Let’s Get Personal
Spending time, money and effort to build brand equity for your company—whether you own, run or work for one—is a critical and substantial investment. That name doesn’t just headline your paycheque, it is the DNA behind the company’s products, principles, culture and communication. If it has a strong, leading, welcoming voice, it will attract more followers, advocates and fans. It is the reason customers come to you and why they stick with you (or they don’t).
And in that same line of thinking, YOU are a brand. The skills you bring, the insights you provide, and the way you communicate is what defines how others see you and what they expect from you.
Which leads to an often asked existential marketing question: What comes first, the personal or the company brand?
Which leads to everyone’s least favourite answer: It depends.
There are so many factors that need to be considered when deciding how much you want to show the wizard behind the curtain, or whether you want that to remain a mystery and put it all on the company.
I’ll share a personal example. When I started my first entrepreneurial venture, sweetspot.ca, I made a conscious decision to put the brand front and centre. Sweetspot.ca was a digital publication, and while it launched before the dawn of social media, there were still many ways to put yourself out there.
However, I intentionally stayed behind the scenes for a few reasons: I’m shy, I had imposter syndrome and I felt very uncomfortable with self-promotion. (I didn’t say they were good reasons.) But from a more strategic standpoint, I was looking towards the growth of the company and wanted everything that came from the brand to have the same voice. That is also why I decided not to have writer bylines.
Most people who knew, and loved, sweetspot.ca, would say the strategy worked. The voice of the brand was strong, consistent and captivating. It brought people in and they still talk about it to this day.
However, I lost an opportunity to build my own brand and gain more authority as a leader in the space. While I did receive acknowledgement and accolades for my entrepreneurial achievements, the industry knew little about me.
I learned from that experience so I made a concerted effort to raise my profile as I continued on my entrepreneurial journey. I slowly became more comfortable with speaking engagements, social media and even worked my way up to producing a regular blog. (Check her out!)
But that was then, and this is now.
Today, we have a multitude of channels and choices to put ourselves, and our companies, out there. And while those choices are unlimited, people’s interest and attention spans are not. So while there’s no formula for how to balance building your personal brand and your company’s brand, there are some things to consider that will drive your decision:
What are your business objectives?
If you are selling widgets, it’s probably most important for consumers to know how great your widgets are. You want to build trust and authority for your company. I don’t think anyone believes the CEO is sitting in the factory making the widgets.
On the other hand, if you are a recruiter, you are competing with tons of other recruiters who essentially provide the same service. So the special sauce is going to be YOU. You want to build trust as a person, let people get to know you before they even know you.
What are your personal objectives?
Just like exercise and eating well, you need to have discipline and motivation. If you don’t know why you’re doing something, you’re not likely to stick to it for long. Or you will throw some sh*t out there that’s not tied to an overarching message.
Are you currently employed and looking for your next opportunity (both inside and outside of your organization)? In this case, you want to be part of conversations so you can be seen and heard. But tread carefully! In this cancel culture we live in, you need to walk the line between thought-provoking and provocative.
Or perhaps you have a creative pursuit on your bucket list, like writing a book, or having your own podcast. In this case, it’s important to start building up your profile in smaller ways in order to build a following. You want to walk before you run, but you do need to start moving.
One thing I have found to be true in support of pushing a person over a company is that people are more likely to have an attachment to a human than an organization. Think about it, are you more likely to share a post from a person or a brand? Do you quote companies or people? (“Just Do It” is the exception, not the rule.)
Looking for ideas on how to develop your personal brand? Executive coach, Christine Laperriere has some great tips.
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts
Once you’ve considered the objectives above, you’ll have an easier time figuring out the balance of the two brands and how they can leverage and support each other. Over time, you’ll gain insights and feedback that will help to inform your strategy as you go.
Regardless of where you put your efforts, what’s most important is that you do it, and you do it with intention.
As the famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said, "If people like you, they will listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you."
And that’s branding everyone will buy into.
Joanna Track is the founder and operating partner of Good Eggs & Co., a boutique content marketing consultancy. She is a strategist, storyteller and eternal email evangelist.
