Website design By BotEap.comHow a Personal Branding Plan Benefits Your Business Brand

You don’t have a second chance to make a first impression.

Website design By BotEap.comTruer words have never been said and they apply to both you and your business.

Website design By BotEap.comIf you are a store owner, for example, you know that if someone has a negative interaction the first time they visit, they will leave immediately and will probably never return. They might even tell some friends.

Website design By BotEap.comBut if they have the time of their life on their first visit to your store, you have a loyal customer for life. And again, they might even tell some friends.

Website design By BotEap.comBut what if you are someone who works with clients? Someone who hopes to be a leader, a speaker, an author, an entertainer, a consultant?

Website design By BotEap.comMaybe you’ve done the hard work of building your business brand, with a matching professional website and logo.

Website design By BotEap.comBut branding your company is only half the battle. Because if you want to stand out and reach your ideal clients, then you must put the same effort into understanding, developing and maintaining your personal brand.

Website design By BotEap.comWhile personal branding is essential for all entrepreneurs of all genders, the reality is that women are often conditioned to be meek and gentle. So while anyone can benefit from the advice I’m about to share, I highly recommend that women, in particular, listen (so they can have the confidence to speak up and stand out!).

Website design By BotEap.comWhy You Need a Personal Branding Strategy

Women often ask me, ‘How does a personal brand contribute to my business?’

Website design By BotEap.comBranding takes work and effort, and business leaders are in tune with ROI. Because of this, they often want to know how a personal brand can benefit their business, before putting in all the effort.

Website design By BotEap.comIn short, your personal brand is a representation of your business and people will judge you accordingly.

Website design By BotEap.comThe reality is that people judge a book by its cover.

Website design By BotEap.comSo creating a brand is like the cover of your business. You want that cover to not only stand out, but also to be a true reflection of who you are and what your business is about.

Website design By BotEap.comAnd whether intuitively or directly, most people believe that how one thing is done is how everything is done. If your personal brand is haphazard, lazy, or non-existent, that will reflect on your business whether you like it or not.

Website design By BotEap.comOn the other hand, when you align your personal brand with your company brand, you are much more likely to not only connect with the right people, but also turn them into enthusiastic fans.

Website design By BotEap.comSo that’s the ‘why’ of developing a personal branding strategy. For more information on how personal branding fits with professional branding on our website.

Website design By BotEap.comNow let’s get into the ‘how’.

Website design By BotEap.comCreating a personal brand

If every journey begins with just one step, then the first step on this journey is embracing your personal brand.

Website design By BotEap.comThat means having confidence in who you are. This demands authenticity. Honesty is important above all else in branding: being genuine builds trust and trust builds customers.

This can be difficult for women who are often raised to please people and all for all people.

Website design By BotEap.comThis is why you need to keep your target audience in mind.

Website design By BotEap.comWhen building your brand, you need to define your ideal customer.

Website design By BotEap.comAnd then realize that only your ideal customer matters.

Website design By BotEap.comNot everyone has to like him, and that’s okay. Remember that the people who don’t embrace your brand are likely never customers anyway.

Website design By BotEap.comSo trust who you are. It belongs to me! Own your personality and don’t be afraid to share it with the world. Accept what makes you unique and share it with the world.

Website design By BotEap.comREAD: 8 Personal Branding Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Business

Personal branding mistakes can repel customers. But how can you avoid them so as not to harm your business?

Website design By BotEap.comThese are the biggest personal branding mistakes to avoid.

Website design By BotEap.comRead more online.

Website design By BotEap.comExamples of how to develop your brand and your business

In my role, I wear a lot of hats. Our Canada-based agency offers almost all the services you could need for digital marketing: logo and graphic design, custom website design and development, SEO and SEM marketing, social media marketing, content writing, copywriting. , newsletters and strategic consulting.

Website design By BotEap.comAnd while I love all of my hats, I think what I love the most is working one-on-one with small business owners and entrepreneurs to help them define their personal and professional brands and use them effectively.

Website design By BotEap.comIt is very powerful to help women have their ‘aha’ moment of being very clear about who they are and what they have to offer.

Website design By BotEap.comFor example, our good friend and client (now retired) Dana Smithers is a woman who lives, eats, and breathes her personal brand. Always the ‘lady in red’, Dana is a shining example of integrating her personal brand with her business brand and her entire life.

Website design By BotEap.comOur client Katherine Hartvickson of Quantum Ascendance is another shining example of building strong and consistent personal and professional brands.

Website design By BotEap.comKatherine is a high-performing leadership and human resources consultant, as well as a bestselling author and speaker.

Website design By BotEap.comIt is also a powerful personal brand, instilling professionalism and grace in all that it does. This includes insightful blog posts and a long-standing social media presence that establishes her as a go-to expert.

Website design By BotEap.comAnd as we’ve covered, it’s important to fully accept who you are.

Website design By BotEap.comFor example, our client Yvonne Douma is not afraid to show her playful side! While her company Douma Leadership offers serious services to entrepreneurs looking to improve their communication skills, Yvonne brings an infectious joy to her work that her clients love.

Website design By BotEap.comSo instead of forcing herself into the role of ‘shady businesswoman’, Yvonne embraces who she is, with a social media presence that reflects the fun, family-oriented person that she is.

Website design By BotEap.comDon’t get us wrong: Yvonne is a very serious entrepreneur and consummate professional who also shares incredibly insightful tips and strategies to establish herself as an expert in her field (for example, see our talk on communication skills on our website).

Website design By BotEap.comBut that doesn’t mean you should turn your personal brand into something that just isn’t her.

Website design By BotEap.comBranding tips for women in business

So once you have a little clarity on your personal brand, what’s next?

Website design By BotEap.comHere are some proven ways to build your personal brand:

Website design By BotEap.comOptimize social media

The best way to effectively use social media in your marketing is to be consistent and create genuine engagement.

Website design By BotEap.comSocial media is not a tool to sell your business. Instead, it offers a wonderful opportunity to share your personal brand. Keep your social media presence consistent to build and improve your personal brand awareness and develop a “know, like and trust” factor with your followers.

Website design By BotEap.comGet more tips on how to create an effective social media strategy with us online.

Website design By BotEap.comDevelop an appropriate content strategy

A good content strategy is important for many reasons, one of which is establishing your personal and professional brands. We are all familiar with the phrase ‘content is king’, so it should come as no surprise that well-written content is one of the most important elements of your website and marketing materials.

Website design By BotEap.comNow the correct content strategy will look different for different companies. It may include:

Website design By BotEap.comUltimately, the goal of all content should be to showcase your brand, attract more customers, drive conversions, and ultimately increase business.

Website design By BotEap.comIf you are new to content marketing, we have great resources to help you get started:

Website design By BotEap.comAccept praise gracefully

This is a personal fault of mine, and I suspect it is something that many women struggle with. Sometimes it is difficult to respond to a compliment, but I recommend that you take a moment and accept it. Part of recognizing who you are is being grateful when people recognize you.

Website design By BotEap.comSo instead of backing down and deflecting compliments, accept compliments gracefully.

Website design By BotEap.comAnd don’t shy away from your achievements either! It is not bragging if you simply list their accomplishments and let them fend for themselves.

Website design By BotEap.comFind your community

Surround yourself with your target market. That way, you are more likely to spend time with people who are more likely to respond to your personal brand.

Website design By BotEap.comNot everyone attracts everyone, so put yourself in places where your ideal customers will be present. Mixing water with oil will only cause you unnecessary trouble.

Website design By BotEap.comBy putting yourself in the right setting and letting yourself shine with a strong personal brand, you will reach your ideal customers. Otherwise, trying to be everything to everyone only leads to obstacles that are best avoided.

Website design By BotEap.comYou can connect with your community at networking and community events, and never underestimate the importance of a great Facebook group!

Website design By BotEap.comWork with a branding expert

If you are an entrepreneur, I have no doubt that you are good at what you do. But it is possible that what you do is not branding and marketing.

Website design By BotEap.comRemember, personal and professional branding takes a lot of time and effort. It can also be a bit intimidating.

Website design By BotEap.comYou would outsource your accounting if the numbers make you squint, and you’d outsource your building management if you were burdened with time. Likewise, it’s often a great idea to outsource your branding and marketing if you feel like you’re lost or just don’t have the time to dedicate to this important work.

Website design By BotEap.comThat’s where our team can help, with consulting and branding strategies to help you get to the next level. I can’t wait to learn more about your business goals!

Website design By BotEap.comFor the success of your business,

Website design By BotEap.comSusan

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