Social media is making personal brands a very important part of a company's marketing strategy. Social media is for socializing, and a company that has a person as its online representative gains more trust.
People prefer to follow the directors or owner of a company rather than the company brand itself.
Proof of this is the large number of successful entrepreneurs, such as Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Oprah, the Kardashian family, as well as many influencers in Slovenia who have successfully built companies based on their personal brand (Petra Parovel, Hajdi Korošec, ...).
It will become increasingly important to build your personal or employee brand and a community that will trust you no matter what platform you are on or what you do.
The internet is evolving very quickly and it is only a matter of time before the internet will be available for free to small businesses. Some changes are already being announced, but more on that next time.
Maybe just a hint HERE!
Therefore, lay a good foundation for your company brand and the personal brand of the individual who is part of the company or if you are an employee as soon as possible.
Today I'm sharing with you 7 steps on how to take your brand to the next level.
To remain competitive and successful, it is important to achieve at least one of the following steps this year, regardless of the current state of your brand.
STEP 1: RAISE YOUR PERSONAL BAR
The first step is to believe that you can achieve more. Although we are born with different predispositions, no one can predict how far we can develop our potential with dedication. Absolutely no one.
To progress in any field, we need a growth mindset, to be able to interpret mistakes in a new light and to persevere despite obstacles.
Many entrepreneurs doubt themselves and do not value themselves enough. The basis of all progress is to trust that we are capable of achieving more. We are constantly developing and changing. We must be ready for change, and accept challenges as an opportunity to learn. Self-confidence is key, as it is directly reflected in how we evaluate our work and value our products.
We often lack confidence in our own knowledge and feel uneasy when we have to evaluate our services.
Imposter syndrome
Have you ever felt like you were worth much less than others think you are? In the business world, imposter syndrome is not uncommon.
Impostor syndrome is the feeling that you are somewhere you don't deserve to be. It is a doubt in your own abilities and achievements, a fear that others will recognize you as a "bluffer", an intruder or a fraud. And this most often has nothing to do with your actual abilities.
Often, such fears have nothing to do with the actual merits of success. Such doubts are often felt by people who are actually very competent.
Feeling like you're not worthy of charging the right price for your services can limit your growth.
To overcome this syndrome, you need:
Awareness: Recognize this feeling and understand that it is not based usa business email list on real evidence, but rather on excessive perfectionism.
Support: Talk to a mentor, friend, or therapist who can help you recognize and value your accomplishments.
Evidence: Gather positive feedback and be aware of your past successes
Underestimating expertise:
Many entrepreneurs doubt the value of their knowledge. They underestimate the specific skills and experience they bring to the market, often because of:
Ignorance: They don't realize how valuable their experiences are.
Fear: They are afraid of charging too high prices and losing customers.
How to get rid of this:
Educate yourself : Be aware of how much your knowledge is worth and why it is worth more.
Benchmarking: Study your competitors and their offerings to help you set prices.
Fear of rejection
We often lower our prices because we are afraid that customers will go to a cheaper provider. While it is important to remain competitive, this does not mean that you always have to pursue the lowest prices.
Instead, you should:
Focus on value and showcase the unique value of your products or services.
Estimate yours and know your operating costs
Create different service levels and adjust prices to each target group.
When you raise your personal bar to a higher level, it will also reflect positively on your brand. Confidence in your abilities is the key to success and improving your brand recognition.
STEP 2: FIND A MENTOR
A mentor can act as a catalyst for your progress. A mentor provides you with personal and tailored support to achieve your goals. With a mentor, you will establish foundational strategies that will help you overcome existing limitations.
Key benefits that a good mentor can give you:
A mentor helps you formulate clear goals and strategies and guides you in making decisions.
A mentor supports and motivates you to overcome fears and doubts.
A good mentor will prepare a program tailored to your specific needs, goals, and challenges.
It will provide neutral, objective feedback that will help you identify blind spots, improve your processes, and develop better strategies.
Mentors often have extensive industry contacts and can connect you with key players, potential partners, and clients.
How to choose the right mentor?
Make sure he or she has relevant experience in your industry or field.
A good mentor will tailor their methods to your goals and personality. Find someone who is flexible and can provide the support you need.
Review past client reviews and look for recommendations to see if they have a positive track record of working with others.
Investing in a mentor is not a sign of weakness, but a smart move to improve your knowledge and business. A mentor will help you discover your full potential and take you to a higher level of success.
STEP 3: CONNECT
In the business world, you don't have to do everything yourself. Connecting with others brings synergy that goes beyond individual capabilities and creates a stronger result.
Partnerships bring new opportunities for growth, innovation, and marketing strategies that you might not be able to implement on your own.
When forming partnerships:
Look for opportunities for mutual benefit.
Clearly define what each partner brings.
Sign a formal agreement and seek legal advice.
STEP 4: EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS
Successful companies often settle for current achievements, which limits their long-term growth. To ensure the continued development of your brand, it is crucial to identify opportunities for expansion and boldly enter new areas.
Think about how you can push existing boundaries and expand your brand without compromising the quality of your products or services.
Key steps for expansion
Assess the current situation: Examine current market conditions, your brand awareness, and customer feedback.
Develop an expansion strategy : Based on the assessment, formulate a strategy that includes concrete steps for expansion.
Research new markets: Conduct thorough research into your target markets to understand local preferences, regulations, and competition. This will allow you to adjust your strategy and products.
Improve your offering: Develop new products and services that will be suitable for expansion, or adapt existing ones to better meet the needs of new markets.
Be present on all social networks: Adjust your digital marketing and promotion strategy to be recognizable in new markets and to communicate more easily with your target audience.
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STEP 5: WORK ON YOUR CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
Customer feedback is essential, as it reveals where you are meeting expectations and where you need to improve. While negative comments can be unpleasant, they offer valuable opportunities to grow and improve your offering.
Key steps:
Monitor multiple sources: You can gather feedback from a variety of sources, such as social media, product reviews, direct customer contact, surveys, and forums. Each source offers unique insights into customer experiences and expectations.
Analyze and identify patterns: Systematically analyze feedback to identify common patterns. Identify recurring problems and areas where your brand is performing well.
Prioritize improvement: Based on your analysis, identify the main areas where improvement is needed. Prioritize based on business impact, customer satisfaction, and feasibility.
Improve products and services: Use feedback to make concrete changes to your products and services.
Optimize communications: If feedback indicates a misunderstanding or miscommunication of your brand values, adjust your communications strategies. Highlight key product benefits, align marketing messages, and educate customers.
STEP 6: HAVE A BRAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
A clearly defined brand strategy will help you create a solid foundation for growth and consistent communication with your target audience.
The key components of a brand strategy are:
Clear vision and mission: Define the brand's vision and mission so that everyone understands its main purpose and long-term goals.
Core Values : Identify the values that guide behavior and decisions within the company. These values should guide daily work and communication.
Target Audience: Define your ideal customers in detail, their needs, wants, and pain points. This segmentation will help you tailor your marketing and products.
Key messages: Create concise messages that best describe your brand's value. Messages should be clear, recognizable, and consistent with your vision.
Visual identity: Develop a visual image for your brand, including your logo, color palette, typography, and other visual elements. Your visual identity should be consistent across all channels.
Communication strategy: Determine how you will communicate across different channels, such as your website, social media, email, and events, to ensure consistency in your messaging.
Product and service development: Prepare a product and service development strategy that will be based on the needs of the target audience and complement the brand vision.
Research and Analysis : Conduct market research regularly, analyze customer feedback, and monitor the performance of your brand strategy.
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STEP 7: REDESIGN YOUR BRAND
While maintaining a single brand is important for recognition and consistency, sometimes circumstances require a complete overhaul. It can mean changing your strategy, messaging, and sometimes even your brand identity.
It is important to know when the time is right to take such a step and to take it thoughtfully so that the transition goes smoothly and successfully.
Signs that you need to rebrand your business include:
If the brand has an outdated image that does not match modern trends.
If the company's mission or product and service offering has changed significantly.
If your brand has gained a bad reputation, you need a revamp to regain customer trust.
When entering new markets, you need to adapt your brand to suit local cultural and market preferences.
If the brand does not stand out from the competition or does not have a clear identity.
Building a personal brand requires self-reflection, feedback, awareness of your impact on others, a commitment to personal growth, and generosity. It's about staying true to yourself while also positively impacting the lives of others. With this approach, you'll create a personal brand that is not only successful, but also respected and valued.
If you're still hiding behind logos or would like to take your personal brand to the next level, you shouldn't miss this LinkedIn workshop.