Years ago I read an article about a small business that intrigued me. It was a company owned by two women who interviewed clients by phone for one hour and then created a brief 2 or 3-word branding statement exclusively for them. They suggested this personal “title” could guide in decision making, and therefore help clients remain true to themselves. Would Considerate Artist buy a house like this? Is this job a fit for a Fun-Seeking Globetrotter? Does Teaching Historian dress like this? The idea still fascinates me, and although I never hired them to create my personal brand, I started thinking of my older brother as Covert Hero. He’s one of those people who makes good things happen without needing to take credit for it, and he often seems to be in the right place at the right time to help complete strangers.
You may not have an interview with branding experts, but if you’re on social media regularly, one could argue you’ve built a personal statement based on what you share. The social sphere is full of oversharers, and under shares and it’s fairly easy to see what interests people enough to share them. You probably know of at least one person who could be branded as Whining Centerpiece. That friend who complains about every sniffle and traffic jam, while your other pal, Laughing Rainbow Seeker is kicking cancer’s ass without so much as a grumble. Again.
Have you got the Political Intimidator social connection? Or the Athletic Exhibitionist? How about the Perfectionist Parent whose feed is full of clean, smiling children and a tidy house while we look at our own messy lives and wonder what we’re doing wrong? Hopefully, you have a handful of friends in your social circle who often share upbeat and interesting posts – someone who might be branded as “Positive Thought-Provoker”.
It’s worth considering how we brand ourselves in regards to not only our personal lives, but our business. I’m not the first to suggest if you would not want your grandmother to see it, you should not post it, and the same goes for clients and potential clients.
Here are 3 questions to consider:
- If a complete stranger were to browse through your social posts, what branding statement might they create for you?
- If you had to create a branding statement for your side business offers in 2-3 words, what would it be?
- Does your business social reflect your brand?
There can be a blurred line between personal social pages and small business pages, particularly for those who sell and/or market themselves socially. There are so many successful side businesses that rely on Facebook, and require some personality. In my case, my Instagram account sometimes share some personal and family posts, especially when we travel, while my Facebook and Twitter feeds are more business related. That said, I sometimes flounder over whether I want to share something on a particular channel or not.
How about you? How do you handle your social accounts? Do you feel like you could create a branding statement from your posts?