The importance of personal branding for entrepreneurs

Thinking of launching a product or program for quick sales? Read this first!

Over the years, I have worked with many entrepreneurs who are excited about starting their business. They have heard many webinars and courses that promise them riches with the next launch of their program and they want to dive in to make money fast.

They even tell them that they don’t need a website; All they need is a landing page and an autoresponder sequence and watch the money flow!

If only.

The problem that these “gurus” don’t share during these hyped presentations is that just because it worked for them doesn’t mean it will work for everyone.

Why?

One of the reasons is personal branding.

Those who have successful program launches have already established themselves in the marketplace and have built trust and credibility with their followers.

And all of this is done through your previous personal branding efforts. New entrepreneurs haven’t had a chance to do that yet and this is where the disconnect lies.

It’s very important for entrepreneurs to establish a personal (or professional, as the case may be) brand before diving into Big Launch mode. This can be done in a number of ways, but before sharing, here are 6 reasons why developing a personal brand is so important:

1. Establish your identity in your industry. A brand will help you get noticed and remembered in a crowded space. In order for people to pay attention to what you have to say and buy from you, you must be considered established in your industry.

two. Helps you stand out from the crowd.. Through your personal branding efforts, your “unique selling proposition” is showcased. By doing this, you are giving your ideal customers a reason to buy from you rather than your competitor.

3. Help your business grow. Every time your brand is “presented” in front of your ideal target market, it becomes more and more memorable. People will start thinking of you when they, or someone they know, needs your offers.

Four. Build your credibility. Whether factual or perceived, a personal brand will help establish your credibility as someone who knows what you are talking about in your industry. When you find yourself in front of your ideal target market and show your knowledge, you will begin to develop a “Know, Like and Trust” factor with that audience. People need to trust that you know your stuff in order to give you their money.

5. It saves you time. When running a business, time is money. So by establishing a good brand presence early on, you will reduce the amount of time it takes to become profitable. It will decrease your credibility building time, all without you having to explain what you do and how you do it to everyone you know!

6. Attract your ideal customers. A good brand presence will eliminate you wading through all the people who are not your ideal customer. An ideal customer is someone who would be immediately drawn to you and your offerings because the brand has positioned you in a way that speaks to their needs and challenges and gives them the confidence that you are the perfect solution they are looking for.

Let’s talk about your failed webinar

Why did you get so few people to sign up for your program or buy your product? Because you haven’t established enough credibility with your followers yet.

You may be an incredible expert in your field, but if you didn’t do the required preliminary personal branding steps first to establish yourself as an expert in their minds, then it’s very difficult to convince people that it’s worth investing in.

For new entrepreneurs, this is a challenge. It is often the chicken and egg riddle. To create a brand, they need money. To make money, they need to launch their product, program, or services. To launch those offers, they need to establish a brand.

I understand.

And my advice is: before launching the next program, be prepared to invest in your business and personal brand first to expect any kind of significant results.

So before you jump into launch mode after getting excited to hear “how easy it is” to make money, here is a checklist of what you should have first to establish your brand positioning. Here are some tips on what you can do to ensure a more successful launch of the program next time:

– Have a professionally designed logo

A logo lays the foundation for your overall brand. It’s what your target market will grow to recognize over time and become the symbol of your business. One they can trust.

Make sure to establish brand continuity and consistency by using this logo on everything you do, from your social media accounts to your business card and all your promotional materials.

– Have a professionally designed and developed website

If your website has an amateurish look and / or isn’t getting the right message across to the right people, then you’re not in an ideal position for your target market. You want to attract your potential customers, not reject them thinking that you are not the best solution for them. Worse still is not having a website at all.

A website is a place for potential customers to visit before making a purchasing decision. They need to determine your credibility, experience, and even your personality, especially if you provide a service. A landing page alone will have a hard time doing this.

– Stay active on social media by putting yourself in front of your ideal target market

Participate in discussions where you can add something of value to help you better position yourself as an expert.

Also use social media to build excitement about your next release. Build anticipation before providing details about the program itself.

– Establish a blog on your website

A blog gives you the opportunity to write articles that showcase your expertise. Article writing also helps with content marketing strategies that will expand your brand’s reach to those who might not otherwise know about it.

– Make connections with industry leaders

Industry leaders who share the same target market as you (who are not competitors) can be a valuable resource if they are willing to become joint venture partners. If you are lucky enough to meet someone who can do you this favor, do it!

Having others who have established brand credibility endorse you and your offering goes a long way toward increasing your own credibility and authority in your industry.

Remember that there has to be something for them with this approach: they either get a commission from the sales they bring in or they have the opportunity to create lists included in the campaign.

– Get a reservation for talks

Go to your community and look for opportunities for free talks in front of your target audience. Or look for podcast shows, webinars, and other interview opportunities where you can share your message with your target audience.

– Take a free webinar or teleseminar

Offering something for free before you start selling gives you an opportunity to showcase your expertise. Think of it as a “try before you buy” concept.

If your webinar presentation is exciting and engaging enough, it could convince people to buy even if they didn’t know who you were before.

And if one webinar is too much, you can make a free video series or even create a powerful, value-driven free gift. By the way, all of these possibilities can also be a list building tool long after its initial launch.

Of course, in addition to a lack of personal branding, there are many other reasons why a product or program launch can fail, but I’ll save that for another article.

If you are one of those who has established your personal brand and are ready to launch a program, but need help with strategy and implementation, let us know; without a doubt, we can help in all the necessary areas.