Your Personal Brand Is the Most Important Part of Social Media
Personal branding is an essential part of your company's social media marketing campaign. Do what you can to build your brand as an expert and thought leader, and your business will benefit.
Small business owners are used to hearing about how important it is to put together a social media marketing plan. After all, social media marketing is a big part of digital marketing success for almost any business.
What many business owners fail to understand is the importance of personal branding when it comes to social media. While it’s true that you probably don’t want to base your business on your personality, the reality is we are all brands in today’s world, and that means that you need to acknowledge the importance of your personal brand, and how it fits into your social media use.
What Is Personal Branding?
You might not think of yourself as a brand, but the truth is you are. Today, everyone is a brand–even if you’re not trying to be. “Regular” workers even have their own brands; as a business owner, you are definitely a brand.
When you engage in personal branding, you make the effort to manage the way you present yourself to others. This happens offline as well as online. Think about the way you interact with your potential customers and the way you want other business owners to view you. Chances are you are already working on your personal brand without realizing that’s what you’re doing.
Social media is one way that you can share more information about your personal brand. By extension, you’ll also be helping your business since you are associated with your business, even if you have built a company that is largely independent. Social media is one of the biggest ways for you to manage your personal brand online.
Advantages of a Strong Personal Brand
Incorporating your personal brand into your social media marketing can be a powerful way to boost your business. While you might not be your business, your company can still benefit from your powerful brand on social media.
Here are 5 advantages that can result from your strong personal brand:
- Increased recognition: When you build a strong personal brand, you are easier to find online, and you will be better recognized. Anyone researching you will see your brand–and that brings greater recognition to your company.
- Acknowledgement as an expert: You can be acknowledged as an expert in your field when you have a strong personal brand. The insights you share on social media contribute to your overall credibility in your field, and that reflects well on your company.
- More opportunities for leadership: These days, company executives and owners who are recognized as leaders garner more attention to their businesses. If you want leadership opportunities and chances to offer your thoughts to others as a thought leader, a strong personal brand that’s built online through social media can help.
- Chances for partnerships: Because the Internet makes it possible for almost anyone to be found, you have the chance to build partnerships for you and your business that might not have been practical before. Use social media as part of your personal branding, and you might be surprised at the opportunities available to your company.
- Greater value: The value of your company and your value as a brand increases when you have a strong personal brand and make it part of your social media strategy. Your brand will be sought after, and your company considered more valuable, when you strengthen your online presence with the help of social media.
When potential customers, partners, influencers, and others research your company, they will also want to research you. We live in a world where business managers matter. Personal branding through social media is a good way to let others find you and see that the company is in good hands.
How to Build Your Personal Brand With Social Media
Your first step is to create social media accounts that are separate from your company’s official brand. You might have a Twitter account labeled @YourCompany, and Facebook and LinkedIn pages for your business. That’s great for company branding and official communications, but you also want to have your own personal accounts.
In your personal profile, include a mention of your business; your profile can describe you as an expert in your field and the founder of YourCompany. This connects you to your business, and as your profile awareness rises, so does the profile of your business.
Next, you need to decide what area of expertise to focus on. Figure out what you want people to see when they search for your name online. They should connect you with the field your business is associated with. Consider the keywords you want associated with your name and your business; these are words that you should include in your social media profiles.
Describe what sets you apart from others in your field. You can get some great ideas by checking out the profiles of others in your field, and then use those profiles to help you identify ways you can differentiate yourself.
Here are a few other tips that can help you as you build your personal brand on social media:
- Be yourself: Authenticity is important. Let some of your personality show through so that you seem “real.” Your company’s official pages and social media accounts aren’t going to have the same personality you have.
- Think twice before posting: Just because you want to be authentic doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t think through what you post. The way you act at work is different to how you act while you are at a party. You’re still yourself in both places, but you know that different actions are appropriate. Before you post something on your accounts, think about how it will reflect on you and your company, and whether or not it’s appropriate.
- Don’t react immediately to others: Because social media often takes place in real time, it’s tempting to react quickly to what someone else posts. There is no need to; wait to respond. You want to build a reputation as a thoughtful person, if that’s how you want to reflect on your brand.
- Be consistent: Finally, be consistent across your social media channels. You should be the same on Facebook as you are on LinkedIn. Include similar images so that you are instantly recognizable, whether someone is looking for you on Twitter or on Instagram. Consistency also helps you spread a better personal branding message that is more likely to coalesce into an overall image that helps your business.
Personal branding is an important part of your company’s social media marketing campaign. Do what you can to build your brand as an expert and thought leader, and your business will benefit.
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