Personal branding is often underestimated in the world of social business and social media. Many professionals mistakenly believe that building a personal brand is only for those seeking fame or online influence. This is simply not true.

Consider this: When was the last time you interacted directly with a corporate logo? Brands, large and small, are composed of individuals. These individuals interact, communicate, and build relationships with each other.

Behind every company’s social media presence, there are people. Someone created the content. Someone posted the updates. Human interaction is at the core of every transaction and engagement.

Ultimately, people connect with and buy from other people. While a brand itself isn’t human, empowering the individuals within can humanize the brand.

Empower Your Internal Brand Advocates

Employees are valuable assets. They can become powerful advocates for your brand.

Customers need to know that there are real people behind the company logo. They need to believe that these individuals genuinely care about them.

What does employee empowerment look like? How do you encourage employees to become brand ambassadors? Prioritizing personal branding involves developing strategies. This might encompass blogging and active social media engagement.

Why Personal Branding is Crucial

Building trust is fundamental in business and in life. Connecting on a human level is one of the most effective ways to build this trust.

Encourage employees to represent themselves authentically online. This enables them to interact as genuine individuals. Building relationships takes time and effort. Authentic connections are important.

Delight Employees to Delight Customers

Employees are a company’s greatest asset. Embrace the opportunity to empower them. Teach, train, and inspire them. Engaged employees naturally become brand advocates, both online and offline.

Social Business Starts Internally

Becoming a social business transforms and reveals an organization. It highlights the company culture and employee satisfaction.

If employees aren’t trusted to represent the brand, why should customers trust it? Employees are the brand, whether you like it or not.

Consistency is Key

Consistency is vital in branding. It often takes multiple impressions for someone to remember a brand. Employees should embody the brand daily. They should understand the brand’s values and how to contribute positively.

Social media and personal branding offer ways to consistently communicate a dynamic and genuine message.

Unlock Untapped Potential

If employees aren’t empowered to promote the brand, opportunities are being missed. Wouldn’t you prefer their message to be positive and inspiring?

You Are the Media

Social media has leveled the playing field. Every individual and brand now has the chance to “be the media.”

Competitors are building brand armies with their employees. Hiding employees behind corporate walls is counterproductive. The social world is, by nature, social.

If employees are not participating, it will be noticed.

Start from the Top and Bottom

Personal branding needs support from all levels of an organization. Every employee is a potential brand advocate. If no one is focusing on their personal brand, now is the perfect time to start. Lead by example.

Daily Brand Impressions

Employees are already making numerous brand impressions daily on social networks. These impressions, both good and bad, can significantly impact a brand’s reputation.

Employees are discussing their workplace experiences, whether you’re aware of it or not. Their networks are likely hearing about it.

Your Personal Brand is You

A personal brand encompasses everything you say, post, write, and do online. Your brand, and the brand of every employee, reflects the individuals within the organization.

A Lasting Investment

Personal branding is an investment in oneself. It’s an investment in the people within an organization. Investing in employees as individuals can increase loyalty, job satisfaction, and customer satisfaction.

Investing in both internal and external communities, and the people within them, is always a worthwhile endeavor.