Personal Branding: A complete guide on why it is a better approach than just branding your business.

With unprecedented happenings against mankind, 2020 has come out as a year of adversities. Do you agree?

Flurry of lockdowns, Restrictions, Layoffs, Lack of motivation, No bonuses, Cost-cutting affecting salaries etc. etc.

As that age-old adage goes “Adversities open door for more opportunities”.

Believe me, adversities are good, when you know how to use it to your advantage. Adversities create innovation. Adversities gave birth to many of the biggest corporates, products & services present in the world today. Adversities make us stronger, more resilient, grateful, and more importantly, Humble.

Can we all make use of the current adversity as an opportunity to start something new? Perhaps a new business that is genuinely customer-centric? Maybe a company with a mission of giving back to society? Or even starting any kind of business for that matter.

Do you concur with me that this is the best time to get into a business?

Read on…

What approach can I take? A Personal Brand or A Business Brand?

This question perhaps seems to me like someone commanding me to choose a Religion. This isn’t a religion. So I would say, it is necessary to have a fine balance between strong business branding and in the meantime have robust personal branding (with a face for people to relate to when they think of a brand).

Why do I need a Personal Brand? Isn’t just a Strong business brand enough for me to succeed?

To answer this question, let’s dive into an example.

You have a fantastic startup idea.

You’ve just decided to cash in all your savings, investing the money in the same.

You execute the Startup project, invest all your time and money in developing your company as a brand alone. All the way you think that it is not at all necessary for you to build a personal brand.

Let’s presume, at a certain stage you feel that the startup is failing and you are forced to shut the business.

At such a point, don’t you think you need to start from scratch for your next venture?

On the contrary, let’s assume you’ve not only emphasized on growing your company brand, but also a Personal Branding for yourself on your startup journey.

In such a case, don’t you think a person with a powerful personal brand will have opportunities flocking at him, even though he has failed in his startup?

A personal branded person has an upper hand than a person without.

Okay! Now that I agree with you on this, will people accept me as a brand?

Think for yourself, aren’t we more interested in following other people than following specific companies?

In contrast, a business brand without a face isn’t relatable. It’s impersonal. It’s rigid.

As a matter of fact, Elon musk has Twitter followers exceeding that of his 3 companies (SpaceX, Tesla, Solarcity) combined.

In the Indian scenario, the same is true with the robust personal brand of Ratan Tata.

Tata as a conglomerate has business interests spanning Automobiles, Steel, FMCG, Airlines, Software, etc.

Just recall, don’t we all see Mr. Tata as an embodiment of honesty, civility & humbleness? It makes us see any business that is associated with Tata, as one with high ethics. This is the magic of Personal Branding.

What we can learn from these successful personalities is that “People want to do business with other ‘people’, not companies.”

That’s compelling. But how will I face the competition?

As a freelancer or entrepreneur, you have competition.

But as a personal brand, you have no real competition. You are your competition.

Sure, there may be similar kinds of companies or people selling alike product or services, but it definitely isn’t you. In fact, there is no person who can be similar to you.

As an individual, you are 100% unique.

And that is why building a personal brand is so powerful.

When you build a personal brand, you immediately differentiate from your competition. Because you are different from your competition.

Wow! I’m convinced! But where do I start? How can I be successful using Personal Branding?

If you think building a personal brand starts with a logo, I’ve to say that’s wrong. IT STARTS WITH YOU!

“Personal Branding is not pretending to be like somebody.”

A successful personal brand can only be successful if it is an extension of who ‘you’ are, not who you would like to be or who you think you can/should be, or not even what others think you should be.

Recognize who you are and what value you have to offer that people are ready to pay a price for, then begin building your brand from that point. Clearly emphasize what makes you different from the competition.

Positioning yourself as an ‘honest’ personal ‘YOU’ brand, will without an iota of doubt dramatically increase your influence, credibility, visibility, and reach of your product/service.

“Develop a Robust Personal Brand by utilizing your strengths for your advantage, and in the meantime being conscious of your weaknesses.”

Can you let me know what are the probable obstacles that I can encounter on way to developing a strong personal brand?

a. Self-doubt

b. Fear of being judged a fraud.

c. Fear of Criticism.

d. And the trending fear, the fear of being trolled.

To overcome these fears, we need to step out of our comfort zones. Go for it blindly and be prepared to face all that comes your way, because the above-mentioned obstacles are natural when you are bound to enter the success territory.

That was super interesting! I feel motivated! Now that everything is clear, would you like to add anything to conclude?

Remember, what you say, what you share, what you do, defines the ‘YOU’. It is a reflection of who you are. It is a footprint that leaves an impression for a long time to come.

So whether you want it or not, your Personal Brand is being created every moment you act, speak, or do anything. So, why not curate your brand with intention & purpose, consciously, to make the most out of it.

Come’ on start taking control of brand ‘YOU’.

Never forget “You are your most valued asset when it comes to a Personal Brand”

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This is an assignment as a part of Digital Deepak Internship.

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