.

And so, what can we learn from the Bill Cosby scandal?

1. You can single-handedly destroy an entire entity with a counter-character action.
2. Nothing is hidden that will not come to light.

If you do something against your business branding, as a customer, I will end our relationship. There are so many other businesses out there competing for me and I want to make sure my money and loyalty goes an entity that I can trust to be consistent.

We hate even a whiff of inconsistency. We have expectations of businesses based on what they said they are about. If a business fails the expectations they’ve created, people will walk.

If your business is about serving quality food, then serve the best quality food every single day.

If your business is about fast service, then deliver the fastest service every single time.

You don’t have to be perfect at everything. You just have to consistently deliver what you said you’re all about.

There’s something else that’s bothersome about this Bill Cosby scandal – how Mr. Cosby has dealt with it so far. When someone is accused of something they didn’t do, it is expected that they would be outraged and vehemently deny it. That has not occurred, which has created chasms of doubt as to his innocence and has further degraded the perception of his character.

So how do you avoid bringing your business down?

First, know the image you’re presenting of your business.

Second, maintain the image you’ve created.

Third, if you fail at maintaining your image, bring it to light yourself, apologize and get back to who you are.

Alternatively, apologize for the lack of consistency, be honest and redirect about who you are. Don’t make maintaining money streams that are based on a facade more important than your integrity. It will catch up with you and crush your brand when it does.

You create your business entity. You decide what you will portray. However, you must maintain the character of that which you create. If you do not maintain it, you can ensure you will lose customers. There are just too many other businesses out there vying for them.

When you feel the sting of a celebrity, a business or a friend letting you down, let that be a reminder of the responsibility that you carry. You must maintain the brand you create. Consistency is vital. Your viability depends on it.

Author’s Bio: Lindsey Tolino is a young creative who helps make businesses better. She serves business owners with her words at ToBusinessOwners.com. Follow her on Twitter @LindseyTolino or connect with her on Google+.

Image info: Royalty-free image by Brano Hudak from http://www.freeimages.com/photo/1006530.

Be Your Best Self, Stupid!

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The Best Personal Branding

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I admit that most ideas of personal branding in the virtual world somewhat disturb me. It’s not the idea of self-promoting that bugs me so much as how most guides talking about “personal branding” give the most obvious solutions that would make even the most interesting man or woman in the world appear safe, humdrum, and perhaps not even human.

Why Personality Matters in the Online Space

When it comes to personal branding, everyone advises to put your best foot forward, be clear, and be brief. These tips are all good and well, but I’ve found that, after reading article after article emphasizing these safe and simple approaches, the result of this advice produces a guarded and uninviting profile.

One of the most underutilized tools in online marketing appears to be having a personality. With everyone focused on putting their best foot forward, online brands are starting to look the same. And if your “online brand” appears as fake, stiff, or scripted as the next, what’s the point of having one anyway?

While employers and clients are definitely interested in people who take their work seriously, they also like to know that they’re dealing with an actual human being. Which is why, for most social networking profiles, it’s good to have a couple candid or conversational bits here and there available for the public eye.

Walking the Line

While it’s great to show some personality in your personal brand, you don’t want to come across like a seven year-old, internet troll, or a menace to society. So what is the right mix of business and personality?

Treat your online actions and interactions as if you are making acquaintance with a friend of a friend. Be friendly, approachable, and interesting without being phony or overeager to make a good impression. Describe yourself naturally. Avoid being too formal or sounding like a press release.

A bit of humor can go a long way. Of course you don’t want to be all jokes (and you definitely don’t want to offend people), but light-hearted language is a natural way to draw people in and even gain their trust. If humor isn’t your specialty, grace, warmth, or measured humility (you still have to appear valuable and competent) may help bring out your personality.

Be your best self, and people will automatically be that much more interested in you.

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Author’s Bio:

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. You can follow her @MarianaAshley.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

How to Stand Out From the Talent Around You

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A Guest Post by
Joel Garfinkle

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We’ve all seen it happen: A promising worker is promoted to a higher level, or moves to a larger town with a deeper talent pool. Many times, this worker is used to success, and was able to stand out in her old job thanks to raw talent and natural intelligence. It was easier for her to stand out, and without really putting out that much effort.

As she moves up in the world, though, she finds the competition getting tougher and tougher. Her skills are developing, sure – but now it is extremely difficult for her to stand out from her peers. It can be a tough adjustment to make.

Moving On Up

A lot of people can relate to that feeling in the corporate world. Working closely with the very top people in your profession is the best way to up your game. But the better the people you work with, the more difficult it will be to stand out as a star player.

It’s not going to be enough to master the details of your job description. If you’re on the all-star team, everyone is a master of their own position. To stand out from the crowd, you need to master the non-technical aspects of your job – starting with yourself. Here are 6 ways to do just that.

  1. Study great leaders. As you move up the ranks of responsibility, you may place less emphasis on being an expert at the technical aspects of your old job. Identify leaders you admire – and read everything you can about them. If they wrote books on leadership, so much the better. This will help you rise above the all-star players, to become a team captain.
  2. Learn to delegate. This is very difficult for technical experts to do. But to make the transition from player to leader, you must grasp that a manager can only excel through the efforts of others. Give clear directions, and help your people grow and shine.
  3. Learn new skill sets. Perhaps being a great trial attorney, or a great salesperson got you accepted to a fantastic team. But that’s not enough to keep you there, and it won’t be enough to get you to the next level. As you move up, you must learn entirely new sets of information. You may need to learn the rules for hiring, disciplining and firing people. You may need to become an accounting expert, where you weren’t one before. Some people may not be able to transition to working at a new level, mistakenly thinking their old skill sets and natural talent will carry them through. They will almost always be limited.
  4. Learn time and project management. Yes, there is no substitute for character when it comes to leadership. But all the character in the world will not save you if you cannot use your team members’ time wisely. Part of being a leader is mastering the skills of time management and organizational communication.
  5. Be the one with the plan. You don’t have to be the biggest, fastest, strongest or even the smartest person on the team to be a stand-out. You can be the one with the plan. Be the one others look to when things are confused or when the situation is vague. The two key components to master when it comes to any project: The timeline, and the priority of work.Master these two things, making sure they are tied in effectively with management’s goals at least two levels up, and you cannot help but be a stand-out.
  6. Be the ethical standard bearer. This is difficult but vital. You may not be the best technician in your office. But you can be the professional who insists on things being done right – who doesn’t take short cuts, and who maintains a commitment to excellence and integrity, even when no one is looking. In the long run, this will pay great dividends for you and for the organization you will soon be tapped to lead.

The fact is, if your peers are challenging you, and forcing you to do better than what you used to think of as your best, and you are still not managing to rise above the crowd yet – that’s not a terrible sign. Don’t get discouraged, because your colleagues’ and competitor’s skill and talent are going to rub off on you. It takes time and effort, but it will happen. In the meantime, If you apply yourself, and master the elements of your profession that lie beyond your immediate, current job description and conduct yourself as a leader, you will almost certainly achieve great success. Go do great things.

How do you stand out as the professional you are?
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Author’s Bio: JOEL A. GARFINKLE is recognized as one of the top 50 coaches in the U.S., having worked with many of the world’s leading companies. He is the author of seven books, including Getting Ahead: Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level. View his books and FREE articles at Garfinkle Executive Coaching. Subscribe to his Fulfillment@Work E-mail newsletter and receive the FREE e-book, 40 Proven Strategies to Get Promoted Now!”

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

When your skills are not valued

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by Patty Azzarello

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Personal Brand and Defense

Sometimes you find yourself in a situation where your gifts and skills don’t line up with the type of skills that are valued in your environment.

You might get shut out or pushed down because of it. It is stressful and uncomfortable.

When this happens, there is a tendency to go on the defense — to prove that you belong there, and to try and show that you can be more like them.

But you’re not.

When you try to do this you put yourself on a back foot.

You are not at your best. You are caving into the pressure and expectations of the group, and trying to win them over by being something false, that you are not good at.

Use your brand to turn the situation around

When I talk about the value of building your personal brand, solving this problem is one of the big payoffs.

Having your personal brand defined lets you put your best foot forward with great confidence all of the time, especially when you are in a situation or environment where you are not comfortable.

If you are clear about your personal brand, you don’t need to be defensive when you don’t fit. You can use it to sell your strong points.

You’ll be more confident and more impressive.

Confidence and Advantage

Here are some examples of ways people have used their personal brand to go on the offence, build confidence, and get an advantage.

Example 1: “Boring old person” in an internet startup

I loved this feedback from a woman who heard me speak on personal brand, and put the idea into action.

She found herself bidding for work in an internet startup company full of hip 20-somethings. She was initially concerned that she would not fit with their culture — like she might be viewed as their mother! As a result, she was concerned she would be under-valued even though she believed she could help them.

Don’t even try to fit in.

But with her Personal Brand in focus, she decided not to even try and fit in, and not to worry about it. Instead she decided go in unapologetically with her personal brand which was about focus, achieving clarity, and translating ideas into revenue.

Staying on brand made it easy for her to engage this group. It removed the stress and the uncertainty. By focusing on her brand, she gave herself the opportunity to sell her strengths without hesitation. She was able to demonstrate truly authentic confidence.

Instead of being cautious and defensive and trying to earn their respect on their terms, she wowed them on her terms.

She got the job.

Example #2: Business Person in a Technology Organization

This was me at various points in my career – Although I have a technology background and an engineering degree, I am a business leadership expert, not a technology expert.

I know many people who have this particular problem in technology companies. The environment doesn’t respect you because you are “not technical enough”.

What I did, is to go back to my brand, and build my confidence from an authentic position of strength. Instead of defending my right to be there by trying to convince them that I was technical enough, I went on the offense.

“You don’t need another one of you”

I would say, “the last thing you need is another technical person. We have plenty of them around here, and I’ll never be as smart as you on technology.

What I contribute is an understanding of the people who use our products and what motivates them. I can translate all this technology into things that they not only care about, but want to spend their money on. I can help bring revenue in. You don’t need another technical person, you need one of me.” (Implied, respect me. I’m different, but I can do things you can’t.)

It put me on solid ground. It made me feel confident. I didn’t’ care if they thought I wasn’t technical enough, because I had real value to offer. It gave me strong executive presence, because I was using the part of my brand of being straightforward, business-focused, and making real and useful connections with people.

I did not need to be defensive. (or technical). I became respected.

Example #3. Program Manager in an Engineering Organization

Another non-technical person I work with used a similar approach in a highly technology focused engineering organization. She was being challenged on her lack of engineering pedigree. Did she really belong here? Many people thought not.

Pedigree doesn’t matter. Results Matter.

Instead of getting defensive she said, basically, “you’re quite correct I am not an engineer. That’s a good thing. I wouldn’t be as good at my job if I was an engineer. What I contribute is an ability to drive complex projects through to completion. The fact that I don’t get involved in every technical detail is actually an asset. I can keep the program focused on the finish line, and get it out on time and on budget. That’s what you need, not another engineer doing a deep dive on technical detail.”

Steady Confidence

When you have your personal brand defined you are more powerful and more impressive for two reasons.

1. You are leading with your strengths, so you’re good at what you are doing and it truly impresses others.

2. But even without that, by using this approach you give yourself the gift of confidence. You give yourself solid ground to stand on. You define the terms you are going to interact on, and it’s a place where you feel comfortable. You give yourself an advantage no matter what the situation. Your executive presence soars when you are confident.

Next time you feel like you don’t fit, and people are under-valuing you, don’t try to be like them. Lead with your brand. Lead with your strengths.

Being clear about who you really are, and what you are naturally good at and building that into your personal brand is a great way to increase your confidence and your value.

Building your Personal Brand

If you want some help building a strong Personal Brand based on your natural strengths, you can use my Personal Brand Building workbook.

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Patty Azzarello is an executive, author, speaker and CEO-adviser. Patty has held leadership roles in General Management, Marketing, Software Product Development and Sales, and has been successful in running large and small businesses. She writes at Patty Azzarello’s Business Leadership Blog. You’ll find her on Twitter as @PattyAzzarello. Also, check out her new book Rise…

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10 Ways to Sell your Ideas

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by Patty Azzarello

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Selling Your Ideas

Selling Your Ideas

Are you ever frustrated that no one listens to your ideas?

If your opinions are not appreciated, or your proposals get dismissed, you need to do a better job selling them.

The Harsh Reality


1. Right or Effective? Remember, you can be 100% right and zero% effective. Having good ideas is completely different than getting them acted on. You need to do the work to put yourself in a position to sell your ideas, and then you need to actively sell them.

2. YOU are being judged. People are judging you as much as your content. Don’t spend so much time on your content that you forget your Personal Brand is also on trial. Be mindful of your Executive Presence. The way you present is as important as what you present. What is your strategy?

3. It takes Effort. You need to invest time, energy and personal relating, if you want to gain support for your ideas. Saying you don’t like politics is a cop out. It absolves you of any more effort. Successful people work to actively sell their ideas.
How can you stack the deck in your favor, and get your audience ready to say YES?

Performing Vs. Presenting

4. Don’t miss your 15 Minutes of Fame: My biggest career jumps have come from some very specific opportunities to present to important groups of people. Don’t just present. Use the opportunity to perform. Think about the key differences between performing and presenting and how you can make your communications the most persuasive.

5. Don’t bury the lead. Make sure to put the main point of your communication up front. Don’t bury it with lots of archaeology and context about how you got there to show how smart you are. It back fires. People get bored and you miss your chance.

6. Own the Outcome. Always own the outcome of the communication, not just the communication. What do you want to happen as a result of this communication? Think it through. If nothing is going to happen as a result, why are you communicating? Always ask for something.

Be More Relevant

7. Find a Hook. Make sure you connect your new information with things people already know and care about. Always find a hook that is something already on their mind to hang your information on.

8. Always translate: Be really careful not to use your jargon and your vocabulary when you are trying to convince others of something. Always relate your ideas in their words. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got about this is to make the name of the meeting something they would want to come to.

It’s Personal

9. Not just the facts. Even the most analytical people act based on emotion. The facts may make a compelling and persuasive case, but if you want people to act or change you have to also motivate them personally. How do you compel them to act with your data?

10. Get support up front: Know how your ideas impact people, get their input, give them a chance to shape what happens ahead of time. Don’t spring new ideas on people in public. Build a relationship and get their personal support before you start announcing or requesting things in a group setting.

Want to know more?

Selling your Ideas was the topic of a recent webinar I did. There’s a podcast.
I do a Free Webinar each month on a topic of personal leadership and business effectiveness. If you are interested you can get invited.

How do you sell your ideas?

What did I miss? Who do you need to convince? Who are your supporters and adversaries? Please add your best stories and strategies in the comment box below!

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Patty Azzarello works with executives where leadership and business challenges meet. She has held leadership roles in General Management, Marketing, Software Product Development and Sales, and has been successful in running large and small businesses. She writes at The Azzarello Group Blog. You’ll find her on Twitter as @PattyAzzarello

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