Personal Branding – Veritable Tool For Adding Brand Values

Wikipedia described personal branding as the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a larger impact.

Personal Branding is quickly becoming one of the most popular methods of marketing across social media apps. The use of Personal Branding is key to making and retaining deep connections with your audience/customers.

In simple terms, Personal Branding is marketing yourself, and this could be achieved by intentionally integrating your self-branding in daily conversations, informal encounters and social media platforms. 

I have come across folks on this platform that has made a strong positive impact on their brands. Folks who deliberately used their space on Facebook/social media to consciously present, nurture and sustain their branding in a way that connects you to their brand whenever you see their posts or read about them.  Even when they are spending the same amount of free time on social media as the rest of us, they have attracted immeasurable goodwill to their products/ services without emptying their pockets. 

Let’s start with you, who wants to be a millionaire but still have the mind of a “Jambite”. How did you describe yourself on the Bio on your profile? On your profile, are you Mhiz Chikito or Igwe Dollars that make no meaning or connect with yourself? Have you ever posted a picture of your product or described your kind of service? When last did you talk about your strategic business plan or mention the values you are adding to the company you are working with? Have you shared your vision or expectations with the public lately? 

For a start, get your name right when opening a social media account. That’s your first branding task. A nickname has no single value to you unless it connects with your brand or personality. Use your Bio to describe yourself. That’s your first offering to the public. When you have a personal brand that clearly articulates who you are, what you do, and where you want to be, it makes it easier for others to see value in connecting with you. You can leverage your personal brand to build your network, both online and offline, beyond the shores of your reach. 

Before the advent of social media, Mohammed Ali sold himself to the world as the Greatest Boxer.  The branding stuck even to his death. Hate him or love him, Donald Trump is a modern example of how a personal brand works. Elon Musk has more Twitter followers than 3 of his companies combined. The same with our own Tony Elumelu, Obi Cubana and other entrepreneurs who are active on social media. They all have strong personal brands that they leverage to increase exposure and attract more customers for their companies/products/services.

Make no mistake, personal branding is not a vainglorious exposition of a deluded self.  It is the practice of marketing yourself and your career as a brand. In local parlance, it can be likened to self-packaging. 

It is the unique combination of skills, experience, and personality that you want your followers to see. It is the telling of your story, and the impression people gain from your online reputation.

Corollary, Personal Branding is an investment in your brand values – your brand value is the monetary worth of your brand if you were to sell it.

Start today, in every conversation, formal or informal, on social gatherings and social media, speak up about yourself, what you do and where you are heading to. 

Be the face of the brand you want to create and project. Use every opportunity to market yourself without making it boring and too obvious.  If you do not get that opportunity, create it for yourself.  

Your personality is your most valuable possession. Polish it with the right attributes to attract premium goodwill.  Use it to advance your career, promote your products and or services and become the ultimate influencer of your destiny. 

This is a shout-out to the following friends on social media; Chukwudi Iwuchukwu, Amarachi Attamah, Charles Ogbu, Eby Amanda, Pius-Urum, Maazi Ogbonnaya Okoro, Chioma Joy Ezechukwu II, Chukwuemeka Obinwugo, Queen Ihechiukwu and a lot of others space and time will not permit their mention.  

My name is Don Ebubeogu. I work at Tiger Foods Limited that produces the best herbs and spices in Africa. 

©️Don Ebubeogu