Why personal branding is important for a CEO

    As a CEO, you dedicate your time and resources to building your company but what about investing in your personal brand?

    You can become so integrated in the identity of your company’s brand that you forget your own personal branding. You may be asking yourself, what is my personal brand and why do I need one?

    Adoni Media’s Managing Director, Leisa Goddard, knows first-hand the importance of establishing your personal brand alongside your company’s brand. Leisa appears as a contributing commentator on Sky News Australia and contributes written guest content on high quality industry websites.

    Here’s why you need to get on top of your personal branding.

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    What is personal branding?

    Personal branding for CEOs is essential for increasing your brand awareness and credibility, and to create new business leads. By combining the use of communication platforms such as PR, media relations, and social media, you can build your personal brand and become a recognised thought leader in your industry.

    Why should you focus on your personal brand?

    Building your personal brand is two-fold. Increasing your personal brand awareness will also boost your company’s. A strong personal brand will establish you as an authentic, experienced, and trustworthy leader in your industry, which can play a key role for prospective clients and customers. At the end of the day, people do business with people they like and trust, and by creating an authentic and approachable presence, new business opportunities arise, and current business relationships are strengthened.

    How to build your profile

    Begin by gaining a better understanding of what your personal brand is. What do you stand for? In what areas are you knowledgeable? What topics can you offer insight? Request honest feedback from your peers about your strengths and your weaknesses and determine your key messages. Consider this to be your elevator pitch. This should be a short statement that identifies your unique value proposition compared to others in your industry, and other business leaders.

    Once you have defined your personal brand, amplify your message. If you don’t already have one, create a LinkedIn profile, and share interesting and engaging content that can be pushed out to new audiences. Build your network by attending industry events, serve on boards and foster new business relationships, and finally, use PR to position yourself as a ‘go-to’ commentator for journalists and the media.

    Why it’s important to become a ‘go-to’ commentator

    While it takes time, strategy, and consistency, becoming a ‘go-to’ commentator is one of the most powerful PR tools that boost your personal brand. One way to achieve this is through media relations. Developing long-term professional relationships with journalists provides you with third-party endorsement through credible sources, such as newspapers articles, TV interviews, radio interviews, and podcasts.

    Journalists like to have a network of industry leaders who provide reliable, credible and trustworthy commentary on issues or news developments. And the more they trust and value your input, the more publicity you can achieve, helping to significantly raise your personal brand.

    Unsure of where to begin, or what to focus on when creating your personal brand? Contact the team at Adoni Media today.