It’s easy to dismiss personal branding as another fad, or something that can easily get moved to the bottom of the to-do list, but the power of having a strong brand has been proven time and time again.
Let’s take one of the most well-known individuals in the world, Rihanna. Initially known for her music career, she was able to take her personal core values, of inclusion and celebrating difference, and turn them into a $1.7billion fortune, through her Fenty Beauty range and Savage x Fenty lingerie line. Through her effective transition from global superstar to champion of diversity, she was able to become a true disruptor of two well-established industries. In fact, brands like Victoria’s Secret were forced to cancel their annual fashion show and go through an exhaustive rebrand in order to keep up, while beauty brands scrambled to cater to a wider variety of skin tones based on Fenty’s model.
So what can we learn from Rihanna’s story? Rather than trying to fit into what already exists, Rihanna was able to establish herself, and in turn her businesses, as leaders in their fields by being true to what was important to her personally. A huge amount of confidence was put into this unique perspective and it resonated with people, in the millions! In short, her successful personal branding not only created bankable businesses, but was able to change entire industries.
If all that wasn’t enough to convince you about the power of personal branding, let’s allow the stats speak for themselves:
- 26% of consumers said they tend to be more loyal to brands compared to products. (INQ Insights)
- Brand consistency across all channels can boost revenue by 23%. (Forbes)
- 64% of consumers say that shared values help them create a trusted relationship with a brand. (Forbes)
- Consumers who connect with a brand emotionally have a 306% higher lifetime value. (Motista)
- According to a Harvard Business Review study, customers who are fully connected to a brand are worth 52% more to a business than someone who isn't. (Harvard Business Review)
- An effective branding strategy can boost click-through rate (CTR) on online ads by 2 - 3 times. ("25 Benefits of Branding Your Business for the Future" by Lyfe Marketing)
- Consistently presented brands are 3.5 times more likely to enjoy high brand visibility than those with an inconsistent brand presentation. ("50+ Eye-Opening Branding Statistics - 2022 Edition" by Smallbizgenius)
So, we know that personal branding holds a lot of potential, but what actually is it? Essentially, personal branding is an intentional way to present your values outwardly. Curating a personal brand can differentiate yourself from the pack and can help you advance your career and achieve your goals, all because you are being more deliberate about the way you are representing yourself.
As Chloé Adelia Watts, founder of ChloéDigital, highlighted in her BrightSkills session for AllBright earlier this year “no one is checking for you as hard as you are checking for yourself,” which is to say that it is your responsibility to ensure you are displaying your strengths and your unique experiences to the world. No one will know you are the expert in your field if you are hiding away in the background.
Having a strong personal brand will also help you connect with your audience. By owning your story and getting clear on your goals, connection will come naturally. Now, more than ever there are hundreds of platforms to build your personal brand, but having clarity of what exactly your brand stands for, means that you can speak on the issues that are in your area of expertise, rather than trying to tie yourself inauthentically to news or trends.
It’s ok not to have everything around your personal brand figured out already. It is an important, but meaty, piece of work. Of course, your personal brand will evolve as you do, but taking the first step is always a good idea.
If you want to know where to start and learn valuable insights on the topic of personal branding, such as overcoming money blocks and how to use data to strengthen your personal brand, sign up to our six-week lunchtime workshop series now. Each workshop will be led by a member of the ChloéDigital team and you’ll be left with a clear roadmap of where to take your personal brand.