How to Build Your Personal Brand As a CEO

Having a personal brand is nothing new. But it’s something that more and more people are focusing on as competition heats up and businesses look for a way to stand out.

People don’t buy from brands. They don’t buy products. They buy the people behind the products. Trust us when we say that working on your personal brand will help your company’s brand alongside.

The truth is that you probably already have a personal brand. If you have a LinkedIn profile, then congratulations, your first step to having a professional voice has already been done. But the real question is, how do you build that personal brand into something huge?

But help is at hand. Video production specialists, Standby Productions, who work alongside CEOs and business execs on building their visual personal brand on a regular basis, will help you get started.

  1. Start now

There’s no point putting off building your brand as it’s not going to happen overnight, so you may as well get as much of a headstart as possible.

Even if you’re stuck, you won’t be for long if you start following these points. Having a personal brand, especially in today’s competitive market, is essential for a long and successful career, so don’t delay.

  1. Have strong values

And stick to them, of course.

At the end of the day, your values – and the actions you take on the back of those – are a huge part of who you are, both personally and professionally. Take some time to think about what values you hold most dear; what defines you? What is truly important to you? Once you have a list (not too long, mind you) prioritise them according to which you hold in highest regard.

But don’t forget to enjoy yourself along the way.

Simon Owen, Managing Director of Standby Productions, weighs in here: “If you enjoy what you do, the client’s enjoy working with you and you enjoy coming into work every day. And that becomes the culture.”

  1. Find a niche

What is it that sets you apart from your biggest competitor and their CEO? Why should a customer choose you over them?

Having a niche in mind helps your values and your personal brand stick in the minds of your perfect customers. Have a think about some of the most well-known personal brands in the world and consider what makes them memorable. Oprah was renowned for her innate ability to empathise. Steve Jobs was a visionary for new technology. It just so happened that they hosted a talk show and co-founded a company.

So, what helps you stand out?

  1. Be passionate

If you’re an employee and you don’t love what you do, it’s pretty evident to those around you. Well, imagine how clear it is if you’re in charge.

Take a look at the cosmetics company, Lush. Each of their staff members absolutely adores the store, its products and everything the business stands for. Now head over to the Instagram of their co-founder Mark Constantine; the pictures are filled to the brim with products and pictures with the staff. That is a guy who loves what he does.

So be more like Mark. Rediscover your passion for your industry, why are you CEO in the first place? Find the things that make you want to get up every morning and do a fantastic job, and then let that shine through everything you do.

Rediscover your passion for your industry, why are you CEO in the first place? Find the things that make you want to get up every morning and do a fantastic job, and then let that shine through everything you do.

  1. Get yourself out there

In today’s digital world, crafting and maintaining a personal brand is pretty much impossible without the use of content marketing, PR and social media. It’s important that you position yourself as an expert in your field. People need to view you as the go-to person for any and all questions regarding your industry, and that doesn’t come without hard work at getting your name in front of people.

You need to be writing and speaking about issues that are at the forefront of your field. Have a personal or company blog where you write thought-leadership posts, secure speaking engagements and industry conferences, contribute to articles for big publications, or host a webinar or training session, or produce videos that focus on the latest trends and challenges that are emerging. Did you know that video on social platforms is on the rise? Almost two out of three (61%) marketers plan to use video content on these channels in 2019, up from 55% the previous year.

Next, use social media to get these efforts in front of as many people as possible. Have a LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook account at the very least, maybe even an Instagram. Promote everything you write across all your channels and engage with other peoples’ posts – comment, don’t just like – and you’ll slowly start to see your numbers creep up. Remember, it’s a marathon not a sprint.

  1. Keep it going and adapt along the way

Building a successful personal brand isn’t going to happen overnight. And it’s not going to benefit from a couple of weeks of sustained effort and then no activity for weeks. Personal brands fail for many reasons, but we guarantee that one of the most common is because people don’t keep it up.

Be consistent. Post regularly and keep generating content. Even if you don’t hear from a journalist after writing a comment, don’t give up. Keep reaching out and getting your name out there. Even if it takes 100 rejections, as long as you keep using your industry knowledge and writing coherently, you’ll start to build yourself a strong reputation.

One final word from Simon: “Adapt your creativity as a technician at the front-end to becoming creative as a business owner. This transition to thinking about delivering business concepts will help open your mind-set as a CEO”

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