All successful businesses have a great brand behind them. But what about business leaders, owners and CEO’s? Is the same true of an individual?

The term Personal Branding has been increasingly used to describe the way in which an individual, businessperson or entrepreneur comes across to their followers. Many successful people in this space cultivate a personal brand in order to stand out, define their expertise, and in many cases: attract clients or customers.

Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey, and more recently Steven Bartlett. They all have solid and effective personal brands that showcase their expertise and skills, but also their passions.

Using a persona to create a community and lead a business isn’t new, but the theory behind it has never before been defined. Brands are powerful, but are they for individuals? We believe that developed in the right way they can be. Here are our top tips for creating an effective personal brand.

Be Authentic.
Key to creating a powerful personal brand is to hone in on your values, your passions and your skills. If you’re an expert in a certain field, build on this to become a thought-leader. By taking your existing experience you can create a niche for yourself and develop it over time. Factor in the things that really mean a lot to you, it is possible to be successful but also offer something in return.

Create a visual identity.
Once you’ve cracked what it is you’re offering, now is a good time to capture the essence of your personal brand on camera. A great photographer can carry out a personal branding shoot, capturing you at work, play or carrying out the key tasks of your business. This visual identity will form a huge part of your personal brand so variety is important. Ask your photographer to take a range of shots that work alongside each other to ensure consistency.

Be present online.
Your work may be in-person, but your customers and contacts will be looking for you online. If you’re going to have a web presence, a high quality website is a great environment in which to publish content that aligns with your brand. You’ll likely be using social media to engage and excite users; so give them a great experience when they click to know more.

Nurture your community.
Build up a personal relationship with your followers and audience by using Email Marketing to keep in touch, ask them for feedback and showcase your expertise. A Lead Magnet can be a great tool for capturing data. Publishing Reports on LinkedIn as well as your owned media will give you a way of communicating news and updates from your industry.

Be consistent.
As with a business, having a consistent visual presence online and offline is vital. This positively benefits brand awareness, credibility and visibility. Work with someone who knows how to build a brand and they can guide you to developing a personal brand that stands out.

Personal branding is a way to refine and define who you are and what you stand for. We hope our 5 top tips help you on your personal branding journey.