The first and most difficult battle for all entrepreneurs is to build a unique brand that can break through the noise. Most brands struggle to get noticed and remembered in our over-saturated digital age. But business leader and best-selling author Scott McCain explains that “mindshare precedes market share”. In other words, your brand must occupy a space in someone’s mind before they will consider pulling out their wallet and buying your product or service.
So how does a personal brand break through the noise?
1. Break through the wall.
In any industry there are two groups of people: the unknown newcomers and the established leaders. What separates the two is an invisible wall that Vaden and his colleagues coined “Sheahan’s Wall”. Most budding personal brands try to break through the wall by throwing everything they have at it – a YouTube channel, a coaching business, an app, whatever. But “a diluted approach produces diluted results”, and most of these brands bounce off the wall.
What is the one small area where you can become an expert?
What specific problem can you solve for others?
Identify your niche and work to become an expert in it. Once you do this, all the surrounding noise will dissipate and eventually you will see that a small opening has appeared in the wall, an opening that is ready and waiting for you to walk through.
2. Find your uniqueness.
Identifying your uniqueness as a brand is often easier said than done. Try to approach it from an extremely personal angle: “Your most powerful position is to serve the person you once were”.
Your uniqueness lives at the intersection between what you are called to be in the future and what you have been in the past.
If you could give yourself advice 10 years ago, what would you say to yourself?
How would you help that younger version of yourself become the person you are now?
How can you use what you have learned to guide others in a similar situation?
Use your answers to these questions to find your uniqueness.
3. Prioritise your reputation.
At the heart of your personal brand is your reputation. What comes to people’s minds when they think of you? Are you proud of that image?
In the age of social media, you can build trust with thousands, even millions, of people around the world without ever meeting them. Use your social media presence to share your life and teach people what you have learned. If you present yourself honestly and regularly, your audience will, over time, learn to trust you and your brand.
4. Plan your content.
Entrepreneurs often feel overwhelmed by the 24/7 nature of content creation, but you don’t need a big production or a million followers to create great content, all you need is a little planning. You need to come up with a great content marketing strategy.
Don’t know what to publish? “Help, don’t sell”. Commit to creating useful content for your audience that brings tangible value to their lives.
Your content should focus on the three E’s: is it entertaining, educational and/or encouraging? If it’s not, don’t publish it.
5. Monetise your brand.
You’ve identified your niche, grown your following and created a content marketing strategy, but how do you make a living from your personal brand?
There are five ways to monetise your brand: PAIDS.
- Physical products
- Ads and affiliates
- Informational products
- Offers
- Services
Each of these options has its strengths and weaknesses, but the key is to avoid diluting your approach by trying all five at once. You need to be strategic in deciding which route to take and when to take it. For example, services such as individual coaching are often the fastest route to monetisation, but also the least scalable. Third-party deals tend to come later in the life of a personal brand, but also have a high monetary value.
In the beginning, focus on converting your followers into your first customers. Turn the reputation you have built into sales by leveraging social media relationships.
6.Commit to your vocation.
The most important thing when it comes to building a personal brand is that you put aside the workbooks, face your fears and take action. Many entrepreneurs are paralysed by imposter syndrome. They think they are not smart enough, talented enough or good enough. They are afraid that they will not succeed, that their work will not be appreciated and that all the strategies they have been taught will not work. But they will; all it takes is a little faith and a lot of time.
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