6 tips to rock
your personal brand

The rules for creating a personal brand are a bit different than branding a small business where there isn’t a “face” of the company. For starters, if YOU are the brand, like the company is literally your name, you need to give your audience a peek under the hood, pull back the kimono, show a little leg.

Ok I’m not telling you to strip naked and show your money-maker to the world, but rather to show off your business assets in the classiest way possible. Customers want to see who’s running the ship, they to make sure it’s not some old dude with a bunch of smoke and lights behind a curtain. Customers want transparency, honesty, and to get a sense of who you are and how you’ll help them before they spend their hard earned cash.

If you are a solo-preneur or the genius behind the services you offer, make it known, and look good while you do it. Because in today’s business world, image matters. You could be just getting started with your business and have zero clients, but if you look like a million bucks online, have confidence in your brand and communicate effectively, you will have no problem selling to your audience.

Let’s take a look at some of my favorite personal brands and why they got it right.

1.  Hire a professional photographer

This is THE most important aspect of a great site and a personal brand. Do not skimp here and hire a friend to take your photos.  Nothing says “Hey, I’m a ferocious lady boss” quite like quality photography.  This is often the first impression that people will see when they come to your site. Your photos should capture your personality and make you look like a million bucks. Good photos will help website visitors have confidence that you have the goods. They can help someone to understand what you are all about, they really make or break your website.

Kris Carr’s site is visually stunning. Here she used cohesive photo color palettes and designs a featured part of the overall web design.  They are colorful, give you a great idea of who she is and what she’s all about. A major victory in the personality department.

2.  Great copy and headlines

Wanna keep visitors on your site?  Make sure they know who you are in less than 5 seconds.  Yep, that’s all you get to make an impression. I know, writing about how great you are is complicated and you may not know what to say.  How much do you include?  Does it sound like bragging? Do they want to know the personal stuff?  The answer is to talk less about YOU and more about your CUSTOMER. Your headlines and copy should be about your target customer, what do they want, need, value? Hire a professional copywriter to get a leg up on the competition, they will have a way to describe your brand and who you are in a way that is hard to do by yourself.

Marie Forleo is the BEST of the best when it comes to web copy and developing your personal brand.  Just in this headline, she is appealing to your desire to be rich, happy and hot.  I mean, who doesn’t want that?  She is clear about what she can do for you and throws a little personality in there too.

 3.  Tempt your visitors with exclusive offers – sign them up

Invite visitors to your site to get to know you and explore a bit.  Start an email newsletter as soon as possible. Ask them to participate by leaving a comment or share anything they found useful. Most people will need to hear from you about 7 times before they are convinced to buy.  So give them options on how to stay in touch.  HINT: The #1 BEST way to do this is by having an email newsletter.

Noah Kagen is tempting you with the secrets of success. He’s telling you how to get his best ideas and how to find the best tacos in the world.  It’s personal, inviting and non-sales-y. Plus how could you not want the taco list!

4.  Amazing layout and design

Do NOT skimp on this part!  If you want people to pay you a lot of money for your expertise and knowledge you need your site to look like you are rollin’ in the cash. So hire the most expensive or best designer you can afford, and work with them to create a look you LOVE. And here’s a tip, they are professionals, they design for a living, so if they tell you that your logo needs to go in the upper left-hand corner, do not argue!  You are paying them to make your personal brand look great, so make sure that they can deliver.

Tony Robbins’ site design is all about the great photos/ video and color scheme.  The buttons jump out at you, the photos are inviting and the navigation is simple. And again the copy jumps out at you and invites you in.

5.  Testimonials

You know that you are great and provide amazing solutions to your clients, but how do you gain trust from those that don’t know you?  That’s where the power of proof comes in.  Get your current or previous clients to give you some feedback.  Include a photo so that people know that you didn’t make that person up.

Testimonials or praise should be highlighted on your site.  (And if you can get Richard Branson to give you a testimonial, that doesn’t hurt either) They should be short, sweet and make you sound amazing.  Don’t be afraid to let people know how awesome you are.

 6.  Use Video

The absolute best way to communicate your personal brand, ie: who you are and what your company does is with a video starring the incredible Y.O.U. Your videos are the best way to show that you have a personality and that you are an expert in your field.

Kyle Cease has a great video right at the top of his about page that lets you know exactly who he is and what business he is in. He’s not just some airbrushed face on top of a website. He is the real deal.

Ok let’s review:

1. Photography – Spend money to make money.
2. Headlines – Write some great copy, let 1st-time visitors know what you are about in 5 seconds or less
3. Invitation – Make it so tempting they want to learn more
4. Design – Make it pop, hire a great designer
5. Praise – If your clients think you are great, shout it from the rooftops!
6. Video – Show your personality.

Ps. Don’t forget to buy your own name as a URL if available. All of the examples I highlighted did just that and I gotta say, it works!

Does your personal brand need a little makeover?

Schedule your Distillery Session right away!