One area where we are ratcheting up our strategy recommendations has to do with building your personal brand.
If you are not familiar with the idea of building your personal brand, I am talking about developing your online persona and weaving it into your marketing strategy, your website, and the rest of your online business presence. By putting yourself out there, you will connect with your customers in a meaningful way and create the level of trust that is essential to online success.
Do you think you are too boring, or uncreative, or not wanting to put your life out in the public sphere? Well, I urge you to think again. I am not talking about sharing your deepest inner thoughts to the masses, I am talking about focusing on the value proposition you have to offer your customers, and sharing it comprehensively and strategically through every online venue in which you choose to communicate.
How do you go about building your personal brand?
1. Define It. What is the online persona that you want to communicate? It needs to be real and it needs to be a part of you. Are you whacky? Helpful? Dang Smart? A whiz for details? Think about what you have to offer that ties into the business you are in.
Consider your boundaries and consider your focus. Keep a good majority of your communication focused around your area of expertise. If you are selling pond supplies but spend a good amount of your time talking about your passion for fly-fishing, you are likely going to lose your audience. (And, you might want to consider starting a fly-fishing supplies website!) If you, and your company, can establish leadership and authority in your industry, you will realize a strong impact in site visitors and business.
2. Lay the Groundwork. Online interaction takes time and effort. Don’t start by spreading yourself too thin. The best place to start is by communicating through your own website. Display your photo on the site. A friendly photo is ideal, unless your personal brand dictates a different presentation (like an extreme outdoor enthusiast). Tell the story of how and why you have developed your business. You can use text, audio, or video. Your goal is to make a connection with your customers. Build a relationship with them and you will make them customers for life. As an extension, these customers will likely become the ones who spread the word about your goods and services. (As you develop your personal brand, you want to make it very easy for them to share about your services.)
You have so many options for social interaction on the Web:
- Starting a blog
- YouTube
- Email Marketing
And, many more.
Our advice: start small and simple. Build a great website (or blog). Each time you add a new venue, be consistent with your personal message, photo, and focus of your communication. Each social media venue, such as Twitter, has its own conventions and culture. Find out where you are comfortable and keep on working on pushing your comfort zone.
You will want to do some research to find out where your core customers are hanging out. We have some clients who still have a large potential customer base on MySpace. And, likewise, that is where they want to participate. Keep your eyes and ears open to what is going on across the Web.
3. Nurture It. There is nothing quick and easy about building your personal brand. The operative word is “building.” Wherever you choose to participate, do your best to schedule regular time for your brand-building efforts. Invest in some up-front online education or take some workshops from local pros to learn what tools are out there to aid your efforts. For example, you can sign up for any of a number of free services that will notify you if anyone tweets about terms related to your personal or business name. By enabling such a service, you can respond quickly when others are talking to you or about you.
And the payoff is…
Technology gives you the opportunity to connect closely with your customers. If you are not taking advantage of the tools and technologies available to build your sphere of influence, then you are missing great opportunities.
There is always a danger of getting sucked into the Internet hype machine. But if you can focus on establishing your chunk of Internet real estate and continuing to expand it- by using your personal label - you will be rewarded with a payoff of loyal customers for years to come.
