BY HENNA PRYOR
This key business driver is already influencing your success, whether you know it or not.
What if the key to growing your business wasn’t about getting more customers, but about building deeper connections with fewer of them? Creating a personal brand can sometimes feel like showing up to a party in a costume when everyone else is in business casual. But once you realize others admire your uniqueness, you start to embrace it.
No matter where you are in your journey, intentional personal branding completely shifts the way you’re seen and sets you apart, and my friend AJ Vaden happens to be an expert on it. As co-founder of consultancy Brand Builders Group, a recent Inc. 5000 honouree, she and I discuss why building your personal brand isn’t optional–it’s essential. Here’s why it matters and how you can get started.
Start with who, not why
You’ve probably heard Simon Sinek’s famous advice to start with why. But Vaden suggests flipping the script–she says start with who. Who exactly are the people you are serving?
“It’s not about trying to appeal to the masses. It’s about finding your smallest viable audience,” Vaden says.
Your personal brand isn’t just about you–it’s also about those you’re serving and how well you understand them. The companies that are killing it right now aren’t trying to be everything to everyone. They’re laser-focused on serving a specific, highly engaged audience.
For example, the dating app Bumble gained early success by designing the platform primarily for women who prioritize safety and empowerment. They differentiated themselves by allowing only women to initiate conversations with matched male users.
Similarly, Marie Kondo built her personal brand around “KonMari,” a philosophy that emphasizes not just physical organization, but emotional well-being through tidiness. She serves individuals who feel overwhelmed by clutter in their homes and lives.
Branding success begins by creating value for the right people, not by having the most followers.
Personal branding isn’t a nice-to-have anymore–it’s the future of marketing
The days when branding was all about logos and catchy slogans are over. In the digital world, personal branding is how people connect, trust, and do business. A national study from Brand Builders Group found that 74 percent of Americans are more likely to trust someone with an established personal brand, and that number shoots up to 85 percent for Millennials.
“Personal branding is a trust accelerator,” says Vaden. For Millennials and Gen-Z, personal branding isn’t about vanity–it’s how they decide whom to buy from, hire, and follow.
I find myself nodding along vigorously. In my keynotes with leaders and sales teams, I often discuss the idea that we’re living in a modern trust crisis. Customers are increasingly sceptical of corporate promises and more likely to trust people over businesses, which makes personal brands even more powerful. Vaden’s research shows that 82 percent of Americans believe companies are more influential when their leaders have personal brands they follow and trust.
Your brand is already being built–so take control of it
Here’s the kicker: Whether you’re working on your personal brand or not, it’s already being built. You already have a personal brand. It’s just a matter of whether you’re building it intentionally or letting the internet do it for you.
Your personal brand is more than what you post online. It’s how people perceive you, from your social media presence to the things people say about you. If you’re not actively shaping that narrative, someone else might.
You don’t need to be famous or omnipresent–just known and trusted by the folks who matter most to your business.
Personal branding makes you money
According to Brand Builders Group research, 67 percent of Americans are willing to spend more money on products or services from companies whose founders have a personal brand that aligns with their values. That’s a pretty clear link between a strong personal brand and business success.
As Vaden points out, personal branding isn’t about looking cool online–it’s about building trust and relationships that turn into dollars and cents.
Overcoming the awkwardness of personal branding
Let’s name the remaining elephant in the room: Building a personal brand can feel awkward as heck. Putting yourself out there and showcasing your expertise might feel self-serving, but it’s essential for standing out in today’s competitive market. The good news? You don’t need to showboat, and you definitely don’t have to be perfect. You just need to be authentic.
One of the best strategies to embrace this awkwardness is to focus on providing value. Instead of thinking about how to look good or be impressive, shift your mindset to how you can help others. What problems can you solve for your audience? How can you make their lives easier? When you focus on being helpful, you naturally build trust and credibility, which ultimately makes the branding process feel less about selling yourself and more about serving your audience.
Ultimately, your personal brand is something that will morph with you over time. It isn’t just a reflection of who you are today–it’s the key to unlocking everything you can become tomorrow.
Feature Image Credit: Getty Images