Growing Your Brand… When You Are the Brand

Your business needs a professional brand, which serves as the public image that you choose to put across. But when you run a business independently, you often are the face of the brand. The business is built on your name, skills and reputation, so growing and promoting your brand means promoting yourself.

When you are the brand, you need to know how to grow it in the right way. Every business person has a personal brand, but yours is intertwined with your company… so you need to take the right steps to build it up.

Here are some of the things you should do to grow your brand.

Grow Your Skills

Gaining new skills is a must when you are the face of your business. Your expertise is at the heart of your company, and your customers want to see that you have the right skills. Growing your skills is not a one-time thing. It’s something that you should do continuously to keep your knowledge up to date. Working on a new certification or updating your skills will ensure you keep up with your industry. It’s very beneficial for your brand, allowing you to demonstrate official confirmation of your skills and experience.

Craft Your Professional Persona

Your professional brand isn’t necessarily the same as your personality and image outside of your business. It might share some similarities, but it’s unlikely to be exactly the same. Most people tend to have a professional persona, which reflects their personal values and attitude but is also a bit more polished. Of course, you may not want your professional persona to be too far away from who you are outside of work. If there’s too much of a difference, you could come across as disingenuous, so it’s best to base your personal brand on your true personality.

Make Yourself a Specialist

Every professional needs some way to make their brand stand out. Making yourself a specialist in a particular area is a great way to attract the right clients. When you take the time to find your niche and become an expert, it will ensure you stand out from your competition. It can also become a significant part of your brand. You will be a voice of authority in your industry, and the person that others think of when they need expertise in a certain area. Focus on being knowledgeable about one area to define your brand.

Network Online and Offline

Networking is essential if you want to grow your personal and business brand. It ensures you get your face and name in front of others, and become more familiar in your industry. You can network both online and offline to discover opportunities to meet others and get to know them, as well as to promote your business. Look for local business groups that you can join or online channels where you can connect with others in your industry.

When you are your business’s brand, it’s even more important to approach brand growth in the right way. Create and grow an image that matches your values and goals.

This is a contributed post.