By Adrian Fisher, founder and CEO of PropertySimple
Personal branding helps in numerous facets of a business. From bringing more attention to the company to building trust in consumers, personal branding efforts are incredibly beneficial.
One of the most common personal branding tactics is social media. People grow a social media channel, post relevant and useful content and engage with followers. This tactic is an excellent way to build a personal brand; however, there are many efforts that can accompany a social presence.
Here are four personal branding tactics that can complement a social media campaign.
Write an ebook.
Creating useful material for followers is one of the most critical elements of any marketing or branding campaign. Writing an ebook can help showcase industry knowledge and serve as a guide in different topics across many industries. Ebooks can vary in length, so there’s no need to worry about creating a 50-page document.
To get started, entrepreneurs should first consider a topic that they are extremely familiar with and have a lot of knowledge on already. Think about whether or not an ebook would be useful on that topic and how to organize it in a reader-friendly way.
Publishing an ebook is easier than ever today, as it can be loaded on any website or published through Amazon. And ebooks are relatively easy to promote through social media, email marketing, and other channels.
An ebook complements a social media branding strategy, as it adds valuable content that can be used on each social channel. Entrepreneurs can post excerpts or reviews of the ebook to entice readers to download it.
Start a public relations campaign.
PR helps to build credibility, and it does not always require big company news. Often, reporters are looking for industry experts who can speak on a topic. While this doesn’t always result in a feature piece, getting a quote and a link in an influential publication is highly valuable to any personal branding campaign.
For those who want to add PR to their personal branding campaign, first consider topics to speak on, specifically anything related to the company. Email reporters in the industry who write about similar topics and offer expert commentary for any current or future pieces.
Just like an ebook, PR articles are excellent fodder for a robust social media campaign. Plus, they often get a lot of shares by the publication and others who follow the topic.
Alternatively, entrepreneurs can write non-promotional opinion pieces and send them to outlets for publication. The articles will have to be well-written and not simply promote the company. Most publications will offer a link to the company in the biography section.
Attend industry events.
Attending industry events is a fantastic way for businesses and entrepreneurs to immerse themselves in information and connections. Sponsored workshops, conferences, speaking events and even happy hours are full of opportunity.
People who attend these events are specifically looking to speak to and network with other people, so professionals should be sure to take full advantage of times like these. It's a perfect chance to market a personal brand.
Working in real estate, I often attend real estate-focused events where I meet professionals in the industry. This helps me understand how I can make my product better for them, and I can pick their brains on different features to add to my product.
Create and manage an email newsletter.
Email newsletters are a somewhat non-intrusive way to stay connected to consumers and build a personal brand. It’s important to create an opt-in newsletter so subscribers know what they’re getting into and don’t feel spammed by content.
Start by choosing a topic and deciding how often to send the newsletter. Topics could be industry analysis, advice, a collection of articles, etc. Readers will want to know what they’re getting if they sign up, how often they’ll get a newsletter and why it’s of value to them.
Stay consistent.
As with any campaign, consistency is key. Starting a newsletter but then stopping it will annoy readers and make it unlikely they pay attention to the next venture. And while there are other efforts that go into a personal brand, social media is an integral part of building a presence.
These tactics are all complementary to a social media campaign, which should remain a priority for anyone looking to build a personal brand.
Adrian Fisher is founder and CEO of PropertySimple, a real estate technology company that helps real estate agents build a brand worth talking about.