Building your personal brand...

Self-branding is an essential part of building your professional identity, and it can help you establish a strong personal reputation, gain influence and create a sense of relatability with your target audience.

Creating a personal brand helps you build trust and credibility with your target audience. By sharing your expertise, knowledge and experience, you can position yourself as a reliable and credible source of information, which could lead to more business opportunities and partnerships.

Why is self-branding important?

When people hear your name, they should immediately think of the qualities that define you, your values and what you stand for. This is especially important for entrepreneurs, professionals and executives who want to stand out in a crowded market and establish themselves as thought leaders in their respective fields.

I often receive a flood of questions, such as, "How do I start investing in MF?" and "Which are good investment options in India?" These inquiries are organic leads that are looking to receive value first because they have liked the content I have shared.

Here are seven important reasons why you should build your personal brand.

1. To increase your visibility

If your audience doesn't see you regularly, they forget you. People need solutions to their problems, and you provide the solutions. But your audience doesn't think of you if you aren't visible. This doesn't mean though that you need to be on every social media platform, but you do need to be where your potential customers or employers are.

2. To stay top of mind

This goes hand in hand with your visibility. This is why big corporations spend billions of dollars on advertising to stay top of mind. But you don't have to spend tons of money on advertising. A strong and intentional brand will get you there. If you're in a very competitive niche, having a personal brand can be the difference between getting the business or watching it go to someone who's more recognized in your industry.

3. To increase your authority

It's important to be seen, but it's not enough. Authority is the reason why people choose you instead of another person who offers the same services. A personal brand defines your authority in your niche, and authority differentiates you from the rest. Having authority gives you more power not only in bringing in more revenue, but by allowing you the ability to demand premium pricing.

4. To grow your audience

The size of your audience doesn't define your revenue. You may have a small audience but earn more revenue. Or you can exemplify the opposite: have a large following with very little income.

Whether you have a small or big audience, you need some kind of audience. If you build your personal brand, you position yourself as the solution to their problems. Everywhere you show up (offline or online) is an opportunity to grow your audience and build a thriving community of raving fans.

5. To increase your relevance

Being visible and relevant are two different things. Just because you're on every social media platform doesn't mean anything if your audience doesn't relate to your message.

A strong personal brand can help you be relevant and relatable. These are important factors in developing that "know, like and trust" factor. People do business with people. Being relevant means that people see how you could fit into their life and business to achieve their goals.

6. To build relationships and attract opportunities

People like people who are similar to them. If you have a good and reputable brand, you will attract like minds. This is good for business because you'll see referrals and recommendations come your way. And the good thing is, you can also recommend other businesses that you trust. It won't only be you receiving opportunities; you can also become a channel of opportunities for others.

Building lasting relationships in life and business is important. When you form strategic relationships with colleagues and business partners, running a business will be more meaningful (and not so lonely).

7. To build your influence (and shape the buying decisions of people)

Having some level of omnipresence means people see you, but having influence means you can persuade them to do something. It's a superpower.

A strong personal brand establishes trust which is the number one factor in sales or operations. All the eyeballs in the world mean nothing if they're not converted to revenue or if you can not get work done through your team.

Now let's dive into some tips for building a personal brand that can help you achieve your career goals.

1. Define your brand identity.

The first step in building a personal brand is to define your brand identity. Your brand identity should reflect your personality, values and what you stand for.

Start by asking yourself some questions like: What are my core values? What are my strengths and weaknesses? What unique perspective or expertise do I bring to the table? Once you have a clear understanding of your brand identity, you can start crafting your personal brand message.

2. Create a consistent online presence.

In today's digital age, having a consistent online presence is crucial for building a personal brand. This includes having a professional website, social media profiles and a blog where you can share your thoughts and expertise.

Make sure your online presence reflects your brand identity and values, and be consistent in your messaging and tone of voice. For example, by conducting an audit of my social media feed, you would immediately discover that I consistently share content on business tips, publishing advice, my personal authorship journey and my family life.

Ultimately, your social media presence can inspire others to achieve similar goals and help build a sense of community among your followers. Engage and build relationships with your audience by responding to their comments, questions and feedback.

3. Network and collaborate.

Networking and collaborating with others in your industry is an excellent way to build your personal brand. Attend industry events, join professional associations and connect with like-minded individuals on social media. Collaboration with others in your industry can also help you gain exposure and credibility.

4. Publish quality content.

To establish yourself as an authority in your field, create and publish high-quality content that showcases your expertise. You can achieve this by writing informative blog posts, guest-hosting on podcasts, creating videos and sharing your knowledge with your audience. Make sure your content is well-researched, informative and valuable to your audience.

5. Be authentic and transparent.

Authenticity and transparency are essential for building trust. Be yourself, and let your personality shine through in your personal brand messaging. Also, be transparent about your successes and failures. People appreciate honesty, and showing vulnerability can help you build deeper connections with your audience.

With a strong personal brand, you can establish trust and credibility with your audience, become a thought leader in your field and open up new opportunities for business and career growth. So start investing in your personal brand, and reap the benefits of a strong professional identity.

Remember: you are never “too busy” to work on your personal brand. Once you make it a part of your day-to-day job, it will come to you easily, and grow from there.

If you are looking to start, I could help you with the initial infrastructure. If you have your personal brand, do let me know. I would love to catch up over a coffee.

Warm regards,

Tejas Lakhani
fincareservices.com