8 Tips for Building Your Personal Brand in 2017

The better your brand as a businessperson, the more it helps your company.

Branding is such a crucial component of success. Think of some of the largest companies in the world -- from Nike’s “swoosh” to Apple’s icon -- everyone is familiar with the brands they created.

Today, building your personal brand is just as important as building your company’s brand -- in fact, it might even be more important. Consumers want to hear the story behind the founders -- the failures, struggles and the success. This means putting yourself out there and marketing yourself in addition to your business.

My company is launching a new division next week -- an influencer marketing agency -- and it was made possible, in part, to the personal brand I have built. The contacts I have developed over the years with large brands, agencies and influencers all happened because of my personal brand. Here are eight tips to help you build up a strong personal brand this year.

1. Be visible and accessible.

You can’t hide in your office behind your computer and expect to build a personal brand. You need to get out and make yourself visible and accessible. Attend industry conferences, even if it’s just to network and socialize. Make your social media profiles open to the public and allow incoming messages. Hold live video Q&A sessions on social media and interact with your followers. The more visible and accessible you make yourself, the stronger your personal brand.

2. Show the real you on social media.

Don’t use social media as a 100 percent marketing channel. It’s fine to throw an offer out there or promote your company occasionally, but focus on showing the real you. If you come across as a robot or unauthentic you will push people away. Consumers love to see the other side -- what you do on the weekends, where you eat, what your hobbies and interests are, etc. This makes you appear more human, which attracts more people to you.

3. Understand your industry inside and out.

Your business is only as good as the people running it, yourself included. It’s important that you understand your industry inside and out -- common sense. But, this also means staying up to date on latest trends, breaking news and your competition. When you do this, it helps to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry, elevating your personal brand to a higher level.

Read the full article here: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/287399