If you have an invention, product, or service that you are trying to sell, it may be difficult for others to purchase it if no one knows who you are.
Think about it, if you are standing in a grocery store looking at two items and contemplating which one to buy, you will probably go for the name brand product —the Coca-Cola versus the cheap store brand. It’s something that we barely think about because we encounter it on a daily basis, making us attracted to name brands.
Building your brand is one of the very first things you should do even before starting your own business. Mainly because people want to see the person behind the product, who they are buying from and why they should buy from them versus anyone else. I built up my personal brand straight out of college. It took me five years to build up my influencer status, my companies, and trust with customers.
I have also helped numerous other people build their personal brands over the past couple of years. That has helped them accomplish big things. Currently, my company and I are working with Mia Rocks, a 15-year-old girl who is creating a message of anti-bullying through her music. We are helping her create her personal brand and are launching a crowdfunding campaign to fund her first album. Mia, being 15 years old, allows her to get a head start in her future because she is learning how to build her brand in order to be an influencer in the music industry.
Over the past couple of months, she has built up a following on different social media channels that is allowing her to become a figure in her industry. Mia is also well on her way to writing a book about anti bullying, which will definitely help her climb the ladder of becoming a music icon.
Many of the things I have done, Mia has done, and the people who I have helped have done themselves, are simple steps you can take too. People make it harder than it needs to be. There are tips that you can start implementing today in order to become a person of influence.
First of all, focus on the area that you want to be known for. In the long run, whether it is in the entertainment, fashion, or the music industry you have to niche down to exactly what others are going to look at you as. This will help you create content that is relevant to the industry you are in. When you are starting out, it’s important to focus on one area, become a pro at it, and then move on to the next.
Secondly, start doing things that will make you stand out in the crowd. People in the world are wanting to do the exact same thing that you are trying to pursue. What are you going to do to be different? Mia wants to become a singer, but what makes her different from everyone else is the message she is conveying through her singing. She is creating a movement. That being said, you need to find that added touch that will make your brand different.
Lastly, do things that earn you the right to become an influencer in your industry. Coca-Cola didn’t become that influencer brand by trying to sell their bottles a couple times and then giving up when they didn’t succeed. They kept trying to do different things until they hit gold—and that allowed them to become one of the top beverage companies in the world. They made their brand iconic and unique, and they created an experience for customers that made them feel good when they drank a bottle of Coca-Cola. Mia is crowdfunding her first album at the age of 15. Most people may wait to do that because they think they need more experience to do so, but that’s really not the case. She is doing something different and others will look up to her as she is creating her foundation at a young age.
The tactics that I mentioned here can be applied to anyone or any business who is looking to build a brand around themselves. It really isn’t as hard as one may make it out to be, all it takes is time, dedication, and a little bit of uniqueness, which you have covered because no one can be you!
-BTA
Mia Rock’s crowdfunding campaign is now live! If you want to support a young artist in creating her first album to stop bullying, pledge to her campaign here.
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