The Importance of Personal Branding
and Thought Leadership in Marketing
The Importance of Personal Branding and Thought Leadership in Marketing
The founder and executive chairperson of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, once famously said, “Your brand is what others say about you when you’re not in the room”. Whether or not we are aware of it, we all have a personal brand that informs how others see us. Managed correctly, a personal brand can reap rewards not only for ourselves but also the people and organisations we associate with.
We can define Personal Branding as:
“Establishing your public persona for your target audience. It involves carefully and accurately communicating your values, beliefs, goals, and purpose.”- Kajabi.com
A good brand presents an image; a great brand makes people believe it. It is authentic and lives up to its hype. It communicates one’s story, values and aspirations. This also makes it unique.
An example of a great personal brand is Nelson Mandela. When I think of him, words like “courage”, “self-sacrifice” and “selflessness” immediately come to mind. These are noble qualities with positive connotations that make for an attractive brand people naturally gravitate towards. His brand is authentic because we draw it from his life story.
Thought Leadership
We can define a thought leader as:
“an industry expert who shares his or her expertise with a broader audience for the purpose of educating, improving, and adding value to the industry as a whole.”- Kelsey Raymond, CEO and co-founder of Influence & Co.
According to a blog post from wgu.edu, a thought leader is someone who:
- Is an expert or “go-to” person in their field.
- Expresses innovative ideas that challenge the status quo.
- Is a forward-thinker that inspires people to think differently.
- Shares their knowledge and expertise with others.
Examples of a thought leader are:
- Mike Sharman
- Elizabeth Gilbert
- Vusi Thembekwayo
- Prof. Mamokgethi Phakeng
These people exhibit the traits and behaviour mentioned above. How do they share their ideas, knowledge and expertise with the world? Answer: content marketing. This tactic is used to create and promote content (e.g. blog posts, videos, eBooks, etc) in a way that shows their expertise and adds value to others’ lives.
How personal branding and thought leadership tie to marketing
Personal branding and thought leadership are tactics marketers can use to establish themselves, another person or a corporate brand as an authority figure in their field/industry. It is through the sharing and consumption of a personal brand’s/thought leader’s content that they reinforce their brand identity and authority in the minds of consumers.
According to a forbes.com article, personal branding/thought leadership benefits brands in the following ways:
- more credibility because people find the brand trustworthy.
- greater competitive advantage because the brand stands out from the crowd.
- greater brand resonance because people resonate with the brand’s story or values.
- more career and/or business opportunities because more people see the brand’s value and potential.
- a growing audience because the brand is gaining traction (and a bit of herd behaviour, I rate).
Ultimately, these benefits improve your brand’s influence and earning potential.
In closing, personal branding and thought leadership are crucial tools to be mastered to ensure longevity and success in any professional career.
How would you define your brand?
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