No one does personal branding better than the Kardashian right! You could say they’ve nailed the process of becoming a global personal brand worth billions of dollars … and yet I hear so many women, business owners and property managers cringe at the thought of building or enhancing their personal brand. Why? Because it’s all about them and they are uncomfortable and fearful of judgement, but what if I told you having a personal brand today is the ultimate key to success.
So, let’s dive into personal branding, Did I feel uncomfortable about starting a personal brand? Hell yes! Did I put off branding photo shoots, take months to post a picture of myself on the website or Facebook, years to actually do a live video? Absolutely I did. It still makes me uncomfortable even though my mug is plastered all over my website and social media these days. So, I’ve been doing a lot of work helping business owners recently through my ‘Done for You’ social media management service – where we manage all your social media posts – we plan, write, create, and schedule relevant, relatable content for real estate clients. If you want to learn more about this offer – book in a call in my calendar here or head to the Done for You sales page here. What every single one of the amazing people I’ve been working with has said, ‘do I really have to put myself out there like that?’ In all honestly the reality is people want to do business with people, not properties on your social media page, they do have a place on there for demonstrating competency, but your clients want to connect, resonate, and will respond to you only if you are a real, relatable person running a business, and they know why, what and how you do what you do.
Personal branding starts with a mindset shift, you have to let go of the fear of judgement – what will others think? Who cares! You are the only one judging you and what is the worst thing that will happen if you show up more, be authentic, be relatable? You’ll get more business, which is what we all want right.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF PERSONAL BRANDING
What is personal branding?
Your personal brand allows people to recognise who you are as an agent, property manager or business owner and what to expect when dealing with you. In fact, your brand and the reputation attached to it is just as important as the property or services being offered. Your brand is ever present and it’s one thing you have control over.
But how do you find time to build a brand and successfully market yourself on top, of managing properties, leading a team and growing a business? Success in real estate has always been about working smarter, not harder. In this case, it means adapting to new methods and technology to run your business efficiently, engaging more expert help, so you have time to build and nurture your personal brand.
Why you need a personal brand?
1. Simply – to stand out from the crowd – you need a strong personal brand
2. Leads to opportunity – We live in a competitive world where everyone vies for the same jobs, clients, and opportunities. To stand out from the crowd, it’s essential to have a strong personal brand. A personal brand is the unique combination of skills and experiences that make you who you are. It’s what makes you unique and sets you apart from everyone else. By developing a personal brand, you’re giving yourself a competitive advantage.
3. Your audience will trust you more – personal branding is the process of creating an identity for yourself as an individual or business. This involves developing a well-defined and consistent look, message, and presence online and offline. When people feel like they know who you are and what you stand for, they’re more likely to trust you. That’s because they feel like they have a relationship with you. They know what to expect from you and that you’re an authority in your field,
4. People will always see you online – In the digital age, personal branding has become increasingly important. With social media and Google, it’s easy for anyone to find out information about you with just a few clicks. As a result, it’s essential to be aware of how you are presented online. Personal branding can help you control the narrative about yourself and introduce yourself in the best light possible. It’s also a way to stand out from the competition.
5. Finally if you leave your job, start a new business .. you have a personal brand to take with you, you don’t have to start from scratch all over again building followers, collecting likes ….
5 WAYS TO START BUILDING YOUR PERSONAL BRAND
1. Get Consistent with your Personal Branding
Simply put, a brand is a promise to deliver a specific quality of service. Establishing a personal brand means effectively and consistently communicating a message over time to create the desired response from your target audience when your company name is seen or heard.
Define your personal brand by evaluating key elements such as:
– core demographics
– niches in the market or point of difference
– competition
– your personality
– your values
– the area you service
These can help guide you towards creating a brand identity that will resonate with potential clients. Once established, your brand should be consistently delivered across everything you do, from signboards, email signatures, website, phone calls and of course social media.
2. Build Relationships through sharing valuable content
Once you’ve established a clear and effective brand, you can begin building relationships with potential clients. Social media is an invaluable tool for such engagement. Create a LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram presence and foster relationships by posting content your clients will finding relevant and interesting … a good tip on coming up with content ideas is to find solutions to their biggest problems.
An example could be a property manager renting in a suburb where the rents are increasing rapidly … could post content on Facebook called “5 Reasons Why Bayside Rental Properties are Increasing in Value”. This would be an enticing article to click on for your target audience. By showing you have insight and knowledge in the specific area, you help build reputation and cement your expertise.
3. Optimise your Website and Agent Profile
Real estate agent websites are the most important part of branding strategy. It serves as the hub of all marketing activities, where all efforts should lead back to. Your website is the most important asset because unlike social media, you own it and are in total control of the content and design, all of which influence the overall appeal of your brand.
You should aim to use social media to build relationships, while ultimately directing those people back to your main site, where you have the opportunity to capture the details of people and generate leads. You can further nurture relationships on your website with content like a personalised agent profile and client testimonials.
An agent profile allows you to tell your story and highlight areas where you stand out, while testimonials offer a third-party seal of approval. Both offer a huge boost to your personal brand.
4. Exceed the Customer Experience
How you respond to enquiries has a significant influence on your brand and word of mouth reputation. In today’s digitalised, competitive market, it’s crucial to respond to enquiries promptly and professionally to satisfy a client’s needs. But with most enquiries being submitted outside of office hours, just how can that be accomplished? Software. Clients today are well-informed and digitally savvy, and expect the same from the organisations they deal with.
5. Embrace new technology and move with the times
The limitations of the 9am-5pm work day and the burden of back-end administrative tasks are the biggest things that can hold real estate agencies back. By implementing the latest software, you can deliver professional, agent-branded responses to enquiries 24/7, manage inspections more efficiently and automatically collect and segment data.
This technology is shifting the way real estate is handled, allowing agencies to improve the client journey and exceed expectations. By streamlining and automating complex and time-consuming tasks, real estate agents can focus more on building relationships and generating leads.
So, there you have my personal branding tips. if you are ready to address and build your personal brand, I’d love to share a few of my personal secrets and strategies for you. I’ll teach you simple, effective personal brand strategies that work and get you results, like attracting more ideal clients, more followers, and more engagement. Book in a call with me.
This blog was written by Kylie Walker AKA That Property Mum. If you would like to read more blogs or learn more head to the following links: