Why Personal Branding can be Useful to you as an Entrepreneur

A few months ago, we had our first virtual conference. With sourcing a hosting venue, gathering speakers, and planning our attendee experience, everything was different now that we planned to go virtual. 

We began to feel the pressure of marketing for an entirely different conference when we remembered that the Legacy experience was just that - the Legacy experience. Regardless of the method of delivery, as long as the fundamentals of what we offer are the same, we know that we are on the right track. 

As someone entrepreneurial by heart, you might be thinking- is branding useful to me? How can I brand myself? Isn’t branding just for companies and big corporations? Nope! In fact, branding is encouraged for everyone; organizations, groups, and individual people. 

First off, what is personal branding? 

Personal branding is exactly what it sounds like; making people aware of who you are and what you do. Your brand is what you want to be known for, and makes up the perception of what people see when they look at you. So what makes you special? Why are you different from everyone else doing similar things?

The rise of brand ambassadors, influencers, and other people figures is giving rise to an audience that is looking for someone to guide and influence them but doesn’t know where to start. As a rising entrepreneur, branding can help you establish credibility and a community of followers.  

Personal branding will help you establish good rapport

People naturally gravitate to those they see as experts in an area of interest to them. Take Gary Vaynerchuk for example - his brand is all about helping people master social media and using determination to get to where they want, supported by his years of experience in running successful companies and mentoring a large social media following. As an expert in these topics, people turn to him for advice and help on how to master those skills. 

Entrepreneurs can use personal branding to establish credibility, and build on their own expertise. Once you’ve established your personal brand in a particular subject area, people will gravitate towards what you share about what you’re learning and what you know. 

It creates emotion 

Companies and organizations create emotion all the time to entice people; why can’t you? Thinking about whether or not to buy a product or service is an emotional decision, as with people deciding whether or not to follow you as an entrepreneur. Branding creates more emotional and personal connections between you and your audience, putting a face behind the brand. 

Think of all the different classes that you’ve had over the years. Of all the classmates you must’ve had, the most memorable ones often end up being those you have an emotional connection to. Improving recognition is a core benefit of branding, and will be useful to you as you develop and grow your business. 

You will attract the right audience

Think of branding as a way of marketing yourself to an audience. If you’re trying to sell trumpets, would you introduce yourself as a trained musician or a Michelin-star chef?   

“You have to understand your own personal DNA. Don’t do things because I do them or Steve Jobs or Mark Cuban tried it. You need to know your personal brand and stay true to it.” - Gary Vaynerchuk

Branding helps people identify what you’re all about. By branding yourself and your ventures accurately, you’re likely to attract people who are truly interested in that subject and will want to interact with your work. These interactions are what help entrepreneurs build relationships and subsequently, a following.

Branding provides direction 

Knowing what you’re all about gives you a sense of what you can offer. We know this because we base most of our creative direction off of what we're all about: inspiring action through connection. 

Part of your efforts in building an audience as an entrepreneur may be to advertise yourself and get your name out there. Knowing your brand and knowing what you can offer will direct you in identifying many aspects of your work; from the target market and advertising platform to specific actions that align with your values. 

No matter what stage of your journey you are in, branding is for you!