Whatever a person does, the world dictates him to make himself a personal brand. We have Instagram, discuss news on Facebook, communicate with subscribers and try to make our life on social networks more interesting. It forms an image even for those with whom we are not familiar.
What is a personal brand?
Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX.
This is a marketing tool that is associated with the work of a person – his portrait among potential customers. A personal brand does not speak about the character, citizenship or biography (although it is formed by them), but about the product that you make. As in corporate culture, it creates history, emotion and atmosphere..
For example, SpaceX – not just a space company, but a symbol of engineering ambition. SpaceX founder Ilon Musk is a prime example of a strong personal brand. With his ideas, he earned the status of the most romantic businessman-engineer in the world. All that he offers – Tesla, SpaceX, PayPal – is interesting to the audience.
In a sense, everyone has a personal brand. It’s just that many have it weak. If a friend advises your acquaintances as a good wedding photographer or fitness trainer, you are already a brand. Small but authoritative.
Why do I need a personal brand
He is pushing people to defend Telegram, line up for new iPhones, buy Ronaldo t-shirts (regardless of club emblem) and go to the cinema in large numbers on Leonardo DiCaprio.
Many personal brands are not developed specifically, but are formed by themselves. In some areas, one cannot do without it, for example, in mass culture or sports.
Intentionally, small entrepreneurs, coaches or self-employed are more often interested in the topic of personal branding. First, they develop and consolidate expertise, and then use it to stand out from competitors.
When everyone knows how to make a quality product, the consumer will rely on the emotions that his brand evokes. Therefore, well-known, but average specialists become more popular than little-known experts of the highest class.
Personal brand history
Henry Ford driving his ATV.
For the first time this thesis was formed by Napoleon Hill in the book “Think and Grow Rich” (1937). Now the topic is popular, because social networks and media are very integrated into life. The credibility of a person in online is more credible than in the real world..
But personal brands existed before, when the information space was completely different. For example: in the USA – Nikola Tesla, Henry Ford, in Russia – Mikhail Lomonosov, Pavel Tretyakov.
Any writer or artist recognized during his lifetime is also an example: Leonardo da Vinci, Mozart, Alexander Pushkin, Ivan Aivazovsky. Of course, they did not use their name for marketing, but they certainly could do it now.
Branch of the Eliseevsky store.
Personal branding was highly developed in the Russian Empire. Almost every business or trade store was named after its owner:
- Eliseevsky store – was opened by the merchant Grigory Eliseev, and then became popular for luxurious interiors and exotic goods.
- “Smirnov” – vodka production founded by Peter Arsenievich Smirnov.
- Apricot and Sons – a confectionery company in Tsarist Russia.
- “Faberge Eggs” – jewelry of the Russian jeweler Carl Faberge.
After the 1917 revolution, everything stopped – commerce was banned in the USSR. But even in this environment personal brands were born. For example, aircraft designers Andrei Tupolev (made planes of the TU series) and Pavel Sukhoi (made planes of the series SU).
Examples of the best personal brands
Walt Disney poses for a photo with Mickey Mouse.
A personal brand is a leader capable of leading an audience. If tomorrow Pavel Durov starts selling smart coffee makers, and Ilon Mask – healthy food, these products will be interesting.
Bill Gates
Gates has not led Microsoft for a long time, but is steadily associated with this company. He is the image of the technological revolution of the late XX century..
Steve Jobs
He did not invent smartphones alone, but made Apple become the flagship of the industry. Jobs is the “father of the digital revolution.” His image is woven from a strong character, charisma, simplicity and asceticism.
Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, but still the first to come to mind if you think about the leaders of the IT industry.
Walt Disney
This American animator and owner of 26 Oscars created a multimedia empire. Products from his studio The Walt Disney Company by default claim the title of world hits.
Banksy
One of the coolest examples. Nobody knows exactly what this underground artist looks like, but the whole world speaks about his performances..
Famous personal brands in Russia
Eugene Kaspersky, founder and CEO of Kaspersky Lab.
Oleg Tinkov
Tinkov often uses his name in marketing. He closed or sold previous successful projects, but with Tinkoff Bank, it seems, all for a long time.
Sergey Galitsky
It has two strong personal brands at once. One is in business as the founder of the Magnit supermarket chain. The second – in sports, as the owner of the Krasnodar football club.
Eugene Kaspersky
A man synonymous with computer security. Kaspersky anti-virus products are popular everywhere, and Evgeny Valentinovich is a leading specialist in the IT field.
Boris Alexandrov
Few people know about the merits of the president of Rostagroexport, but B.U. Aleksandrov “- a famous brand of glazed curds for everyone.
Artemy Lebedev
Designer of all Russia, master of mate, blogger and founder of the same design studio. They say Lebedev began to write on the Internet, even before he appeared.
Personal Brand Models and Rules
Conor McGregor advertises his whiskey during a press conference.
There are three archetypes of a personal brand: an expert, one’s own person, and outrageous person. To varying degrees, they include three components: expertise, reputation and popularity..
You cannot build a personal brand without one of these factors: an expert with a good reputation needs popularity, and a popular expert needs a reputation in his environment.
Expert:
- Expertise: +++
- Reputation: ++
- Popularity: +
An expert represents his professional environment and exists only in it. His personal life is unknown or is ignored. This type is characteristic of many businessmen, athletes or scientists. Examples: Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Maria Sharapova.
Insider:
- Expertise: ++
- Reputation: ++
- Popularity: ++
His person is also an expert, but this expertise is closely related to life. Such a leader speaks the same language with a wide audience, also has fun and rest. But the personal remains a mystery. An example is almost any blogger, Ilya Varlamov, Yuri Dude, Alexei Navalny.
Outrageous Man:
- Expertise: +
- Reputation: ++
- Popularity: +++
The image of shocking man is built on a hype. Scandals, impudent statements, statements addressed to other people – all this helps to maintain interest. Vivid examples: Ksenia Sobchak, Kim Kardashian, Mikhail Saakashvili, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Conor McGregor.
Personal brand development and creation
1. Choose your area of work and audience
The goal of a personal brand is to find and capture your audience. It is difficult to spray on a wide consumer – these investments pay off more difficult. Specialization will allow you to more accurately track the reaction, receive and give feedback.
2. Think over the image and stick to it
Constancy of style is not so important for expertness or reputation, but will maintain popularity because it makes a person recognizable.
Create an image that will honestly reflect your personality. Listen to yourself and do not follow all fashion trends.
3. Create a story around which the brand is built (if not)
Almost every personal brand has an interesting story. Therefore, you cannot ignore the curious stages of your biography..
Of course, no one is trying to get involved in an adventure just for the sake of this, but even ordinary achievements can be made unusual. Go into the details and don’t forget about the sincerity that others feel..
4. Develop your social media: blogs, video blogs, social networks. They are needed to collect traffic.
Determine in which social networks and Internet sites your target group “lives”, and start your promotion there. Understand the settings of advertising panels on Facebook, Instagram or Vkontakte – for this, look at some of any video tutorials on Youtube. After, make 3-5 different announcements on each site and start advertising.
Fill social networks regularly with interesting content. Make expert posts, post photos or videos of your work, give tips to subscribers.
5. Work on industry sites: comment on events, write articles, give interviews
Industry platforms and forums are trusted for two reasons: they do not publish random people, and the audience understands the subject at a good level. Create discussion topics there and answer questions.
Use the journalistic inquiry service pressfeed.ru – A site where journalists are looking for experts for interviews or comments. This is an opportunity to get a mention in the media or to appear on television.
6. Fill in the information space: go to exhibitions, meetings, competitions, conferences
An article is remembered at the information level, and a personal meeting is at an emotional level. Participation in industry conferences helps you meet potential customers, chat with colleagues, or learn new ideas..
7. Make associations with others
Personal contacts, place of work or university – a good association with other brands at the beginning of the journey.
People tend to trust the tested and what is connected with it. The new product of a well-known company by default gets a lot of interest, even if it has not previously released.
Collaborations work similarly. When someone does a business project with Galitsky or Tinkov, he immediately receives a credit of trust.
8. Support every component of your personal brand: popularity, expertise, reputation
Different audiences need a different balance between reputation, popularity and expertise. Tighten them relative to each other and recheck the “composition”. If a potential consumer knows you, but does not understand your value, the balance is upset.
Personal Brand Books
• “A personal brand from scratch. How to get recognition, popularity, fame when you don’t know anything about personal PR ”- Ekaterina Kononova.
• “Create a personal brand: how to find opportunities, develop and stand out” – Jürgen Salenbacher.
• “101 ways to promote a personal brand. How to make a name for yourself ”- Vyacheslav Semenchuk.
• “Freepability. How to upgrade a personal brand without a budget ”- Ekaterina Inozemtseva.
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