When we talk about brands we often think of big businesses or corporate organisations but in the digital age we live in, personal branding is becoming more important than ever.Personal branding has become a full-time job for many people. You might have heard the word “Influencer?” These people have huge followings on social media and are paid by businesses to share their products as a means of “influencing” their audience into buying it.The reason this is significant is because it highlights a major shift in perception. Social media platforms have given us a window into people’s lives; their personalities, what they do for work, how they spend their spare time and what they stand for.We feel connected to them because we see what they’re doing almost every day and this connection becomes a powerful tool.While you may not have millions of followers on social media, what you share is reflective of your personal brand without you even realising and it will be shaping the way people perceive you. Knowing this and then curating your content with your personal brand in mind can be really beneficial for widening your network and growing your business.So, what do we mean by our “personal brand?”Your personal brand is made up of lots of things, your name, your tone of voice, your beliefs, as well as your unique attributes and personality traits. The combination of these things is what sets you apart from other people and will be the way people build a connection with you.Why is personal brand important?People are becoming much less trustworthy of large corporations. They’re much less inclined to build trust with a faceless brand than with someone who they can relate to and share the same values. In fact, A consumer survey by Nielson showed that only around 33% of consumers trust messages from a brand, while around 90% trust messages from a “person” they know.Everyone in our organisation has grown their business based on their personal brand, whether they realise it or not.Think about it. As a company we spend very little traditional marketing methods and instead, we’ve grown through referrals, recommendations and by building trust through individuals. Up until this point it’s been much less to do with the brand of the company and instead because of every individual who represents it.Understanding how to utilise your personal brand can bring some major benefits including:

• Established an Identity – People can instantly recognise a piece of content, or a message is from you meaning you stand out from the competition.
• Builds Trust – Connecting with your audience through shared values allows them to trust you and are therefore will be more comfortable working with you as they know you are genuine.
• Creates Opportunities – Sharing consistent, valuable content will allow your audience to connect with you on an even deeper level. You’ll build a network of likeminded people who share in your values. In time they’ll consider you a thought leader or even better, someone who can solve an issue they have.

By consistently sharing content that conveys your core values and that adds something to people’s lives whether it’s motivation, a free guide or even a discount for something related to your brand, your network will expand, and it will be filled with people who trust your perspective and value what you are sharing.Top 3 tips to consider when developing your personal brand:

1. Be Authentic – Whilst it’s true that we shouldn’t believe everything we see on the internet, people can see through a façade so it’s important that your personal brand is genuinely reflective of you! Your beliefs and values will run through the core of everything you do so trying to be something you’re not will be both exhausting and pointless. People are far more likely to connect with the real you and you’ll be able to build a network of people who share in your values in the long term which is the real benefit.

2. Consistency – In the world of endless scrolling and vast amount of content it’s important that you share consistently in order to keep your audience engaged. There is such thing as overkill though! Before posting just anything, ask yourself if it adds value to your audience, think quality over quantity. Establishing your personal brand won’t just happen overnight, it takes planning, commitment and thought but if you’re willing to invest in it, you’ll reap the rewards.
3. Add value – As mentioned in point two, it’s important that everything you share adds value to your audience. This takes getting to know your audience, what makes them tick and what information you need. I know that a large proportion of my network are people looking to grow their business and invest in self development so I curate content that will help them with this. Ask yourself who you want your audience to be and how you can add value to their lives and go from there.

For more business tips and insights, follow my page.