Get started with Personal Branding!
Wholesalers with competitive prices, multinationals with mass production or what about the internet where consumers can compare products until they actually find the cheapest variant. As a small business you might feel that you can't survive with so much competition. You'll have to be unique in something to stand out from the crowd. But what do you have that another (large) company doesn't have? The answer is very simple: Yourself!
Give your company a face
In marketing this is called 'Personal Branding'. It has been proven that people buy a product faster if they have a feeling or emotion with it. Think for example of that local baker where you always come because you like the owner so much or the clothing store where you are always helped by that kind employee. Chances are that you will never leave these stores empty-handed.
How am I going to do this with an online shop? I can't have a chat with a customer who walks in. The solution to this problem is Personal Branding! You show yourself to your (potential) customers, so they won't leave your webshop without buying something. In 3 steps we tell you how to start Personal Branding today!
Step 1. Why should a customer buy something from you?
"Because my products are the best." Of course, that's what everyone thinks about their own product or service. To get started with Personal Branding you have to stand out from the crowd. You have to make sure that your visitor or follower gets a feeling for your company and becomes a customer.
Ask yourself the following questions to find out how you can differentiate yourself. What advantage does the customer have if he buys something from you instead of the competitor? And what do you want the customer to think of when he hears your company name?
Based on the answers to these questions you can select core values with which you want to differentiate yourself. Is the advantage for the customer that he always gets a response to a question from your company within 24 hours? Then you can go for the core value helpfulness. Do you want the customer to think of a passionate entrepreneur when hearing your company name? Then you can go for the core value passion.
Step 2. Show who you are
Have you found the core values of your company? Then it's time to communicate them! The customers needs to know what you stand for in order to develop a feeling for your company. Showing yourself in sharing the core values helps enormously; it literally gives your company a face.
There are several places where you can use Personal Branding:
- Social media
- Website
- Newsletter
- Fairs
Choose multiple places so that no matter where you meet the customer, he will always feel the same way about your company. The about us/me page is a great place to introduce yourself. But also think of social media where you can talk and tell stories.
Step 3. Let's get to work!
Ready to start with Personal Branding? Get started! Don't focus directly on sales, but use Personal Branding to introduce yourself to the customer. The goal is that the customer gets a feeling of connection with your company. Place a picture or a movie of yourself and tell a short story in which you bring the core values forward in a playful way. For example in this way:
"When I was young I made the most beautiful drawings for my parents, I already liked doing this. Now I can put my passion into practice on a daily basis and make a lot of people happy with my drawings".
You share something personal and people get a feeling for your product. Don't forget to add a picture of yourself! Sharing yourself online can be a little exciting in the beginning, but it's the way to build a bond with (potential) customers.