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3 myths about your personal brand
(and why they are false)
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Here’s something I firmly believe:
Everyone business leader should be building their personal brand.
A personal brand expands your reach online. What that means to you is more exposure for your business.
And the real value of THAT is more customers, more revenue and more success.
I’ve seen this play out countless times.
But I also understand why many people are hesitant to share more online.
One reason is there are some common myths about building your personal brand.
Here are 3 of the most common (and why they’re false):
1. Myth: Your personal brand is about you
This may seem counterintuitive, but your personal brand is actually not about you.
When done right (big key!), it’s about other people.
The best way to build your brand is by helping others.
You do this by sharing your stories, lessons, insights, experiences and knowledge with a service mindset.
The purpose of your content isn’t to shine the spotlight on you. It’s to share something of value that will benefit someone else (a customer, employee, fellow entrepreneur, etc).
Even when you’re sharing a personal story, the spirit of it should not be “look at me!”
The spirit should be, “My story is the vehicle for this message that can help you.”
This is a subtle and powerful mindset shift.
When viewed this way, why would you not share all the value you have that can impact others?
2. Myth: You need to be an “influencer”
Some people believe that personal brands are only for “influencers.”
Those who make their living from their social media content.
But for 99% of people, this is not where the real value is.
The real value is in amplifying your business (or other personal endeavors).
Personal branding is modern marketing.
It’s no different than going to industry conferences or sending out flyers (except it’s far more scalable).
View your personal brand as digital communication, and it changes how you perceive it.
3. Myth: You need to “create” your personal brand
You actually don’t need to “create” your personal brand.
You already have one in real life.
Think about any group of people who know you. Family, friends, colleagues, industry peers.
When your name comes up in those groups, it generates an image. People attach an identity to you.
That’s your personal brand.
Another word for it is reputation.
Now just translate that to the internet using modern communication tools, and you have your online personal brand.
Summary
To recap, 3 common myths about your personal brand:
Your personal brand is about you
You need to be an “influencer”
You need to “create” your personal brand
I love helping entrepreneurs build their personal brands online, because I believe in the power of sharing our stories and lessons at scale.
Humans have done that locally for thousands of years, but now we can do it globally with the internet. Think about the impact of that.
I hope this post helps dispel a few myths and supports you on your journey.
Personal Brand Consulting
My friend runs an investment company.
He gets 3-5 inbound deals per week that come directly to his inbox. Why?
He’s spent the last two years thoughtfully building his personal brand on LinkedIn and Twitter. He’s now well-known and respected in his industry.
This is the power of building your personal brand online.
I do 1:1 consulting with entrepreneurs and business leaders to help them achieve similar results.
If you’d like support building your personal brand, reply to this email with “consulting.”
Helpful Resources
Thanks for reading.