Logo. The image of a product. Visual design. At the most basic level, these are the words that come to mind when you hear about branding.
But personal branding though is a different story. It answers the questions like, “Who are you?” or “What do you stand for?”
Personal branding is built around being likable and trustable. It’s the first thing that people say about you when you’re not around. And that relevancy is what separates guys like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates from a whole bunch of business dudes; resonating with a trusted authority.
Having a strong and unique personal brand is a fundamental aspect of today’s business landscape. But molding that positive perception doesn’t happen overnight, your best move to stand out online is to create a team who can work around developing your reputation. And who’s more suitable to help you take on that challenge than virtual assistants?
Prompt with all the necessary digital skills, these remote workers can assist you in so many different ways —from managing social media to content scheduling.
This post will tackle the implications of online branding for your career. And as we move through the subject, we’ll also give you a few tips on how to elevate your professional image through virtual assistants and personal branding.
Jason Hartman once said that "Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability."
While that adage sounded so inspiring, it might not have directly answered what a personal brand is. So, first things first, what is a personal brand?
Well, it’s brand messaging that influences your target audience’s perception. It’s what makes you who you are, creating an identity that makes you authentic from your peers.
So, how can having a personal brand help grow your professional career? And how can you use personal branding to successfully promote yourself?
The truth is, there are thousands if not millions of people who compete for the same job and customers. For example, in 2023, a staggering 96% of workers are looking for new jobs—that’s too much competition.
However, a strong personal brand can help you stand out from a crowd and leave a lasting impression.
By positioning yourself strategically, you can draw out your audience by making yourself relatable and approachable.
If you have a unique personal brand, people will notice you and trust you. Even more so, if you can draw on your expertise and professionalism.
By positioning yourself as an experienced leader in a specific field, you establish and speak value.
For example, for content creation, there are unlimited options to find people to work with. But when people understand your passion and what knowledge you bring to the table, it’s easier to build trust and credibility, giving them superb confidence to work with you.
A strong personal brand reveals plenty of job opportunities.
Through personal branding, you can find more avenues to put yourself out there such as blog writing or speaking engagement which will gain you more online visibility.
Think about it, possessing valuable knowledge on a particular subject attract customers which eventually leads to an introduction to their market as well. This actually makes perfect sense since 60% of consumers are more inclined to names/brands they’ve heard of.
In short, you’re not only opening more opportunities, but you’re also getting the best of them from varying industries. Furthermore, with a positive experience, you can position yourself strongly in the future.
So, how do we get started raising our personal brand? With remote workers who can easily play your virtual assistants for email marketing campaigns or a social manager, this feat is not an elusive one.
Here are the ways a virtual assistant can assist you in developing your personal brand.
Virtual assistants are your investments —it saves you time and money.
Now, think about the personal brands in your business. What comes to mind when you hear Donald Trump or Elon Musk? Regardless of what these names imply, you know what they stand for.
A personal brand lives in the person and can definitely outlive them too.
Taking that into consideration, virtual assistants and personal branding can go a long way. VAs can assist you in building that persona that can resonate well with your audience.
However, in order to do that, you have to spend time on training and developing to yield a much higher return on investment.
You get what you give. You reap what you sow.
These are not just antic semantics to inspire you; because truly, what you give to your audience is what they give you in return.
You must know that interactivity is a MUST in personal brand building. Your consumers want to interact and ask questions. And as a busy bug with too much work on your hands, you have no time to do it. This is where a virtual assistant comes in, to get them to engage and grow your fanbase.
With a trained VA managing your social accounts on your behalf, you can open the comment section and accordingly reply to messages and cater to your market’s needs in real-time.
Remember, being there for your readers is a great way to establish trust and eventually propel a powerful reputation.
Yes, we’ve said this a millionth time, but really, content is king!
People deal with issues on a daily basis and if you solve at least one of them, you become something of value. How so? Because you add more value to their life by solving a problem that’s been plaguing them.
Create fresh and innovative ideas that your customers can use to elevate their lives. Of course, that content needs your personal touch, straight from your expert knowledge.
So, how does a virtual assistant fit into the picture? Well, they’ll be the ones to market it, share it and boost its online discoverability.
But in doing so, your virtual assistant should know what you’re all about; personality and style-wise. So, they know how to add your personal layer when marketing your market.
Building relationships and connections is paramount in making it big in whatever industry you’re in.
So, if you want to succeed in today’s market, you need to positively spread the word out to friends, followers and investors. Getting people who know you best to talk about you to their people gives your personal brand more power.
You can have your virtual assistant find more prospects, engage with industry juggernauts and get in touch with them on your behalf.
For instance, your event planning virtual assistant can help you send an email with a personal note using your account. In this way, you can effectively utilize your time and your virtual team.
Do it right, and you can make a strong case for your personal brand; altogether influencing your reach and your employer’s brand.
Have you not noticed yet? That having a below-average brand is making you miss out on many business opportunities.
Professional image branding is a long-term investment, not just for yourself but for colleagues, clients and even future collaborators. So, rather than limiting yourself to just having a social presence, you need to have meaningful and high-value social interactions.
It’s about brand-building people —it’s making sure you stand out among a sea of competition and have a voice that can be heard.
So, how exactly can professional image branding have a domino effect on your career and goals?
A mesh of virtual assistants and personal branding is a great way to leverage business opportunities each day.
In the ever-evolving business landscape, your best bet is to always utilize your resources. Hands down! Your VA is a very handy asset in building relationships, managing and marketing your brand.
Therefore, always get the help that you need. Remember, you’re only good as your last job; positive client experience should be a topmost priority.
And that in turn will be the making of your personal brand.