A strong personal brand is incredibly valuable for a business owner.  A well-developed personal brand allows you to lock out the competition in your market—and it enables you to stop competing based on price.  In other words, you can charge higher prices than the competition, and still win the business.  However, it’s important to understand that a strong personal brand alone won’t provide the results you are looking for.  Your personal brand is a tool—it’s a part of your overall marketing strategy.  It’s a huge part, to be sure, but it must be combined with other marketing strategies in order to deliver maximum results.  Below are several effective ways to accomplish this:

1) Incorporate your personal brand into speeches and public events. Whether you’re speaking to a large audience or you’re networking with two fellow business owners, don’t be afraid to tie your brand into conversation.  Tell stories.  Talk about your hobbies.  Let your audience get to know you, personally—not just in your professional capacity.  By interweaving your brand into your conversation, you can simultaneously impress your audience with your knowledge of your business and create a strong personal appeal. 

2) Use direct marketing—but make sure your brand always shines through. Many business owners don’t realize how effectively personal branding can be tied in to a direct marketing campaign.  Whether it’s your website or a direct mail campaign, branding yourself as an expert in your industry while presenting a strong call to action is powerful.  Don’t just market your products and services—market yourself through your brand.  At the end of the day, most customers want to work with an expert—so present yourself as the expert in your market.

3) Live your brand. Personal branding only works if you truly commit to it.  Every interaction you have with your market—whether it’s a face-to-face conversation, a radio commercial, a website, or a speech—should be consistent with your personal brand.  By itself, your personal brand has limited value… but when you tie it in to every aspect of your business and your relationships, it can take your marketing efforts to the next level.

At the end of the day, business is all about generating results.  A strong personal brand, properly leveraged through a variety of marketing channels, will have a tremendous impact on your bottom line.  Contact me if you’d like further information!