Personal branding is all about how you market yourself to the world. A personal brand is synonymous with reputation. Are you trustworthy? Are you an expert? How do people respond to your brand name? What you choose to project influences the way people think about you and your business. A well-built personal brand can help turn prospects into customers. This blog introduces you to the concept of personal branding and provides tips on how you can make your personal brand stand out.

Branding

WHY IS PERSONAL BRANDING IMPORTANT?

As a MSP, you are operating in the local market. Your customers and leads are mostly local, with whom you share a personal relationship. This kind of a business environment makes it very important for you to build a strong personal brand. Whether you have just started your MSP business or are thinking of growing it now, the one thing that is most vital for your sustainability is branding because it

• Helps attract the right people and right opportunities
• Helps add perceived value to what you are selling
• Helps earn recognition
• Increases your earning potential
• Helps differentiate yourself from the competition

Your personal brand is the image you portray of yourself. It is the way others perceive you. This includes prospects, customers and even competitors. As a small business person you need to be very conscious of the way you portray your personal brand because in the case of a proprietorship, your personal brand ( that is, YOU) is virtually the same as your ‘corporate’ brand. For the world, you and your business are one and people associate your business with your personal brand.

The good news is you can decide how you want to be portrayed. Personal branding has nothing to do with money or assets. It is all about the way you market yourself to the world. Whether you’re sending a business proposal or an email or interacting one to one, you’re branding yourself. Personal branding is your promise of value and trust.

Personal brand, whether you build it yourself, or let people build an image of your brand themselves, is unavoidable. In the interest of your business and reputation, it is best to build your brand image yourself.

ELEMENTS TO LOOK INTO WHEN BUILDING YOUR PERSONAL BRAND:

• Consistency: Be consistent when using your business name, logo and color when marketing. The last thing you want to do is confuse people about your brand.
• USP: Identify your unique selling point and make the best use of it while marketing.
• Message: Have a strong and concise marketing message for your prospects. Be clear on your mission statement.
• Exposure: Internet is the place to be found today. So be generous when using the web for a strong online presence. Social media is the magic wand here.
• Go viral: There are multiple ways for your brand to reach its target. Use social media and content syndication tools to grow and expand your brand.
• Video: Create a video of your bio or business and publish it online.
• Email: Add a personal touch to your email marketing and reach out to your prospects. This is inexpensive.
• Search engine optimization: If you’re not to be found on the web, you’re nowhere. Optimize your marketing content for better search engine rankings.
• Website: The first thing people want to know is whether you have a website they can refer to. Websites builds trust, so make sure you have a personal or company website.

Creating a personal brand is not difficult. It’s all about the efforts that go into creating one. So if you have not started, it’s time you did!.