Seven Personal Branding Tips for Entrepreneurs

In 1997, Tom Peters introduced the modern concept of personal branding. His groundbreaking “The Brand Called You” has been the Bible for many looking to advance their careers. Entrepreneurs have been in that number, too, and for good reason. To paraphrase Jay Z, an entrepreneur isn’t a business(wo)man, an entrepreneur is a business, man.

With a background in talent acquisition and public relations, I’m a personal branding enthusiast. I see more in personal branding than firm handshakes, cool social media profiles, and a powerful public presence. A pivotal part of Peters’ essay reads, “When you’re promoting brand You, everything you do — and everything you choose not to do — communicates the value and character of the brand.”

I believe that the core of personal branding is our ability to articulate our identity and value--who we are and how we contribute to those around us. An entrepreneur’s personal brand can greatly boost their business, so seven personal branding tips for entrepreneurs.

Be enthusiastic. This is your dream! It's your vision! These are your goals! No one’s excitement counts more than yours; and genuine enthusiasm is contagious, especially to customers.

Make customer service a high priority. I know. "Duh." Hear me out. Customers remember who handles their issues and how they were handled. Have you ever run across this--a business whose products or services aren’t the best but the customer-pleasing owner is a magnet for repeat business? Remember, also, that the way you talk about your customers on social media--whether you mention names or not--matters a lot.

Be a leader. “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Simon Sinek famously said this in his TED Talk “How great leaders inspire action”. As the organizer and leader of your business, people pay attention to your cues. But they also get sucked into why what you do matters. Nothing makes a personal brand shine like a sense of purpose.

Be careful of the personal opinions you share publicly. As an entrepreneur, you answer to more people than ever. That includes a diverse pool of stakeholders. We all know that you’re more than entitled to any opinion you want to share with the public. But understand that, while there may be no one to fire you (for now), people vote with their dollars.

Invest in self-care. A healthy personal brand is a strong personal brand. Take the requisite time to make sure you’re in the kind of shape you need to be in to keep yourself in shape physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Take that much-needed day off so you can be at your best the next day.

Always work on your people skills. Some call them soft skills (a term I despise). Without strong people skills, personal branding becomes a pointless exercise. When people, especially colleagues, recognize you as a strong communicator, collaborator and organizer, you create opportunities to be an influencer. Nothing fortifies personal branding like being influential.

Remember who got you there. So many times I’ve heard customers and supporters talk about being forgotten by people they helped reach success. Business is business, and many of us understand that. But personal branding shines brightly when a successful entrepreneur finds ways to recognize the customers and/or colleagues who helped them build their business(es).

And let me be clear, this isn’t about being liked. This is about doing good business. When people remember who does the good business, that’s a big win.