Communication is evolving with social networks and more broadly with digital communication! Whether you are an employee or a freelancer, you are more than ever the showcase of your company and its skills.
Putting the human back at the heart of communication has become very important. And personal branding fits perfectly into this movement. Companies that integrate this tool obtain clear and obvious results! And they do it quickly.
In a society of image, form is essential. You must cultivate it by communicating about yourself in order to build your e-reputation.
This article looks at personal branding, why you should use it and how to implement it!
Definition of personal branding
Personal branding didn’t start with the arrival of digital. It has grown! For example, we can cite personalities who have managed to handle it perfectly. This is a good way to introduce this practice and to get an initial idea of its scope.
Steve Jobs
Who -> Co-founder of Apple; he is one of the world’s leading innovators and innovators of new technologies.
Differences -> Consistent use of the same attire, complete with his round glasses and an inexpressive face.
Squezzie
Who -> The number 1 Youtuber in France, the French reference in video creation. He puts forward his creativity and energy in front of the camera.
Differences -> Always smiling, he transmits his energy thanks to his easy laugh, his blond hair, his tattoos and his Japanese dog.
Karl Lagerfeld
Who -> Great couturier, he was a world reference in haute couture and fashion.
Differences -> Known for setting several style trends and for always dressing in black and white, with a high, stiff shirt collar and dark glasses. What do these three people have in common? Their notoriety which is at the service of their company! We can talk about personal branding.
There are many definitions of personal branding. Here is what generally stands out:
Personal branding is the art of managing one’s image and developing one’s reputation in order to be known and recognised for one’s expertise, talents and personality. The objective is to become a reference in your field!
Personal branding is everywhere
- When you talk about yourself, your company and your services.
- When you expose yourself publicly.
- When you promote your values and beliefs.
- When you cultivate your difference.
- When you share information about your professional and personal life.
Everyone builds their image, even without wanting to. So you need to put a strategy in place to control it.
Why personal branding?
Personal branding is a major asset for professional success, but not only! It is also a great asset for companies.
Personal branding and professional success
It has become essential to put yourself forward.
When you are an employee, it is an excellent way to progress more easily in your career.
For a top athlete, it means opening up to sponsorship and various collaboration opportunities.
For freelancers, it is easier to get clients without having to canvass them.
For a manager, it means embodying his company by giving it a unique and differentiating value.
An asset often overlooked by companies
Personal branding is too often neglected by companies! Most entrepreneurs and managers focus on promoting their company to the detriment of their own image!
A staggering figure: in 2016, only 32% of managers were active on social networks… Yet their publications receive on average ten times more shares than the content produced by the company!
This trend is also true for employees. Employees’ posts have a higher engagement than the company’s posts.
Several factors can explain this phenomenon. Firstly, social networks favor user posts. As a result, profiles have a higher organic reach than business pages (Facebook and LinkedIn). A second factor is proximity. Liking and sharing a post from someone you know is easier and more natural.
Integrating your employees as real channels for your communication strategy is an excellent way to gain visibility. The company Findly integrates perfectly this dimension in its strategy on LinkedIn. All of its employees regularly publish on specific topics related to their skills. A success story!
Tools for building personal branding
Generally speaking, personal branding is built around the tools that represent you publicly.
Its main tools allow you to become, in people’s eyes, what you want to be known for.
We can mention :
- Publications on social networks;
- Public speaking;
- Graphic identity (logo, signature, colours, etc.)
- A website;
- Public actions.
And then there is the reputation! And don’t forget it.
Would you like to develop your personal branding? Contact one of our communication experts. We can work together to develop an effective strategy.
Conclusion
Personal branding is not only about managing your image, but also about shaping it! Build a clear identity for yourself that is true to your abilities and desires. The skills to talk about yourself, to convince yourself and to relate to people are not innate, but can be learned.
For a company, inviting its employees to become actors of the communication strategy by publishing regularly is an effective way to gain visibility! While putting people back at the centre of the strategy.
For your future communication actions, for you and for your company, think about personal branding!
