You now have your business and are working to stand out from your competitors. Your personal brand is what will help you achieve this. Your customers and general public will start to develop a perception of your personal brand. This can either be a positive or negative thing, depending on many factors. However, you have the power to influence their perception by following a few simple tips. By this point you probably already have several ways for the public to learn more about your company or business. If you don’t, you can go back to this blog to learn more about building your personal brand. Now let’s get into how to make the most of your online presence. When it comes your personal brand, you need to remember quality over quantity. That is, it is better to have a few well-developed pages rather than many pages that are not optimized. A big part of this has to do with updating your website and social media platforms.
Staying Updated
Like most successful businesses or products, you can always expect a regular update. Think about phones, apps, even cars; there is usually a new version released ever year or every couple of years. However, the new version stays true to the original concept. The same should be done to your website and social media platforms. For starters, you should delete any of the pages you do not use on a regular basis. Ignoring them is not the correct move. If a potential customer happens to come across one of the pages you have overlooked, they may see out of date information. It does not matter if the information that is out of date is contact information or information about your services. Ultimately, out of date information will not do you or your business any good. Therefore, if it is not needed and you do not use it, get rid of it. As for your other pages, you need to ensure that they are updated on a regular basis. Customers will notice if your website has been stagnant for a long time. Updating it shows your customers that you take pride in your business and care about the way it appears in the eyes of the public. The public is another thing you need to take into consideration.
Knowing Your Audience
You can spend a fortune on advertisements but if you are not selective with the type of advertisements you use, they will be pointless. Imagine paying someone to design and develop your website. It will cost you money and while the website may be fully optimized and look amazing, it will be useless if your target market does not associate that website with your business. It all depends on the type of business you have and who your market is. For some businesses, a simple business card will do the trick. Others may find that all they need is a social media page. You need to be able to determine what is the best way to reach your target market. Additionally, you need to consider what is the best way to showcase whatever it is you want your audience to see. For a painter, something with visuals might be best, such as a portfolio. For a musician, audio or video will probably be the best bet. It all depends on who you are trying to reach and what you are trying to reach them with.
Availability
Your website and online presence play a big role in marketing your personal brand. Another crucial factor is how your target market is able to communicate with you or someone who represents your business. Most businesses have a phone number where they can be reached but let’s face it, it is not always the best way. Ideally you want to provide your customers with different options on how to get in contact with you. Phone and email are the most common ways, but you can always be creative and explore other options. If you do have social media pages, make sure to check the messages on there as well. You need to remember that every page that is out there with your business name is representing your business. If a customer reaches out to you on one of the pages and they never get an answer back, that may cause them to choose a rival business over yours. Being available and getting back to your customers in a timely manner will cause people to start establishing a positive perception of your business in their minds.
