The whole point of a personal brand is that the audience is tied to a specific person. If we were talking about a commercial brand, the attachment was to some product or service. If we are talking about a personal brand, everything is clear from the name – personality. 

The point is that any personality can change. Some people choose you not based on a specific action you perform (business direction) but at the level of some of your hobbies.

For example, the audience knows that in addition to your current project, you are very fond of Italian cuisine, and when you switch from one hobby to another, a part of people will follow you. From the point of view of hobby – it’s good. From the point of view of business, there are nuances. Changing one business for another is possible, but you need to act strategically. 

This article will discuss the role of a personal brand in customer decision-making in 2024.

Why Do I Need a Personal Brand?

Creating a personal brand is usually a commercial benefit for the business (customers patronize you more due to your popularity) or for your gains (opening a new business or selling an existing business by attracting attention). 

Sometimes, a person’s ego intervenes in creating a personal brand as a motive: “I want media coverage!”. However, this approach is short-term and rarely goes beyond getting a few media publications.

In such cases, we are not even talking about a personal brand as such but about elementary coverage of the entrepreneur in the media. 

And these are still unequal categories. After all, a personal brand is a person’s aura, and publications are just one of the promotion channels.

READ: Personal Brand 101: How to Build a Personal Brand Online as a Digital Creator

Personal brand and blogging are different

Many people think a personal brand is about turning your soul inside out, talking about your family, etc.

A personal brand is a situation where we attach people to us based on our professional qualities and then our human qualities, but that doesn’t mean you have to talk about your dinner, where your child goes, what difficulties he has in school, and how you had a fight with your friend yesterday, for example. 

The key point is that when you’re thinking about what to write about, there’s resistance to writing or not writing about some topics. You should immediately think, “If I describe the situation, will it help people on the other side of the screen understand how professional I am and whether I can be trusted?”

Global Examples of Personal Brands

Personal brand influence can be both positive and negative. Often, when a charismatic leader leaves his post, the company’s further success gradually comes to naught.

This is why branding experts do not recommend calling the product by the owner’s name. With different names, the owner can still sell the brand without selling the entire business.

In addition, different names will allow in case of product failure to reduce the negative impact on the founder’s reputation. The success of such a brand as Michelin is the titanic work of their founders throughout their lives, aimed at achieving a single goal.

Today’s bright leaders are mostly focused on multifaceted activities. However, even now, there are many examples where naming a company after the owner benefits the business. Prime examples are Honda (the name of the founder Soichiro Honda), Adidas (Adolf Dasler), Maserati, and Philips.

However, a vivid example of a personal brand in modern history is the legendary Apple founder Steve Jobs. Steve’s unique knowledge, creativity, and inspiration allowed the company to reach unprecedented heights. With each presentation of a new product, Jobs caused a sensation. Sales grew year after year. 

The news of his illness was a blow not only for fans but also for shareholders. After all, the stock value collapsed by 6.43%, and after he stepped down as CEO in 2011, the stock dropped another 5%, totaling an estimated $20 billion in the fall. 

However, the fact that Steve Jobs’ brand differs from Apple’s has helped the company stay afloat in many ways. Apple’s status as the world’s most innovative and expensive technology company has been maintained. In this regard, we can refer to the words of Philip Kotler, the founder of modern marketing theory, about the importance of a brand: “If you are not a brand, you don’t exist.”

Personal Brand and Sales

A personal brand doesn’t guarantee sales, but it raises credibility. Personal brand indirectly increases your sales. It’s necessary if you have a small budget. Sales are made at the moment of trust, and if there is no personal brand, questions arise:

• Will my money not evaporate? 
• Will the expectation/reality be met? 
• Is the quality really good? 
• If there is a defect in the product, will I be able to return it, or will I be blocked?

If you combine a personal brand with a sales system, it will work awesome!

READ: How to Monetize Your Personal Brand as a Creator

How does personal brand influence sales?

Personal brand plays a key role in shaping the perception of your personality, competencies, and values in the eyes of your audience. It significantly impacts your ability to sell products or services. Here are a few ways a personal brand can impact sales:

• Trust and credibility. A strong personal brand can build trust among your audience. When people trust you as an expert in your field, they are more likely to buy your products or services.
• Memorability. A memorable personal brand makes you stand out more among your competitors. Customers who remember you may be more inclined to choose your products or services when purchasing.
• Attracting your target audience. A personal brand helps in attracting and retaining your target audience. When you build your personal brand around specific values and interests, it can attract customers who share those values.
• Networking impact. A strong personal brand makes it easier to network and make business contacts. This can lead to new sales opportunities and collaborations.
• Increased value of products or services. When your personal brand is associated with high quality, expertise, and uniqueness, you can afford to charge higher prices for your products or services.
• Emotional connection. A personal brand can create a deeper emotional connection with your audience. This can make your products or services more appealing to consumers.
• Marketing opportunities. A strong personal brand gives you additional marketing opportunities. Your personality can be used to promote products, participate in advertising campaigns, and draw attention to your brand.

The role of a personal brand in customer decision-making is not just a trend but a fundamental shift in how individuals navigate the marketplace.

Businesses must recognize the connection between personal brands and consumer choices, understanding that the narrative surrounding a product is as crucial as the product itself. 

Remember, your personal brand must be backed by consistency, sincerity, and long-term effort to successfully impact sales. Beyond mere product features and price points, customers seek narratives that align with their values and resonate with their aspirations. 

Case study: Sierd van der Bij builds a personal brand through the website blog

Bookatrekking.com aims to become recognizable through its comprehensive strategy. Sierd van der Bij, Director of Marketing at Bookatrekking, puts his heart and soul into developing this hiking brand, resulting in giving the brand a special meaning and appeal. His passion and dedication are the key factors that make the company thrive, providing customers with a unique and reliable hiking experience.

Sierd van der Bij’s approach to personal brand differs from the traditional one. He builds his personal brand with a Bookatrekking blog, which attracts thousands of people from search engines worldwide. Moreover, this approach also delivers direct sales.

He writes detailed articles for the Bookatrekking blog for different itineraries worldwide. This makes him a real pro in hiking trips, building trust in this person and the Bookatrekking company. This case study demonstrates that using social media isn`t the only way to build a personal brand. An unusual approach can bear fruits.

Tips For Developing Your Personal Brand

Let’s emphasize some points of the processes required to build a successful personal brand:

• Constantly work on your personal brand; otherwise, it will be formed without your participation.
• Try to be sincere when building your personal brand.
• Find your unique quality and make it the face of your brand.
• Regularly arouse interest in you and your company using available means of communication.
• Constantly develop and strive for more because confidence in your own perfection is a dead-end stage of personal brand development.
• Try to make bright content but always leave a little bit of understatement so that the reader has the opportunity to ask questions.

By taking a strategic approach, you can boost your executive’s corporate and civic identity while strengthening your company’s image in your industry. 

Here are a few more tips to help you position yourself as a successful industry leader:

• Be confident. Take executive media training, as media interviews may require some preparation. With media training, you will gain the necessary skills and confidence to effectively communicate with the media.
• Have a presence in the media. Work on building a strong personal brand through the media. You should be constantly present in the media field (interviews, editorial commentary, blogs, articles on industry-wide and relevant topics) to demonstrate expertise and build a strong brand as a thought leader on a particular topic.
• Be proactive. Speak in front of your target audiences more often. You can be a speaker at industry events, roundtables, or conferences. This will help you position yourself as an innovative opinion leader in your industry.
• Be social. Utilize social media. Pick the right platforms through which you can engage with your target audiences. It is ideal if you maintain your own social media profile. Sometimes, PR specialists are involved in this work, working according to a strictly approved plan, posting regular news about you and the company, and working to create a positive image of the leader in social media.
• Build a consistent visual identity. A consistent visual identity often reinforces a successful personal brand. This includes elements such as logo, color scheme, and overall aesthetics. Consistency across various platforms and mediums enhances brand recognition and fosters a cohesive brand image.

All these steps aim to demonstrate your multifaceted professionalism to the public. You must present yourself as a personality, an industry leader, and a strong businessman with an extraordinary view of topical issues for your target audience and society.

READ: How to Successfully Collaborate With Other Creators to Grow Your Brand

Conclusion

In customer decision-making, the role of a personal brand has become increasingly pivotal as we step into 2024.

The dynamic interplay between individuals and the brands they engage with has transformed from a transactional relationship into a nuanced, multifaceted connection.

As customers navigate a sea of choices, a personal brand serves as a guiding light, influencing not just what they buy but why they buy it.

Looking ahead, the trajectory of customer decision-making in 2024 will be intricately tied to the evolution of personal brands.

As technology continues to blur the lines between the virtual and the real, the authenticity of personal brands will be significant in building lasting connections. Brands prioritizing transparency, ethical practices, and genuine engagement will find themselves at the forefront of consumer choice.

BIO:

Stacey Wonder is a content marketer who enjoys sharing best practices for self-development and careers with others. In her free time, Stacey is fond of contemporary dance and classic French movies. You may feel free to reach out to her at [email protected] or for collaboration suggestions.