Personal Branding, Not Just For Celebrities
Are you a business owner? How about an entrepreneur? Or even a sales rep for a company? No matter what position you have in business, personal branding is a must if you want to stay ahead of the crowd.
Always remember this, you are a marketer first and foremost. Like it or not.
If there aren’t any sales, you aren’t in business at all.
In, today’s world, people aren’t just going to buy from you because you have a great product. Competition is fierce and there are more and more people selling similar products each and every day.
So how do you really stand out from the competition and build a loyal following of clients and customers in your business? It’s all about personal branding.
You must stand out from your company. People don’t trust companies as much any more. They trust people they know and they see as an authority in their business. That’s what it’s all about. Becoming an authority in your business and your industry.
People want to spend their money with someone they feel comfortable with. Most people want to buy from someone that they know is knowledgeable in the product and industry and they feel is the expert.
This isn’t the time to be meek or timid. This is the time you can come out of your shell and be known as the authority in your industry. Think of it like being a celebrity in your own town. Maybe not a TV star, but the best and most known landscaper, plumber, accountant, graphic designer, (fill in the blank with your own industry).
Remember, people buy from who they know, like and trust. With all the great tools out there you can become a huge success and achieve your own celebrity status pretty easily if you are willing to step out of the norm and make it known that you are the expert.
So how can you do this? Here’s just a few quick ideas:
Write articles for local newspapers and blogs
This is the easiest way to get your name out there. Just make sure you keep them very educational and not pitchy. You should be able to include a resource box at the end with information on how people can get a hold of you.
Put on workshops
Free workshops for your local community are a great way to show you are the authority in you industry. You could partner up with a local library or Chamber of Commerce. Again, give a lot of great information to establish that you are an expert and you love to help people. The sales will come from the people who get to know how knowledgeable you are.
How To Videos
Putting up a few how to videos is a great way to build personal branding since people will not only get to know you are an expert but also get to know your personality better. Post short 5 minute videos on YouTube related to your industry and share them out with your customers, prospects and even people you meet at networking events. This is a very easy way to start building a reputation for being the expert in your field.
There’s just a few of the dozens of things you can do to help build your personal branding and get yourself out there as the expert in your industry and build relationships with the people around you to ensure that you are the only person they will want to work with in your industry.
Once you get this rolling your personal branding will help you easily become a category of one and THE go to person when people need your services.
So what’s the next step? Branding Your Business & You is the program that will help you define your business and your own personal branding to make you stand out from the competition and make your prospects forget about anyone but you in your industry. Learn more about Personal Branding Here.
About The Author:
Ely Delaney is a dad, author, speaker, marketing consultant and Founder/CEO of Your Marketing University. His goal is to teach marketing in a simple easy to understand format that businesses can use to help gain marketing ideas & market their businesses to boost sales.
Are you marketing in sequence? Are you following a strategy or focusing on tactics? Claim your copy of my free “Small Business Marketing Roadmap Report” to find out.
9 Responses to “Personal Branding, Not Just For Celebrities”
Martha Giffen
Wow! Are we ever on the same wave length! I blogged today about “know, like and trust!” Welcome to the #blog30 Look forward to reading more of your posts!
Melanie Kissell
Love this topic, Ely. It’s one of my favorite “soapbox” issues!
Great to meet you through the 30-day blogging challenge and be sure to be on the lookout for my upcoming post about “Branding”. I have a feeling you’ll enjoy the little added “twist”.
Here’s the way I see it …
If you learn and understand how to create your brand – your online identity – you won’t have to worry about competition. There won’t be any!!
Melanie
#blog30
Joe Cheray
Yaro Starak preaches building yourself as an authority in your niche so that you may build trust in your readership. Personally I have always felt that is the only ethical way to do business. I am not one to fake it till they make it.
Henry Peña
Hi Ely,
I like your ideas above. It’s something that most people can do.
I’m writing an eBook on using Social Media for Personal Branding purposes and that’s how I came across #blog30 and eventually, your blog.
I have a few more ideas on Personal Branding that I’d like to bounce around with you if you’re open.
Let’s connect on Twitter. @BrandThySelf
Best Regards,
~Henry~
The Mentor
Henry, Thanks a bunch for the comments. I would love to chat with you about the book. Looks like we are already connected on Twitter. Be sure to connect on Facebook too and let’s set up a time to talk.
Thanks again.
The Mentor
Joe,
Great feedback. Thanks so much. I listen to Yaro’s podcast and he always has great stuff.
Ely
The Mentor
Melanie,
Glad to hear that we think alike. One thing that I really push is that if you are doing it right, you don’t have competition because you become a category of one!
I look forward to reading your post soon.
Ely
Ely
Thanks Martha,
Great minds think alike, right?
I’ll try to get over to your blog tomorrow and check it out. Can’t wait to read it.
Ely
Fleep Jones
Hi I attempted to sign up to your RSS and the link seems to be broken. How can i get around this?