Company brands and personal brands don’t have to be two separate identities.
Elon Musk and Tesla are a great example of this relationship. Elon Musk is known for taking customer service inquiries on Twitter and putting them into action days later.
If you trust Elon Musk, you trust Tesla. That is the power of building a strong personal brand.
In this article I will go over how to drive revenue to your small business through your personal brand.
1) Define a bold, unique and clear message and stick with it.
Can you imagine if Hubspot called their annual conference the outbound conference? Hubspot built a brand around inbound marketing and isn’t going to change their marketing message any time soon.
Jason Fried from 37Signals has been an advocate for remote working and bootstrapping for as long as I remember. Tony Hsieh has been speaking about customer service since the first day of creating Zappos. Steve Jobs focused on simplicity in his products and presentations.
Figure out what you believe in and stick to that message. The longer you keep the same message, the bigger impact it will create.
If you are the owner of a business, your personal brand should match the values and messaging of your company. Your personal brand is the face of your company.
2) Market to your customers, not your industry colleagues.
The goal is to make money from your personal brand.
So, why do so many marketers waste their time marketing to people who don’t buy from them? It’s not a popularity contest. It’s about marketing to a customer base that needs what you’re selling.
It’s ok to build respect among your industry colleagues, but don’t lose focus on what your end goal is.
3) Embrace YouTube and LinkedIn Video – It drives results.
LinkedIn recently opened up the platform to allow for native video. If you’re a B2B service provider, then this is right down your alley.
To make the most impact, LinkedIn and YouTube users expect to see your face in front of the camera. Customers crave authentic relationships and video is a great way to embrace it.
Talk about topics that are relevant for your customers.
Also – You don’t need fancy video equipment or top of the line microphones because many smartphones have caught up in terms of quality. You would be amazed at the video and audio quality of the latest phones.
Here’s a quick tip: Do video interviews with customers or counterparts. Not only do you build a stronger relationship with your customer, but you also give an inside look into your business.
4) Make it clear what service or product you are selling.
You have a clear and memorable message for your personal brand? Great.
The next step is to make sure that people not only know who you are, but they know what your company does. You will be surprised by how many people don’t know what you do for a living or how you can help them.
When Jason Fried blogs, he blogs under his company’s blog. That drives attention to his brand plus Basecamp and other 37signals products.
Some of the best marketers have strong calls to actions in their videos and blogs. It’s ok to push your company as long as the content you are creating is valuable.
5) Focus your efforts on only one social media channel.
Here is a time management tip for you: You’re not going to master all the social channels. One is hard enough, and honestly, it’s great to start with one before you move on.
The platform you choose depends on your business. If you’re a B2B business, use LinkedIn. If you’re a fashion business, use Instagram, and so on. Master one platform at a time and interact with your customers
In conclusion, if you follow these five steps you will find yourself making consistently making more revenue.
