You’re investing in search engine optimization and pay-per-click, but the results are slow and steady.
If you’re looking to scale your growth and find new ways to differentiate yourself in a competitive market, personal branding online could be an option. People buy from people, and as a result, entrepreneurs are increasingly branding themselves. Build brand awareness via an online community, and it’s easy to sell. In fact, consumers will eat out of the palm of your hand. Below, we’ve rounded up some essential strategies you need to consider using…
Create relevant and engaging content
The most obvious way to increase your personal branding online is to create content. Many entrepreneurs start out by resharing content from other publications, curating the very best news, advice, and opinion pieces. But you should also be creating your own content for your audience. This will demonstrate your experience and authority in your niche and give you additional tools in your arsenal. The more material you write, the more you’ll have to share.
The ultimate aim when creating content is to offer a fresh take on an existing topic. You can share the reasons why you do things in a certain way. Offer advice in the way you would to your clients. It might seem alien to offer so much value and intel for free. But it’s the best way to increase your search engine optimization rankings. It’ll also boost your presence on social media. In time, people will come to look at you as the go-to resource in your industry.
Personal branding online doesn’t have to be solely professional. Sometimes, sharing a post about something personal can add humanity to your brand. Whether you’re reading a book, struggling with mental health, or on the beach with your dog. It pulls down the barriers and will remind your followers that you’re human. And remember: people buy from people.
Knowing when to share key to personal branding online
Something to bear in mind when building your personal branding online is frequently.
It’s a common misconception that the more you post the better. Actually, posting too often can frustrate and annoy your followers. On LinkedIn, individuals should aim to post between 2-5 times per week – spread this out over weekdays and try not to post more than once a day.
On Twitter, however, you can get away with more frequent posts. You might want to set up an RSS feed that automatically shares content published from your website. Facebook, too, can benefit from more frequent posts. We recommend posting 1-3 times per day.
Of course, you don’t need to post every day of your life. Having the occasional day off will not harm your business or personal brand. And if you’re going through a dry spell, where you are unable to create much organic content, turn to others. Google Alerts is a valuable tool that will send a notification when a relevant news article is published. A couple of these can give you endless content to share and repurpose. Take inspiration and ask questions.
Positivity is critical to long-term success
No entrepreneur wants to be saccharine.
However, you should aim to keep it civil on social media and on your blog. Avoid overly controversial topics and keep political opinions offline. Your personal branding online reflects your business and your colleagues. Post something that offends your followers, and you risk damaging not only your brand but your company’s, too.
The best way to overcome any frustrations is to have personal and professional accounts. You can say whatever you want in the presence of friends and family.
But when talking to fellow business owners in the B2B world, you can moderate your posts and ensure you only sharing content that adds to the conversation and sparks debate, rather than arguments.
Personal branding online requires consistency
To build trust and credibility, you must be consistent. There’s no point in sharing a blog post on reasons to buy a dog one day, and then a guide on sending your dog to a rehoming shelter the next. Know who you are, what you want to achieve, and be consistent with it. It is often worthwhile defining a clear brand voice and persona before you start posting. That way you can refer back to your previous strategy and ambitions and ensure you’re on-brand. Y
ou can damage your reputation in a single swoop if you suddenly share something that doesn’t resonate with your audience. Likewise, disappearing from your blog and social media pages for months on end and then posting again won’t sit well. Post consistently and be strategic.
Look at other influencers and thought leaders
The truth is that personal branding online takes time. You can’t command respect on the day you launch your channels.
You must be realistic and set achievable goals. One way to boost your motivation is to connect with other influencers in your industry. You can take inspiration from their posts, and piggyback off their success to build your own brand. Once you start to develop relationships with thought leaders, their followers will see you as an expert as well.
A quick word of warning: don’t copy content from others. Always create original material and if you are going to do something similar, give credit to the original source. Not doing so will reflect badly on your personal branding online and your organization. It’s not worth the risks.
Invest in social media
We’ve already touched upon the importance of social media for personal branding online. It is entirely possible to build a brand via content marketing and SEO alone. But LinkedIn and Twitter play a vital role in building relationships and brand awareness. Decide on which networks you’d like to focus on, clean them up, and create content for them every day. If you don’t have time, you can use software such as Buffer or HootSuite to schedule in advance.
Personal branding online is about making an investment in your future. It won’t be possible to win over the trust and respect of your followers overnight. But if you offer quality content and you’re consistent, the hard work will eventually pay off. If you need assistance, reach out to the personal branding experts at Biz Online Marketing who can make your life easier.
For more information on personal branding, follow us on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, where we offer tips for small business owners and entrepreneurs looking to grow. Once you’ve followed, say hello and start a conversation!