Hooray! You have your own business!
You’ve got your business plan, your business cards, and a website.
The problem is…millions of others do, too.
To be successful, you have to stand out from the rest. You need to get out there, get personal, and brand yourself on social media to attract clients and sales. You hear these things all of the time. The problem is…
You just don’t want to!
However, the data proves that personal branding has moved on from being a “nice to have” to a requirement to survive in business.
In fact, according to Forbes, a personal brand is the single most important asset an individual can have. To compete with all of the many businesses in the digital space, you’ll need a strong online personal brand.
So, you definitely need to leverage personal branding in your business. And, as a solopreneur, you’re in the perfect position to do so!
The Benefits of Personal Branding
Thanks to PersonalBrand.com, we have this very detailed explanation of personal branding:
The conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a larger impact.
When you leverage personal branding in your strategy not only do you show potential buyers that you are better than your competitors but that you are the ONLY choice for your particular product or services.
How powerful is that?
Let’s dive into why.
Increased Trust
When you position yourself effectively, people begin to trust you more. You are using your brand in an effort to tell the world what value you bring to the table, and why you do it. This differentiates you and increases your credibility.
When you are authentic in your message, people begin to know, like and trust you. This makes them feel comfortable in knowing what to expect from you. And, people connect with you on a deeper, emotional level.
And, when they feel comfortable with you, they feel comfortable with giving you their business (and hard-earned money!).
Elevated Credibility
When you present yourself as an authority on a certain topic or in a certain niche, people begin to perceive you as the “go-to” person in your industry. This perceived authority gives way to influence and impact.
Using original, unique content that aligns with your brand establishes you as an expert and creates demand for your product or services. As you develop more clout, your demand increases, which means you can raise your prices. (Who doesn’t love that?)
The higher your credibility, the more people think YOU have the answer to their problem.
Expanded Circle of Influence
As your personal brand grows and your personal branding efforts start to pay off, people want to know you. Your circle of influence increases and more people want to interact with you—personally and professionally.
Since your brand is authentic and intertwined effectively with you and your “why,” like-minded people with the same goals and values will naturally be attracted to you.
You’ll attract more opportunities for both your business and yourself. And, as more influential players in your industry align themselves with you publicly, you’ll gain more social proof.
The interaction with other authorities in your niche has a snowball effect that attracts more opportunities and eventually sales over time.
Association with Your Niche
As your personal branding builds your authority and credibility, you’ll catapult yourself to expert status in your field. People recognize your name before you even have a chance to meet them.
Don’t underestimate brand recognition! Once you become synonymous with solving a problem related to your niche, you have an easier time making sales and growing your business.
Differentiation from Your Competition
Perhaps the most important benefit of personal branding is that you are showing your potential customers that you might be, in fact, a unicorn. 😉
What I mean by that is you will set yourself apart from the rest!
Your brand will give you the edge in a very crowded space. It’s easy to get lost in the online world. But, when you have a strong, recognizable brand that is associated with you as a human being, you can shine and break through it all.
7 Tips for How to Use Social Media for Personal Branding
Okay, so now I’ve convinced you that personal branding has numerous benefits that you want! But, how will you communicate your value to the world?
One way is to communicate your value and build your brand is through social media.
Without further ado, here are several tips for how you can use social media for personal branding.
1. Choose an area of expertise and focus your social content on it.
It’s easier to stand out in a crowded industry when you focus on one specific area of expertise. In fact, this makes you more memorable since it highlights your knowledge, which in turn makes others perceive you as an expert.
Which is easier to recall?
- A personal trainer for women
- A personal trainer who helps women over 40 lose their stubborn belly fat
Focus on the one person you help and the specific problem you solve. This makes your social media content more targeted and purposeful. You’ll attract the right audience while communicating your value. It’s better to be an expert in one thing than a master of none.
Don’t worry. Picking one person to serve does not limit you!
Your expertise and reputation will span out to other types of customers. You’re simplifying your message on social media to draw more of the right people to you.
2. Be consistent across all of your social media profiles.
Let’s face it. To do business today, you need to be on social media. This is where people look for businesses!
Photos, comments, reviews…social media is one of the first places consumers look before they buy.
Consistency matters since it conveys reliability, trustworthiness, and credibility. People want to believe that you’re a business in good standing. So, make your various social media profiles match across the board. Choose the same:
- logo
- profile photo
- images
- messaging
- url
Consistency affirms that you’re a real person who is serious about business.
3. Position yourself as an authority through relevant, custom content that your audience cares about.
I have to admit, when I started in business online, I couldn’t even tell you the definition of content.
Now that I know what content is, I know that it’s of essential to attract customers online!
In order to attract the people you’d like to work with, you need to be serving them with valuable content. Your content—i.e. your social media posts—represents you. Each post is a mini-declaration of who you are, what you do, and how you help.
Choose your content carefully and wisely. It’s your responsibility to communicate your value, expertise, and unique take on things. To influence how others perceive you, create content that resonates with your target market and positions you as an authority in your niche.
Don’t just focus on your products or services! That’s more about serving you than serving your customer. Concentrate on delivering what your ideal customer wants to know. Post tips, tutorials, videos, and step-by-step guides to make YOU their BFF for life!
4. Publish social media content consistently.
When you are an individual representing a business, you need to show up.
What do I mean by showing up? I mean that you need to be on the social platforms you call “home” on a daily basis.
Post something about you or your business each day! Batch your work and schedule it ahead of time to improve the chances that you’ll remain consistent. (Check out my foolproof process for social media planning here!)
I’m not saying that you shout your offers from the rooftop each day. Instead, share something that your audience cares about knowing and that is important to your business goals.
Not sure what to post on social media? Check out how a social media strategy helps your content.
How does showing up consistently on social media translate to something meaningful? It proves to your fans that you’re reliable and that you’re there for them. In the online space, people don’t see you in person, so you must build trust via other avenues, like consistent posting.
5. Connect with others.
One of the most important parts about being online, especially social media, is that you get out there and talk to people.
After all, the main objective of social media is to connect people and share common interests and goals.
The idea was never for businesses to broadcast sales messages to the masses. You can’t be a nameless, faceless robot if you expect social media to enhance your personal branding efforts.
Connecting means getting on social media to ask and answer questions, interact with others, and offer your advice and opinions. Connecting even means addressing the negativity someone left out there to prove to customers that they come first and that you want to rectify any dissatisfaction.
Network with others in your industry on social media! This is how you start to expand your circle of influence, which is an integral part of personal branding. Social media is the perfect tool for networking and interacting!
6. Come across as yourself.
Do you have a favorite late night host? One of my favorites was David Letterman. He had a certain tone and manner. He’s very deadpan and sarcastic in his humor. I like that!
What is your tone? Are you light and goofy? Or, do you have a dry sense of humor?
Be yourself when you are online. Your audience desires transparency and honesty. They want to know the real you!
When your fans feel like you’re being authentic, you gain their trust and respect.
In the process of being yourself, you will attract some people and repel others. This is normal! You can’t appeal to everyone.
Use your favorite phrases and quotes in your social media content. Interact with others using animated gifs and images that represent your personality. Social media is not like a corporate world where you remove the emotion. It’s the opposite!
7. Differentiate yourself.
With social media, you have the awesome opportunity to show off your uniqueness.
Elevate your credibility by interacting with influencers and higher profile experts in your industry on social media. This makes you stand out a little. (Twitter is the perfect platform for networking.)
Publish custom content that reflects your knowledge, highlights your personality, and delivers a consistent message. This is personal branding at its finest!
Even if you offer the same products and services as others, that doesn’t mean you aren’t different. Find that difference, leverage it, and harness it into the angle that makes you YOU!
Will You Use Personal Branding on Social Media to Boost Your Business?
By now, you understand that effective personal branding will set you apart from the competition, attract your ideal tribe, and allow you to build trust with prospective buyers.
Whether you’re looking to grow your business, expand your influence, or increase your impact, personal branding is more important than ever! YOU are your biggest selling point.
Embrace your individuality! And put to use these tips to make social media the ultimate channel for your personal branding efforts.
UPDATED MAY 4, 2021 | PUBLISHED JUNE 19, 2019