We have all heard that old sales adage that the “Customer doesn’t buy the product, they buy you.”
And nowhere is this truer than in the world of online business.
The simple truth is, that people are more focused now than they have ever been before not on the what of business but the who.
With the power of the internet, anyone can make bold claims and false assertions about their products.
However, whenever entrepreneurs put themselves under the limelight and subject themselves to the public magnifying glass like an ant in a laboratory, things are different.
Think of all the current big names in online business.
Ramit Sethi, Tim Ferriss, Lewis Howes, Grant Cardone, Gary Vaynerchuk.
All of these people developed their businesses by sharing their unique personalities and developing a strong personal brand.
And if you want to succeed as an online entrepreneur, you need to learn to do the same.
Luckily for you, that’s exactly what I am going to show you how to do today.
1. Create a brand that oozes professionalism
Everyone always says to just “Be yourself” and you will succeed in online business.
I’m sorry but I call b.s. On this.
I say that you need to “Be your best and most professional self.”
It might be tempting to use those ridiculous selfies that you took with Micky Mouse when you took your kids to Disneyland, but don’t do it.
If people are going to invest thousands of dollars (or potentially more) on and in your company, then you need to show them you are a serious person capable of getting sh!t done.
Be willing to pull out your wallet and have a professional profile picture taken and it will be invaluable to your business.
Who would you buy from?
2. Create and market epic content regularly
There are almost 2.75 million blog posts published per day.
This means that unless you are staying extremely relevant through high quality content creation and marketing, you and your brand will be left coughing in the dust.
Whether you are creating awesome HD YouTube videos, 3,000+ word guides, or even awesome podcast interviews, you have to be creating some kind of content.
Content is the defining element of a personal brand.
From the books and audio programs of Tony Robbins to the epic blog posts of Neil Patel to the crazy vlogs of Casey Neistat.
Content really is the key to building a memorable and successful personal brand.
3. Keep your content authentic
So just because you are creating and marketing loads of epic content does not mean that your business will be successful.
Even with the best content marketing strategy and an impressive business acumen, your personal brand will still fail if your content lacks one key ingredient…
Authenticity.
Whether you are writing a new article for your blog, recording a vlog for YouTube, or even interviewing a new guest for your podcast, do so authentically.
Don’t copy other entrepreneurs and don’t try to be someone you are not.
If you are soft spoken and relaxed, then don’t try and be as hyped up and energetic as Tony Robbins.
If you are clean cut and don’t use profanity, then don’t drop F-bombs like Joe Rogan.
If you believe in something, share that belief and forget everyone else.
People love authenticity, and even if they don’t agree with your message and your style, they will still appreciate your transparency and truthfulness.
4. Have a consistent social media presence
The average American spends about 40 minutes a day on Facebook alone.
When you add Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn to the figure, you begin to realize just how big of a deal social media really is.
If you are not building a powerful profile across multiple social media platforms, then your brand will not have any lasting relevance.
Period.
You need to learn how to master social media marketing and position yourself as an authority through whichever platforms you choose.
5. Become a masterful storyteller
You know what I love so much about most of the thought leaders in the 21st century?
They know how to tell amazing and captivating stories.
They can grab an audience and hold them captive for hours by telling them about their own lives and experiences or the experiences of others.
One of the best ways to quickly grow your personal brand is to incorporate the power of storytelling (specifically about your own story) into every aspect of your business.
For some of you, this is going to require that you face some fears and take some leaps to ensure that you are living a story worth telling.
While it may seem scary or challenging, creating an interesting story to tell could be the reason between success and failure.
6. Position yourself intentionally
Who do you want to be known as in your business?
How do you want to be perceived and talked about?
The fearless adventurer? The no b.s. Mentor? The friendly expert?
Whatever you want to be known as, build your brand around that archetype.
Think about some of the most recognizable personal brands today.
Richard Branson (the fearless adventurer), Tony Robbins (no b.s. mentor) and Tim Ferriss (friendly expert) have all selected archetypes and positioned themselves accordingly.
They decided how they wanted to be perceived and then took the actions necessary to ensure that people saw them that way.
If you want to grow your brand and double your loyal fan base, then you will do the same thing.
7. Create recognizable brand imaging
Trivia time.
Do you know how long it takes you to blink?
Do you know how quickly the human brain processes visual stimuli (images)?
Well, let me tell you.
It takes the average person around 350 milliseconds to blink and (get this) only 13 milliseconds to process an image.
That means we literally process images in less than the blink of an eye.
This makes visual marketing and creating a visually recognizable brand key to success in the 21st century.
Think about brands like Facebook, Coca Cola, Paypal, and Geico.
All of them have instantly recognizable and visually optimized logos, color schemes, and brand imaging.
Copying what these companies have done and investing time and energy into creating a visually recognizable brand might be one of the most important things you can do for your brand.
8. Leverage speaking events
I know of several entrepreneurs whose entire careers were “made” because of one single speaking event that skyrocketed them into the public eye.
Public speaking at events related to your niche is one of the quickest ways to establish authority and grow your personal brand.
It might take a little while (read: it’s going to take a long freaking time) before you are able to speak at TEDx or The World Domination Summit.
However, with enough work and learning how to leverage your message for the public eye, you will be able to quickly grow your brand through your speaking engagements.
You have no way to edit your mistakes, you have no way to take back what you have said, and no way to pretend you are someone you are not.
This makes speaking events a powerful way to build an authentic and honest brand.
Conclusion
By taking full advantage of the above 8 tips, you will be able to quickly grow your brand to heights that you had never thought of before.
You will become recognizable, you will build massive authority, and you will earn hundreds upon thousands of new loyal fans.
It will take hard work and it will not be a quick process, but if you are willing to stick it out, the success you achieve will make it all worth it.