Sofia Shved On Climbing a Ladder of Personal Branding Sofia Shved, CEO of PR Novo, discusses the importance of personal branding and how it contributes to the success of business efforts

In a world where business is conducted more and more online, personal branding has become more critical than ever before. To stand out and find business success, you must take control of your branding and ensure it works for you.

Sofia Shved, CEO of PR Novo, knows this all too well. In this insightful article, she discusses the importance of personal branding and how it contributes to the success of business efforts.

Modern Personal Branding

Personal branding is a thrown-around term. At its core, it's about the process and investment of creating a narrative around yourself (yourself being your business or organization) that defines how you differentiate from your competition. The aim is to make you more attractive to customers, employers, or anyone interested in what you offer.

Basically, whenever you're marketing yourself to someone else, whether we're job seekers, entrepreneurs, freelancers, or employees, you're diving into personal branding. A lot of people follow through with this, but unfortunately, it's in the simplest way.

People create a story about who they are, what they do, and why someone should care, and then share that story with the world. But stopping here is precisely where so many entrepreneurs, businesspeople, professionals, freelancers, artists, and so many more are losing themselves, closing the door on what personal branding could be. Personal branding is not just about creating a favorable impression.

It's about being authentic, building relationships, and creating a tribe of passionate supporters who will champion you and your work. It's about understanding who you are, what you stand for, and using that to shape everything you do – from how you dress and speak to how you interact with others and the projects you work on.

Let me bring this into the limelight. Think about what personal branding means to you and your business right now and how you approach it. Do you see it as an opportunity to be something you're not? Or is it a way to share your authentic self with the world and build relationships with like-minded individuals?

The Dark Side of Personal Branding

If you take the inauthentic personal branding approach, you're going down a dark path. A path that leads to burnout, distrust, and instability, even within yourself.

I often see it happen with the companies and people I work with. For many businesses, personal branding is simply a way to create the image of perhaps someone you want to be or the way you want the world to see you, but this is only going to take you so far. And it's not sustainable in the long run. It can be tempting to put on a persona or create an image that's not really you, but eventually, people will see through it. They'll know that you're not being authentic, and they'll lose trust in you.

On the other hand, when done right, personal branding has the power to change lives, businesses, and careers. It's a way to connect with others who share your values, passions, and goals, and it's a way to build relationships and create opportunities.

Personal branding is not about creating an artificial persona. It's about understanding who you are and what you want to achieve.

The Importance of Personal Branding

Personal branding is essential because it's the foundation of your business and career. It's what will make you stand out in a crowded marketplace.

While it's true that personal branding can help you stand out from your competitors, there are other benefits to be gained as well. A good personal brand can lend credibility to your business endeavors and make them more successful. It can also help attract customers, clients, and investors who align with your values. Moreover, it will ensure that your audience trusts you more with what you say, what you do, and what ventures you embark on.

For example, if you're a life coach with a solid personal brand built on trust, your clients will more likely follow your recommendations and suggest you to their friends and family. Also, they will be willing to pay you more because of that extra connection with your values and personality. The same goes for any business – if people trust you, they're more interested in doing business with you. A good personal brand is the beginning of this.

From here, a strong personal brand will open doors for you, create opportunities, and help you achieve your goals.

Mastering the Art of Personal Branding

Take a moment to think of your own branding, how you currently go about it, and how you could be proactive in building a more robust image.

When working with my clients, it's a long process. Not only does the business and the individual change, but so does the world. There are constantly new events, situations, and technologies that allow many avenues to be explored.

There are so many ways to go about creating the best personal brand. However, some core aspects of personal branding remain the same regardless of the outside world.

Here are a few things I remind my clients to bear in mind:

Be authentic: As I mentioned, people see through phoniness with ridiculous ease. Be true to yourself and build a personal brand that reflects who you are.

Be consistent: Once you've defined your brand, you must be consistent in everything you do. Consistency will build trust and credibility with your audience.

Be patient: Building a solid personal brand takes time, and it won't happen overnight, so be patient and focus on the long game.

Start today: The best time to build your brand is now. Every second you're out there, people are forming opinions on whether or not they want to work with you. So, get started and start sharing your authentic self with the world.

Summing it up

Personal branding is essential because it's the foundation of your business and career. It's what will make you stand out in a crowded marketplace. A strong personal brand can help you attract customers, clients, and investors who align with your values.