Do you do anything to build your personal brand?

[Hannah_J]

Do you see any value in building your own personal brand?

I'm thinking about things like talking at events, contributing to other websites, posting advice on forums (like this one!) and building your social media presence.

How have activities like these benefited your business ad what's been most useful for you?

 

[WebshopMechanic]

Hi Hannah,

Posting on forums and and Facebook groups definitely works but you must be consistent and helpful.

Ultimately, you need to go to the platforms where your audience / customer 'hangs out'. Think about where they are going to go to seek help or find solutions to their problems.

The great thing about forums is that the content stays online. I've had people contact me from posts I wrote nearly 3 years ago. It works but you need to put the effort in and deliver value (which is kinda what I try to do).

Talking at events also helps (and has got me business) but it's a lot of effort and doesn't necessarily bring in quality opportunities in my experience.

Matt

 

[fisicx]

Nobody cares about me and I’m not really interested in other people. So building a personal brand isn’t at all important to me. It’s a marketing gimmick brought about by celebrity culture and the rise in influencers. I’ve never met you @Hannah_J and unlikely ever to. You could build your personal brand but will it ever make any difference to UKBF members? I doubt if. Same with Matt, I’ll never meet him but I know and trust his posts here. So why would promoting Matt the man improve things.

When I need a plumber I search for the service not the person. When I need socks I don’t care about the business owner. When I want a recipe I don’t want to read the story of the cook.

 

[WebshopMechanic]

I care about you @fisicx

 

[WaveJumper]

I care about you @fisicx

Me too (YES fans have to stick together) ?

 

[ChrisGoodfellow]

Ultimately, you need to go to the platforms where your audience / customer 'hangs out'. Think about where they are going to go to seek help or find solutions to their problems.

This is the key point. Building your pesonal brand, like any marketing activity, takes time. It's important to think through the options you have for reaching customers and the effort vs. reward. If you get it right, it can be a great way to meet prospects and build trust.

 

[fisicx]

This is the key point. Building your pesonal brand, like any marketing activity, takes time. It's important to think through the options you have for reaching customers and the effort vs. reward. If you get it right, it can be a great way to meet prospects and build trust.

Yes, but is it worth all the effort? For example, I’m working on a projects for clients in the USA, Italy and Australia. They found me on Google and asked for help. There is no personal brand nor did there need to be one.

It’s a marketing invention that has little value for most people. A bit like the .me TLD that was supposed to do just this and fizzled out.

 

[ChrisGoodfellow]

Yes, but is it worth all the effort? For example, I’m working on a projects for clients in the USA, Italy and Australia. They found me on Google and asked for help. There is no personal brand nor did there need to be one.

Yes - it's worth the effort IHMO.

Just like any marketing, including the SEO-related example you give, it has to be done well, but I've met a number of business owners that have made a real success of if and enjoyed the process.

 

[Mark T Jones]

In broad terms I guess I do, in that I try to position myself as something of an expert in business funding.

For all marketing purposes, that comes way behind my business brand though.

 

[fisicx]

I suppose it all depends on the business. In my case I’m marketing the service not me. I could write any name on the emails and my clients would never know.

If you were a trainer or did motivational speaking or something where you are the product then it makes sense. But if clients deal with the business not the person then less so.

 

[japancool]

With my retail hat on, no, absolutely not. While customers often buy from me because they know me and like dealing with me, I want to get away from that. I don't have time to deal with them all personally, and I want to distance myself from the company.

With my professional hat on, it's a different matter.

 

[Ozzy]

So building a personal brand isn’t at all important to me.

Whether you realise you're doing it or not, that is actually what you are doing here every time you answer a web related or SEO question. You're establishing your personal brand so that when that person wants your service they remember you.
Using your plumber example; you go to Google and search for a local plumber and two names come up. One is someone you recognise in a positive sense and the other one you've never heard off before, the majority of people would go with the name they recognise.

I try to position myself as something of an expert in business funding.

Whenever someone mentions funding related questions or a media enquiry comes in relating to funding it's your name that immediately comes to mind because you've established your personal brand here.

Just like any marketing, including the SEO-related example you give, it has to be done well

I know someone who built up an SEO business, started consulting and now earns more money touring internationally and speaking at conferences talking on the subject than he earned before. By building his brand over time, you probably know him too @ChrisGoodfellow

 

[fisicx]

But @Ozzy, on here I’m fisicx. On Wordpress.com I’m aerin. On my websites I’m Graham. On google I’m anonymous.

The plumber is listed under his business name.

I get my steaks from Mark Turner Butchers. There is no Mark Turner, he retired years ago.

My car is serviced by Rees Brothers. There never was a Rees, it’s a made up name.

Where the person is the brand it makes perfect sense to build the personal brand. Less so if you want to buy something from Amazon.

Look at all the adverts on UKBF, it’s all business names not people.

My point is, there is a place for personal branding. But it’s not something everyone needs to worry about.

I’ve heard of @ChrisGoodfellow - he cobbles together articles on UKBF from current topics.

 

[Ozzy]

The plumber is listed under his business name.

I agree somewhat with what you are saying, but in that it's not for everyone however I think you're missing what I'm saying. It can be relevant for absolutely any business, whether your local butcher or plumber. It depends on your personal objectives for the individual and their business, and can be a very powerful tool if done right to grow your business as part of a marketing strategy.

Sticking with the plumber example earlier, and with the assumption the plumber is looking to grow the business. Perhaps to a fleet of plumbers in vans, maybe even grow to be the next Pimlico
How would the plumber stand out from the crowd and be a recognised brand, trusted from the list of all the other brands showing the Google searches. The majority of people buy from people, so the plumber builds up their personal brand.

You could build your personal brand but will it ever make any difference to UKBF members? I doubt it.

Which is why with this I say it does make a difference because exactly as @Mark T Jones says above with "position myself as something of an expert in business funding", by building his personal brand as an expert in his field he's the first name I (and many on here) think of when business finance comes up and he is the first member here we'd (at UKBF) put forward to journalists looking for expert opinion relating to business finance.
When you think of insurance you'd probably think of @Frank the Insurance guy or a HR issue you'd think @Newchodge, and energy you think @NickGrogan. This is because they've established their personal brands on here.
Now take that exact same strategy and magnify it by thousands, even millions. It doesn't matter what the industry is, but if the ambition is to grow the business huge you use all the tools at your disposal. The great thing is that the strategy is easily scaleable to the size you want to manage. Local, regional, international depending on how massive the person wishes to grow the business.

 

[fisicx]

@Ozzy I agree with everything you say. Except that posting on UKBF isn't really creating a personal brand. When I read the article @ChrisGoodfellow wrote, posting in a forum does none of the things he listed (most of us don't have a personal USP or tell their personal story).

If Cyndy was on the news talking about HR issues or had a popular blog or was seen regularly at conferences then a personal brand could be useful.

Over the last few years people have often made themselves more important than is needed. Just look at any recipe site - you get a whole load of guff about the cook and their struggle with marmite or whatever before you get to the recipe.

Youtube is full of talking heads spouting motivational guff. Social media has influencers pretending to be important. It seems that the personal brand has become more important than the product or service.

If you are the brand then go for it. If the business is what people remember then it's probably not worth the effort.

 

[Alan]

This is 3 questions in one post.

Do you do anything to build your personal brand? ?

Yes - I grew a scruffy beard, I waer scruffy clothes, and when the weather permits I wear sandals.

 

[Ozzy]

Except that posting on UKBF isn't really creating a personal brand.

What is your definition of a personal brand? ?

 

[Ozzy]

Yes - I grew a scruffy beard, I waer scruffy clothes, and when the weather permits I wear sandals.

Steve Jobs had his own dress style as does Richard Branson. For a few years I was recognised because I turned up to business meetings where everyone else was in suits and I was in motorcycle leathers, and everyone would remember me because of it. Now it's my tattoos, leathers don't quite fit like they used to ?

 

[Alan]

Do you see any value in building your own personal brand?

2nd question - sorry hit enterr...

Not really, people take people take people as they are

I'm thinking about things like talking at events, contributing to other websites, posting advice on forums (like this one!) and building your social media presence.

How have activities like these benefited your business ad what's been most useful for you?

3rd question - this isn't about personal brand but marketing

I have tried all of the above to some degree, none have had a measurable benefit, except one ( which was talk by my ex business partner - which had an accidental impact - as nothing was expected ).

I suspect that helping in social media groups has had probably the biggest benefit, but takes a long time and is not measurable so just gut feel.

 

[fisicx]

What is your definition of a personal brand? ?

My real name. Something I use everywhere on all profiles. Because I have dozens of profile names everything is siloed. I don't necessarily want everything I say here connected to what I say on Linkedin or my websites.

99% of my business comes from complete strangers. Most of them outside the UK. Most of them get in contact without knowing anything about me. It's the product they want. I'm just the bloke who fixes the code.

 

[Alan]

leathers don't quite fit like they used to ?

Bet you hang on to them just in case you decide to slim down a bit. Eventually I had to relinquish the wardrobe space.

 

[Alan]

Most of them get in contact without knowing anything about me.

See my stance is different. My real name is out there on social media, my website, my techy blog. Like you 99% of my business like yours come from people that don't know me though

 

[Ozzy]

3rd question - this isn't about personal brand but marketing

Isn't that one and the same thing?

My real name.

That's why we're talking at crossed purposes. Your brand can be whatever you want to be; it's what you want people to think of when they think of your product. It doesn't have to be your real name, it can be your alias. Your personal brand on here is fisicx, it is what people refer to you as and your brand can be as far and wide reach or local as you want it to be.
Now if you wanted to grow that strategy, perhaps you wanted to expand your business and build up a development team of 20, 30, 100 coders. You become the promotional face of your business, and "Fisicx" tours conferences talking, guest on BBC talking about ecommerce, whatever. You make your business famous with your trusted personal brand as the face of it. It is a viable marketing strategy that personalises the business and appeals to people who buy from people.

Mindful though it isn't for you, you are content, but thinking of someone who could be in the early stages of their business perhaps a hungry 20 something business owner looking at different marketing strategies to consider. The world of business marketing as it is today and social as it is today, and how do you stand out from the crowd in such a way to overtake your competition. Whether a butcher, a web designer, an insurance expert.

Bet you hang on to them just in case you decide to slim down a bit. Eventually I had to relinquish the wardrobe space.

Guilty as charged officer ?

 

[fisicx]

That's why we're talking at crossed purposes. Your brand can be whatever you want to be; it's what you want people to think of when they think of your product. It doesn't have to be your real name, it can be your alias. Your personal brand on here is fisicx, it is what people refer to you as and your brand can be as far and wide reach or local as you want it to be.

Yes. But most of the stuff I post on here has nothing to do with my product. I don't need to stand out, and I don't really want to be seen as the face of anything. Quite happy where I am.

A personal brand can work for the right person. But not sure it has the benefits the marketing wonks seem to suggest it has. The social thing is vastly overhyped. Everyone is marketing themselves to such an extent it all becomes a blur. Virtually nobody stands out from the crown anymore.

 

[fisicx]

Note: good discussion this.

Asked my wife about personal brands. She is well respected in her somewhat narrow field of business because of her expertise. But she doesn't regard this as being a personal brand. Her words are "this is just another marketing fad. Been done many times before under different names".

 

[Ozzy]

Been done many times before under different names

You mean like “cloud computing” and “social media”?

 

[ChrisGoodfellow]

I’ve heard of @ChrisGoodfellow - he cobbles together articles on UKBF from current topics.

Lol!

 

[Alan]

Virtually nobody stands out from the crown anymore.

Interesting typo.

People that stand out from the crowd at the moment
- Novak Djokovic
- Boris Johnson
- Prince Andrew

Now you know the best way to promote yourself

 

[fisicx]

Interesting typo.

People that stand out from the crowd at the moment
- Novak Djokovic
- Boris Johnson
- Prince Andrew

Now you know the best way to promote yourself

What they do is demonstrate something I’ve been saying about social media for years. It doesn’t matter what you say about yourself. It’s what others say about you that matters.

 

[fisicx]

Been doing a lot of thinking about this today whilst doing some painting.

Using the article by @ChrisGoodfellow as reference these are my thoughts:

1. What’s your personal USP?​

Most people don't have a personal USP. It's very difficult to distinguish yourself from everyone else doing the same thing. Wearing motorcycle leathers to a meeting isn't really a USP

2. Set a benchmark​

Chris talks about consistency across all channels. My FB page is about the fun stuff I do. On linkedin it's about my business. On car forums I talk about con rods and timing chains. Each channel has a different purpose. There is no consistency. Even moreso because many of us have different usernames on different platforms.

3. Develop your personal story​

Really not sure about this. I don't buy my chicken from the butcher because of his backstory. I don't care about upbringing of the window cleaner or the challenges of the wheelie bin cleaner.

4. Set out your content pillars​

I'm passionate about model trains or Albanian architecture or whatever. Can't see the relevance of this to a personal USP. Why would I be impressed if a mortgage advisor enjoyed ballroom dancing?

I talk about all sorts of things. It depends on what I'm doing and who I'm talking to. Why do I need content pillars? Remember, this is about a personal brand, nothing to to with business.

5. Identify your target audience​

See above. When I'm down the pub talking rubbish with my mates it's a different audience to when I'm teaching Tai Chi. On UKBF its business people. I haven't identified anyone. The article talks about those buying my products or services. That's business not a personal brand.

A personal brand is great if you are the product. But I suspect most of us are quite happy to run a business without marketing themselves.

 

[Ozzy]

I think we can both agree @fisicx you are not the target audience for this piece of advice which is reflected in the way you miss the point. You've said before you're not looking to expand your business, you're comfortable in where you are in your cycle and do freelance work as and when you desire. You may work one day and you not the next, depends how you feel. You're winding down in your business lifecycle, not ramping up. You've said before you have no desire to chase the money.

That's very different to the type of people this advice is aimed at and who are the target audience for UKBF going forward, these guides and the content being created for UKBF is aimed for people who do want to chase the money. People who most likely are in the early stages of their business, who are ravenous for success. Their heart rates pulsing, vibrant with enthusiasm and energy to be the next international brand. The next Gym Shark or Social Chain, both built up into multi-million pound businesses off the back of the founders personal brands.

 

[John Hemming]

I think there is a distinction between a personal brand and promoting a business (service or goods). For success at business needs to promote what it sells. Having a personal brand is more important in electoral politics, but can be helpful in business as well. Perhaps Richard Branson is the best example of a personal brand in business, but realistically promoting the business is probably best.

Elon Musk perhaps otherwise is one of the top personal brands, but he does not succeed through that. He succeeds through his detailed technical approach such as understanding some rockets will explode on the route towards technical success.

 

[fisicx]

Yes, but @Ozzy those hungry young somethings chasing the money do it via their business. Their business is marketing a product or service, you don’t need a personal brand to do that.

The next Gym Shark isn’t a person.

I do get exactly who the guide is aimed at. I just don’t think it works as described. The content pillar concept for example works for a business, less so for a person.

 

[SEODEV#338055]

It's up to you whether you want to build your own personal brand

If you do then I suggest some additional reading

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Knowledge_Graph
2. https://support.google.com/knowledgepanel/answer/9787176

 

[Ozzy]

It's up to you whether you want to build your own personal brand

If you do then I suggest some additional reading

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Knowledge_Graph
2. https://support.google.com/knowledgepanel/answer/9787176

You're going to have to expand on this as I don't see what you're suggesting?

 

[fisicx]

I had dinner with a young business owner yesterday. He runs a foody subscription services that is growing well (£1.5M in 2021).

He puts all his efforts into growing the brand. We discussed developing a Personal Brand and he was most dismissive. As far as he is concerned to do so would detract from the business. He is not the face of the business, the whole team is who the public sees. He wants people to know this is a collective effort not just the dream of one personality.

But he also agrees that people in the public eye (which includes speakers, trainers, experts and the like) may well need to build themselves as a brand. But even then to keep the public and private separate. What they post on their personal FB page may be unrelated to what the say and do on YouTube (items 2 and 4 in the article).

 

[Ian J]

Factoring Solutions has marvellous brand awareness - not

A few years ago one of my clients was interviewed about factoring and he said that he was introduced to XYZ Factors by "a bloke on the internet"

I also wrote quite a high profile blog and was known by many as "the bloke that writes The Factoring Blog"

 

[Ozzy]

A few years ago one of my clients was interviewed about factoring and he said that he was introduced to XYZ Factors by "a bloke on the internet"
I also wrote quite a high profile blog and was known by many as "the bloke that writes The Factoring Blog"

Do you feel it would have helped your business further if your client was able to refer to you as "Ian from Factoring Solution" in that interview, and the same for people who knew as the bloke who writes the blog?

 

[Hannah_J]

I have tried all of the above to some degree, none have had a measurable benefit, except one ( which was talk by my ex business partner - which had an accidental impact - as nothing was expected ).

I suspect that helping in social media groups has had probably the biggest benefit, but takes a long time and is not measurable so just gut feel.

Hi @Alan - this issue of how to measure any 'personal branding' activity is an interesting one. I think you might have hit on a good reason why people are put off investing time in this kind of activity. It is time consuming and it can be hard to measure/quantify the time that goes in, unless you get a number of direct referrals from social media/connections you made at an event.

Looking at the discussion more broadly, it definitely feels like this also comes down to personal preference. Not everyone is comfortable 'putting themselves out there' and perhaps it takes a certain person to willingly use themselves as a marketing tool for their business. I think that to do it well and to be authentic, you have to be up for it. But, in certain industries/types of business it can be a brilliant way of separating your business from competitors. Like @ChrisGoodfellow, I've seen many business owners really benefit from it.

 

[fisicx]

I've seen many business owners really benefit from it.

Can you post some examples.