One of my favourite binge watch shows was Nashville. As I am a fan of performance and entertainment and enjoy the process of developing personality and celebrity brands, to me it was fascinating to see how some artists succeeded and others equally talented, didn’t.
The show is fiction but I’m sure there are parallels to Nashville stars in real life.
Leading singers, entertainers, celebrities and other identities have in most cases spent years honing their skills and developing a strong personal brand persona. They also understand the enormous power of the media and television to help showcase their personal brand to help build their fame and their fortune.
As do many business leaders who recognise the power of personal branding as an aid to building a strong business.
Let’s look at a few examples of those who have established a memorable face behind their business and six principles we can apply to our own personal brand growth.
Michelle Bridges is known as one of Australia’s most influential fitness experts. It didn’t happen overnight though.
A career in the fitness industry from a very young age honed her skills and gained her awards and credentials. From there persistence paid off with growing her brand though publicity and gaining a place on the television show, The Biggest Loser.
That’s when the brand exploded with more hard work of writing numerous books and launching the 12 WBT online training program. Michelle has stayed true to her core personal brand vision of motivating Australians to be healthier and fitter.
1. Are you very good at what you do? Do you walk your talk? Are you believable? Do you have the history or skills to back up your claims? Are you a leader in your field?
2. Do other people back up your claims? Do you have testimonials or awards or the $$ to say you are successful at what you do? In articles or media releases can you include quotes from others endorsing what you do? Will they say great things about you?
Naomi Simson of Big Red Group is an entrepreneur, speaker and author and the founder of the company, RedBalloon. She has been quoted as saying that it was belief in her idea that brought her success.
Blogging grew her profile and gained the notice of LinkedIn and she is now a top influencer on that platform. Her personal brand gained greater exposure as a result of being selected to appear on the television show Shark Tank.
Visually her brand is enhanced through her clothing choices of wearing red, to match her brand and the use of well-designed branding collateral.
3. Do you use the media to spread the word about what you do? The media is such a powerful tool and when used well can really help profile you and your brand. Apart from the use of social media to build influencer status, other ways you can profile your business and brand is through a media publicity campaign or writing articles for magazines. They can help position you as the expert and authority in your area – the first person that people contact when it comes to that subject.
Donna Hay is a leading food personality and cookbook author. Donna started learning in the kitchen at a young age and steadily worked her way through the ranks of being a food writer and editor to launch the donna hay magazine.
Since that 2001 launch she has produced 27 award-winning cookbooks. Donna has appeared on various food related shows on television which has strengthened her personal brand, but it is the beautifully photographed and artfully designed cook books that has differentiated her brand and set the standard for food publishing worldwide.
4. Are you truly an expert? Have you invested in gaining knowledge about your industry, your customers and the competition? Do you have articles on your website on your subject, white papers, and special reports or written a book that demonstrates your expertise?
5. Will your information, product or service be of benefit or help people in any way? What does it mean to others? Will it have an impact on your customers or general public? Are you passionate about what you do?
As you can see, building a strong personal brand has the bonus of building further recognition and media exposure. These people are known and used by the media as spokespeople in their area of expertise and as commentators on business issues. They are sought after as keynote speakers, television personalities and are invited to participate in numerous high profile and industry events.
These identities now have a team of experts around them such as a manager, agent, stylists, publicists and others to help grow their brand further. They realise you can’t do it all on your own and along the way have tapped into other people’s areas of expertise.
6. Are you ready to take your personal brand that bit further? Remember there is help out there – whether it’s a ghost writer to help you with your book, a publicist or an image consultant. Identify what it is you might need to help grow your personal brand.
Can you work toward establishing a strong personal brand? Here’s one way to find out. Sign up for my video series, NOOK, LOOK, HOOK, 3 Ways to Build a Stand Out Personal Brand.
Sue Currie is a speaker and the author of IMPRESSario, Present and Promote the Star Within You. She is recognised as a leading authority on personal branding to boost image, profile, brand and business. Currently offering personal branding, image consulting and profile building packages all delivered online, Sue helps businesses and entrepreneurs position and present an influential professional brand.
