How to build more trust with your business
How can you build more trust online for your business? Well, let's think about it. Now more than ever before we are craving human connection. We associate human interaction with trust building.
If you have a business and are looking to build more credibility, authenticity and trust in your brand (because we know they also help us make sales), it is time to create more focus on your personal brand and the personal brand of those in your team.
People buy from people. We want to learn more about you and your expertise just as much as we want to learn about what you sell and your latest offering.
Get ready to start your new level of trust with your audience today!
It’s time to be known online
If you want to be known online, we know consistency, repetition and brand awareness are important.
What else is important? Your personal brand!
Reliability and connection are essential in business to gain the trust we all want for our brands as owners and entrepreneurs, and your personal brand is just an extension of this.
This gives your content the human connection that everyone has been craving over the last few years. So, how can we build a personal brand to also build trust in business?
Let’s explore!
What is a personal brand?
Personal branding is all about you. Why is that important? Because it is what people say about you when you aren't in the room.
Your personal brand is how you convey your values and expertise to the world, which all work together to form your identity.
This is all about what you want to be known for.
This isn't just something for entrepreneurs, this is for businesses of all kinds. no matter if your product based or service based, you should be trying to build your personal brand and story. Become the face of your brand!
For example, if you're a brand that serves working mums, there are certain topics you can share as a part of that product. Let's say your focus is sustainability, you can use that! Focus around your niche specifically and target that audience!
So, why should a company look at personal branding and how can it be executed? Let’s explore the elements of a personal brand below.
What does personal branding mean in business?
There are so many benefits to building a personal brand, not only for you or your audience but also for your business as well!
One of the main elements of this is trust. Trust is created between people more than brands and businesses, this is why we love to say “Show up for your business!” It does more good than just letting people know what you look like, it creates a human connection.
But with trust, there are also other benefits to having a personal brand:
It helps your business to stand out amongst your niche and gets you seen in various ways
When people trust your business and align with your personal brand, they are more likely to buy from you so this means more revenue!
Your personal brand can also give you opportunities to help build collaboration and connections with others in your industry. The competitors in your niche are not bad competition, it is an opportunity to team up and work to build more trust.
How can you start a personal brand for a business?
After all this talk of what a personal brand is, you must be thinking “Well, how can I start one for my business?”
There are about 6 steps you can take to begin creating an amazing personal brand, after taking these steps, it’s then all about continuing to add your special touches to your content and testing, trialling and measuring!
First, identify your niche. Sit down and list the 3 or 4 things you want to be known for, you can even start with a bigger list and narrow that down. Think about what your expertise is and go from there. For example, I did this for Content Queen and narrowed this down to storytelling and strategy!
Be authentic and share your stories! These stories are your best asset, they are experiences that help you relate to your audience so share them! If you need guidance with telling your stories, check out our Storytelling Guide here. Even tell the stories of your mistakes, your mess becomes your message so tell us everything!
Think about who your target audience is. What platforms do they like and where is your traffic coming from, use this data to determine where to put your energy. Don’t forget that you want your personal brand to align with your audience and speak to their demographic whilst remaining authentic.
Create a plan and strategy. Think about how you will show up for your brand, what platforms will you show up on and how often. Make sure to have a goal and objective in mind so you understand and maintain the direction of your content
Take the steps to execute the plan. It’s action time, so have a schedule and make sure you have days you want to post or show up on.
Lastly, never forget the test, trial measure! Put in place those goals and work towards them, and pay attention to the analytics and what is working vs. what isn't. Adjust your content accordingly.
TIP: start slow and curate conversations, to begin with - share articles and insights rather than create your own content from the beginning.
What channels can you build a personal brand?
While it’s completely up to you where you want to build your personal brand, we have some suggestions on good places to start.
Podcasting, blogging or video content. Although this is longer form content, it is amazing for you to express your thoughts and opinions in more detail.
You can also use social media such as Instagram and LinkedIn. These are great places to start conversations, create a human connection and open up thoughts and discussions with followers.
Networking and public speaking as main sources of connection are great too. Sharing your views and opinions really help to build your personal brand.
TIP: Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date! Even if it isn't your main platform, keep your profile completely up to date because it will show up and rank on Google!
What if I am not the face of my brand?
That’s okay! There are ways to work around this.
Firstly, you can simply build your personality into your brand. One of Content Queen’s clients wants to be known in the sustainability space, while she doesn't show up all the time she takes videos and provides voiceovers for them. She doesn't show her face but is still giving thought-provoking education in things like Instagram Reels.
Even if you’re the founder, you have options for showing up. While you are the authority of your brand, you can choose how often you’d like to show your face. If you don't want to be the face of your business you can show your authority through the brand and show snippets of yourself. Or do what I do at Content Queen where I have a separate brand for personal experiences (travels, life, etc) as well as a bit of Content Queen talk.
At the end of the day, your personal brand can be your brand or you can bring your personal brand into your business - it’s up to what suits you!
Final thoughts
Our final tip is to START NOW. It takes time to build your digital footprint, network and create trust so it’s time to get on it.
If you need guidance on getting started on the right channel for you, take our Content Queen Content Quiz below, think of this as a business self-discovery tool! A chance for you to learn more about marketing your business.
So start creating your personal brand now! Follow the steps and get on it today - be authentic and never forget to tell your story!