“You too are a brand, whether you know it or not. Whether you like it or not.”

-Marc Ecko

Nowadays, your online presence is available to everyone. Be it an employer sizing up a new candidate by combing through her LinkedIn profile or a client looking for services of a contractor through Yelp reviews; everyone starts the search online.

As a brand, if you are ignoring this fact, you might be forcing the creation of a terrible branding strategy, which is not a good move for any modern business.

As audiences are becoming immune to corporate advertising, businesses are facing a controversial marketing decision-personal branding or business branding?

So, to help you determine which direction to take, let’s talk about how your personal + business brand impacts your business.

You are your persona, that’s what personal branding represents-You. Business branding reveals the persona, profile + the methods of your company. Click To Tweet

How Personal branding impacts your business

Simplistically, personal branding is all about becoming an authority on a topic. It’s about framing yourself as an expert in your preferred niche, be it in fashion, beauty, health, or travel. It’s about making people believe in your genuine + reasonable advice so that they have confidence in your brand. It’s all about building trust!

For example, think about how charity organizations focus on showing an individual’s story with a picture of a needy child. And to add more connection, they tell you the name of the child. These organizations know how customers are more touched by a story of an individual rather than the problems faced by the masses. They know people relate more to individual stories. Just like on a magazine cover, you connect more with the image when there is eye contact. You feel connected to that person. In the same way, your personal brand is connecting with you.

Before building a personal brand

Prior to taking the road to make a name for fame in the market, you need to realize that building a profitable personal brand online is not a sprint. Basically, it is not something that happens overnight. The best thing to do is to allow your brand to evolve naturally. Focusing on providing massive value to consumers early on will set the stage for a reputable personal brand. Get clear on your message + brand altogether.

Business branding + beyond

Unlike personal branding, your business brand is about finding a core theme that defines + communicates the core values of your business to the customer. This is best suited for companies who are trying to build brand awareness of their products or services. Also, for them, corporate branding takes pressure + responsibilities off the shoulder of a single individual.

Business branding also helps companies make a commitment on a larger scale. They have greater resources to stand out good on their promises for a large amount of audience. They are able to sponsor events + activates with the help of large employee base easily than personal brands.

Combining both

While your personal brand gives an edge to small + medium scale businesses, your business brand can be vital for the growth of an established organization. For entrepreneurs, combining both can prove to be the best of both the worlds. While building product awareness, the combination of personal + corporate branding will allow you to let people know who is behind the company.

In the end, it always boils down to a faultless balancing act. You should take care not to dilute your message while decreasing your brand-building efforts. Also, it always makes sense to mention cool new offerings, new project ventures, changes in the company + other projects as a part of your personal branding.

Regardless of the type, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. You are BOSS of your own self + your own company. To be in the business, you need to head to the market with a fusion of both personal + business branding.