“What does Jenna Kutcher, Marie Kondo and Chris Do all have in common?” They are all well known personal brands with thriving businesses! It’s no shocker that self-branding is very powerful in business, that’s why a new personal brands are popping up all over the place. Which leads me to my next question “Why are some self branded business owners growing rapidly while other are struggling and falling behind? Can you relate to the latter?

It never feels very fair when your working as hard as you can at something, putting your all. But still not receiving the traction like others do. One of the easiest ways to get lost in the personal brand process is not know what key elements are important. Stay here and learn the 3 essential tips to self-branding. Leave feeling motivated on what you need to focus in on, improve upon and simple just do more of.

But before I get into the tips let’s refresh ourself what self-branding and or personal branding really is all about. This concept has actually be around since 1937 with Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” book. Personal branding use to be limited to celebrities, but since having social media at our finger tips it’s a possibly for anyone. Whether your an author, artist small business owner a lot of people are developing a personal brand to help their business grow. But the basic principle of self-branding is all about building your business around you personally, in a simplistic but rather big way you are selling who you are.

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Finding your brand focus

Even personal brands aren’t suppose to be as complex as a real human even though they are build around one. Unfocused personal brands trying to be everything to everyone is confusing for your audience. Your personality is too complex to be replicate complete as your brand identity. Just like in day to day life when we find something confusing, it irritates us, it’s not a nice feeling. We usually want to redirect our focus onto something that is less confusing. You have to almost sieve through, and keep the important elements.Therefore simplify your brand focus and message is key to making a memorable clear impact.

Why you find it difficult to simplify

Ok ok , so maybe you already knew that your brand shouldn’t be talking to everyone, but you are still finding it too difficult to focus your brand? Sometime it’s not enough knowing what to do, and more beneficial knowing why you are currently finding it difficult to achieve. When brand experts tell you to focus your brand, logically you understand why it’s a good thing. However, it can give you this irrational illusion that by simplifying you’re brand you are going to start shutting potential customers and clients out. When in fact you’ll attract more ideal clients and customer who that have a bigger pull to want to work with you. Rather than a wishy-washy brand inviting crowds of people that are all different and all a bit unsure whether they are in the right place and if sceptical about working with you, wouldn’t you prefer to work with people who feel drawn to work with you who know they are in the right place.

How to find focus

Another reason you haven’t focused your personal brand is due to fear, fear that if you are too focused no one is going to like you, therefore less sales or people wanting to work with you. This isn’t true either, here’s why. Having a clear brand focus will make it easier for people to remember who you are. Be able to understand you and ok not everyone will like you but the ones that do will keep coming back for more! So yeah your ego might get a little bruised but in the longer run it’s for the better. So go back to the beginning, and cast your mind back to why you wanted to start your personal brand in the first place? What did you want to share with people? What are you specifically interested in and passionate about that you want to be associated with? Make a focused brand message and stick to it. The best part about a personal brand is you can evolve your offering but your reason for being will always and forever be the same.

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Building your brand for your ideal audience

Personal brands getting carried away

We can all get carried away, with our own businesses but we must remember who our business are really for. And that your ideal clients or customers. If you aren’t receiving much engagement or traction online. It’s time to get serious about who your ideal customers really are. If you thought you didn’t need to know because your brand is build around you think again! All types of brands are more powerful when they know exactly who they are talking to! So let get stuck in and ask you’re self

Who is your ideal client?
What makes them ideal?

Just like every business producing content is a non-negotiable, sorry! But if you figuring out who you’re brand is talking to you are already halfway there! You’ll see great results when you start producing content that is on point with your ideal clients. When content is making them say things like “ha, yeah that’s exactly it!” or “I can completely relate!” they know you are talking to them and no one else. Make’s them feel special, heard and understood.

Client is the hero your brand is the guide

Listen up, when building a brand around yourself, please remember that you nor your brand is the hero. What I mean by this is in every a story there’s a guide and a hero like Batman and Robin. It can be tempting to make yourself the hero of your own brand. But really you must be positioning yourself as the guide and your client as the hero. Like in every story you ever read there usually something stopping or getting in the hero’s way to achieving whatever he or she needs or want to accomplish. This is where your brand comes in as the guide. Even though your have built a brand around yourself, it needs to be solving your ideal customers or clients problem so that they can win the day! So when building your ideal client remember to ask

What problems do they have?

…and how would they describe the problem you solve?

Ideal Customers drivers and desires

I see a lot of personal brands talk to the external problems that their ideal clients are having. but that only 30% of the issue. We also have internal struggles and problems that we are trying to overcome! These should be addressed too. So make sure you’re looking at your ideal clients internal problems, such as lacking confidence, imposter syndrome, perfectionist etc. Remember you make buy decision more through feeling than rational thought. It will be beneficial to take some time and work out what your ideal clients are internally struggling with and showing them how your product or service can also help resolve or improve those issues too.

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Living your brand

Being visible online

You need to be present online. write down a list of all the place your potential client or customer can find you. If you’re not showing up online in at least three different place your going to be tricky to find. And let’s face it, our potential clients aren’t going to know you exist and it’s not there responsibility to find you. They’ll discover someone else who is easier to find. So when growing your personal brand you need to be visible online, not only showing up but show your face who you are.

Instagram Lifestyle and behind the scenes

You’ve probably already realised that posting random things on social doesn’t provide you with great results Mainly because you’re struggling to connect or adding value to your audience life. Or many you are so carried away by use every opportunity to sell your offer! Think of your social media platforms like an extension of your brand or a supplement. Definitely not your whole brand. It’s highly effective to build a lifestyle around your personal brand or business, we can get all get caught up in the selling, but you need to remember you’re also selling a lifestyle. Building a community is not only important, but rather tricky so make sure you’re consistently showing up online. Show behind the scene, drawing your audience in, building connections, starting a conversation and providing your people with value.

Brand Story

To build a personal brand well, you must be consistently adding value to your community. It’s no secret that storytelling is a big part of personal branding, and a great way to relate and add value to your community. You may already have a main brand story some where on your website. But that doesn’t mean to say you can’t share others! Think about it before you write a Instagram description that another opportunity for you to add another brand story, connect with your audience on a deeper level. Plus remember that you’re stories you share shouldn’t just be all the good things. We can learn and remember so much more from the struggles and hardships that others have had and conquered! Getting vulnerable is a great way to build a personal connection with your community. But sharing a story for the sake of it is not the aim of the game here. Only share the stories that you feel comfortable too. And are helping you reinforces your brand perception. Plus before posting anything ask yourself will this story or snippet of information actually going to serve your ideal client?

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Boost your Self-Branding Skills Today

That’s a wrap for self-branding! To recap simple, remember to find and have a brand focus, know your audience like the back of yours hand! And build a presence online, I can not stress that enough! There is power in numbers so start building your community. It doesn’t have to be a huge community like Jenna Kutcher because remember she very well established now. We all have to start somewhere and even a small group of loyal brand customers can be powerful enough. So know that you have these 3 essential self-branding tips, it’s know time to put what you know into practise and use them to there full potential! and I wish you all the best with your personal brand! If you’re unsure how to build an ideal customer profile go listen to episode 7 on The BrandMade Podcast.