The 10 Reasons Top Founders Are Building Personal Brands
2024 is the year of the personal brand, and it’s not set to stop. Entrepreneurs are finding they can grow their company much faster when an audience of people buy into them as its owner. A strong brand and impressive following can negate the need for advertising spend. It can attract opportunities, open doors, and mean exceptional team members come to you. It’s time to get involved.
The stats back this up. 77% of consumers are more likely to buy from a company when its CEO uses social media. 82% trust companies more when their senior executives are active online. Plus, in showing up, you’ll reach infinitely more people in the first place. The numbers don’t lie and your personal brand matters. But what are you doing about it?
Not convinced? Here are 10 compelling reasons to start building your personal brand right now.
Here’s what a strong personal brand can do for you:
Make you stand out
A decision maker has five proposals in front of them. Which company do they go with? The one where they are familiar with the founder, of course. Your dream customer is wondering who can help them with their business. They ask the person top of mind. They are top of mind because of their personal brand.
Sharing your strong opinions online makes you stand out. It makes you memorable. When people know what you’re about, it makes it easier for them to like and trust you. When clients have choices, they’ll pick the name they know. So be the one everyone remembers.
Build trust on autopilot
Share your expertise regularly, and watch strangers turn into loyal customers. Showing up online is a non-stop trust-building engine. Your followers become your biggest fans. Don’t underestimate the trust that builds when people get to know your story. They develop affinity towards you and they trust you with their contracts.
Set the trends
Don’t copy what everyone else is doing. Be a leader online as well as in your company. Make yourself the go-to expert. 45% of decision-makers use thought leadership content to vet organizations. When people need answers, they’ll come to you first. They trust your wisdom will stack right up.
If no one knows what you think, how can they agree? Even if you’re completely crazy, letting the world know will attract crazy customers you might love to work with. Be your private self in public and see what happens.
Grow your network
Your personal brand attracts like-minded professionals. It creates connections you never knew possible. The wider your network, the greater your impact. It’s a domino effect.
The more connections you have, the more mutual connections you have with new contacts. The more followers; the more engagement on your content, the more people see it and want to connect. It’s social proof on steroids. Plus, having people constantly sent your way grows your network like nothing else.
Attract inbound opportunities
A solid personal brand doesn’t wait for chances; it creates them. Speaking gigs, media spots, and book deals will all start coming your way as your profile grows. You’re bringing more to the table now. People want you on their agenda.
Make it easy to be someone’s first choice for their next slot. Researchers don’t want to do the research. They want you to do the hard work. Make yourself easy to find and obvious to choose.
Forget the hard sell
No one really loves cold calling. But when you build your personal brand, it does the selling for you. Rather than fight your way to clients, they fight their way to you. So when opportunities come knocking, people are willing, even eager, to pay for your service.
The bigger your profile, the higher the bids. No pushy tactics needed. Be genuine, be present, and watch your influence grow. You won’t need any other marketing.
Bring your company along
Building your personal brand isn’t selfish. Your personal brand lifts your entire business. 49% of a company’s reputation can be attributed to its CEO. As your reputation grows, so does your company’s. You attract sales, amazing team members and investors who are ready to go.
As a bonus, your personal brand can be taken from company to company, opening up options for your future. Pivots, rebrands, launches or completely new ventures are more likely to succeed with a powerful personal brand behind them.
Make a lasting impact
People might remember a television commercial for 5 minutes, and a billboard for 5 seconds. But an insight from you, based on your unique experience, could be retold for years.
Your personal brand and everything you share has the power to stick in people’s minds. It’s evolution. Be remembered long after the meeting has ended when you prove you’re a person who people want to follow.
Attract top talent easily
Great people want to work with inspiring leaders. Your personal brand draws in awesome people who share your values and vision, and they already know what your company stands for.
Forget posting job descriptions and convincing candidates to work with you. Just email your mailing list and pick the best of the best. Build your dream team effortlessly.
Give your business a human touch
Your personal brand makes your business relatable. 88% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know over any type of advertising. It turns your company into a story people want to be part of.
Faceless corporations are no longer the trend. No one buys into a logo or colour palette alone. Instead, it’s you. Your name, your voice, your purpose, your mission. You’d be crazy not to share it further afield.
The 10 Reasons Top Founders Are Building Personal Brands,” explains why successful entrepreneurs are focusing on personal branding and how it contributes to their business growth. To explore these insights, you can read Jodie Cook’s full article on The 10 Reasons Top Founders Are Building Personal Brands (forbes.com)
