You Need a Personal Brand in Addition to Your Company Brand

Branding is a very important part of building your business. Just think of the most valuable companies in the world, their brands are instantly recognizable… Apple, Amazon, Google. Your personal brand, though not as well understood, is just as important.

Now think about Elon Musk, Gary Vaynerchuk and Tony Robbins. These are examples of personal branding that helped those individuals build a powerful brand. Why is a personal brand so valuable? Why should you as a business owner focus on your personal brand instead of just your company’s brand?

People buy from people.
Your clients prefer to do business with people they know and trust. They know you, they trust you, and by building up your personal brand, you build that personal relationship with your clients. Big or small, a company can seem faceless or anonymous, but that’s not the case with you. You are a familiar face that is comfortable to do business with.

People are more memorable.
We’ve established that you and your personal brand is credible, trustworthy and familiar. It’s also memorable, and you want your clients to remember you when they need your services again, not your competitor down the street. It’s much easier for you to create this memorable connection as part of your personal brand as opposed to your company brand.

People are experts.
When is the last time you thought of a company when you were looking for an expert? It’s very difficult to position a company as an expert, but it’s much easier to turn you, your personal brand into an expert in your market. People will think of you and come to you when they need an expert.

Now, building a corporate brand is also super important, but it’s hard to beat the return on investment personal branding can bring to your small business. Just remember, it’s important that your personal brand is connected to and synonymous with your company brand.