Now more than ever in the business arena, people’s preference is to do business with (you guessed it), other people. Getting hit with a DM from a random business account just doesn’t quite hit the same as when you receive a message from the CEO of the company. Mostly because it lacks a critical element of communication – the human touch.
Recent surveys have shown that the most powerful and highly-engaged-with content on Instagram, are natural, authentic photographs of other humans. No matter how good your canva graphic and quote may look, it’s not going to have the same effect as seeing a fresh, human face.
According to Lewis Schenk, entrepreneur & Founder of Boost Media Agency, personal branding plays an enormous role in business conducted both through social media, and in person. “With most industries more saturated than ever, I know that by investing heavily into ours and our clients’ brands, that prospects will favour us versus the next guy when they see our brands” Lewis explains. It’s clear that the need for a strong personal brand is at an all time high, and with that being said, here are Lewis’s 4 personal branding tips for 2021.
Be Authentic
Authenticity goes a long way. We all know how fake the online world can be these days, however by choosing to be authentic, you’ll resonate with the audience that you truly want to do business with. Authenticity is the perfect way to bridge the gap between you and prospective clients, and in turn, build far more trust and authority than you would otherwise. And always remember – real recognizes real.
Get Clear on Your Personal Brand Pillars
A pillar by definition, is a structure to hold up an ornament. Your brand is your ornament, and your pillars are the support system. I like to use the 5 pillar method, where everything you post is congruent with each of the 5 elements of your brand. For example, my pillars include entrepreneurship, PR, personal development, golf & nature. Choose the 5 things that resonate the most with you and are relevant to your work. Make your pillars unique to you, and you’ll stand out from the herd.
Invest in your brand
When it comes to business, it all comes down to positioning. Take for example, if you needed a new website and you come across 2 sites that offer the same service for the same price. One, has beautiful, professional photos, and an “As Seen In” logo garden. While the other has images that look like they were taken on a 2004 Nokia, and no notable press mentions in sight. Which one are you going to choose? Investing in your brand, particularly through the means of professional photo’s, PR and a high quality website is the fastest and easiest way to out-position your competition.
Compelling stories & messaging
Perhaps the most important part of your personal brand is storytelling and messaging. Being able to tell a story with compelling copy is a skill, that only the best marketers in the world fully understand how to leverage. If you’re not currently a good copywriter, immerse yourself in copywriting – you’ll be glad you did. Stories are the perfect way to influence, engage and inspire, and ultimately invoke emotion – which we all know is exactly how we humans behave and react. Make sure to use stories in your content, captions and messaging.
Personal branding has become more important than ever, so take action on these tips, and implement them into your content and marketing strategy. To learn more about Lewis and his work, visit his website & connect with him on Instagram to keep up to date with his latest content.
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