Aside from building your company and brand identity, it is also important if you know how to brand yourself and integrate it with your business. Examples of personal brands include Donald Trump, Martha Stewart, and paparazzi darling, Paris Hilton.
Your personality is almost always attached to your small business. This is more crucial in service businesses because you deal with customers face to face every single day. If customers do not like you, do not expect them to be back even if you have a strong company image. It’s all about personal attention.
If you know how to brand yourself, you can establish long-term partnership with many customers and expand your business through word-of-mouth advertising or referrals.
Know Thyself
The first rule of personal branding is to know YOU – your strengths, weaknesses, charisma, personality, leadership qualities, and even pet peeves. In choosing what qualities to highlight, make sure it is consistent with your business or brand image.
7 Cs of Personal Branding Success
The Alternative Broadcasting Online News Station explains how the 7Cs of personal branding (character, competence, consistency, creativity, courage, commitment, and confidence) help establish your personal touch with your audience.
Paris Hilton, of course, is a perfect example of how not to behave in public. And the repercussions keep coming. Grandpa Hilton took away her $60M inheritance. Then there’s Martha, who spent time in jail. Anyone know what’s with all the female celebrities (Martha, Paris, Nicole Ritchie, Little Kim, maybe Lindsay Lohan) doing jail time? Are they ruining their personal brand, or gaining street cred?