People see your brand, but do they believe and trust it?
One of the greatest challenges in promoting a personal brand is to establish credibility. Every brand needs to be trusted and valued, and although we often focus on how others will perceive us, this is often a direct result of how we perceive ourselves and how we communicate it.
That’s right, our perceived credibility is often a mirror image of how we perceive our own credibility!
When we build great confidence in ourselves, in our personal brand, in our skills and in our value, we are then able to produce the credibility ‘proofs’. We can communicate WHY we should be deemed trustworthy and valuable to our potential followers, partners and customers.
For online marketers with a personal brand, it’s all about flaunting the things that support your expertise, your personality, your passion and your value.
Here are 8powerful ways to establish credibility in your personal brand online:
- Publish a great bio on your blog and/or other websites. Show off your accomplishments, tell your inspiring story, and share your results and your passions. Tell your mission and purpose to communicate your value. Your bio or ‘about me’ section may be the first thing your visitors see, so it’s important to effectively communicate your personality, mission, expertise, leadership and value.
- Choose an image that reflects your unique personality and brand. Design your blog or website to be memorable and attractive, including an image of yourself that can inspire. Show yourself, with confidence (no pretence!). Use quality equipment and make it look good!
- Ask for testimonials, and publish them! The problem with people who don’t believe in their own credibility is that they don’t feel confident asking for recommendations or testimonials. Again, your own perception will directly influence how others perceive you. After you ask and receive a few testimonials, you should feel more confident! You can publish your testimonials on your blog, website, social profiles and pages, publications, sales pages, etc. If you use LinkedIn, it’s easy to ask for recommendations, and you can then copy the testimonials on other websites or social platforms.
- Grow your social networks. If you are marketing your personal brand online, you need a social media strategy. The size of your network, and the quality of the people in it, will help demonstrate your leadership, influence and value. Associate yourself with successful and influential people in your industry. Interacting and partnering with great people will help you in many other ways than just boosting your credibility, including providing you with greater opportunities for mentorship, growth, leadership and exposure. People will judge you on the company you keep, so keep a good balance between the people you serve, and the people who mentor and inspire you!
- Leadership, leadership, leadership! Take a unique stance, and take responsibility for your actions and results. Lead by helping people! Every business exists to serve customers and provide solutions. People want to know ‘what’s in it for them’ before they follow your leadership. Leadership leads to influence, and believing in your own ability to inspire and influence people will bring such results (it’s all about mindset!). Influence and leadership undeniably increase credibility. Be a true leader, and you will be perceived as such.
- Create your own products, resources or services. Creating unique content is a powerful way to promote your personal brand. As for your blog or website, package your products or programs to look attractive and valuable (even the free stuff!). Remember that everything you produce carries your brand. Focus on your expertise and interests. Do a lazy or incompetent job, and your value will decrease, and so will your credibility.
- Be authentic. The greatest credibility killers are pretence and deceit. Flaunt your best self and your greatest assets, but never pretend to be something you’re not. While you may think it will make you ‘look good’ and attract more people, it will leave your customers and followers feeling dissatisfied and annoyed when they dig deeper and realise they were manipulated. Credibility can be gained AND lost. Once you gain that precious credibility with your target market, you want to retain and nurture it! Never promise something you can’t deliver on, even if it’s about something less tangible such as your personal brand or leadership. Always OVER-deliver!
- Learn to communicate effectively. One of the most important qualities of leaders is their ability to communicate in a way that inspires trust and credibility, and that influences people to take action. Find your own communication style, and build the skills and confidence to transmit your message effectively. Be yourself, and let your personality shine through your content (blog articles, e-books, videos, photos, etc.). As a great leader and communicator, you will not only give yourself more confidence and credibility, but so will your audience.
What is most important to you in giving credibility others’ personal brands?
How do you gain credibility for your personal brand online?
Please share your comments below!
Very insightful thank you, I do believe your subscribers could perhaps want a lot more information such as this maintain the great work.
[Reply]
SpunkeBusiness Reply:
October 26th, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Thanks Robaire. I just went to visit your blog but could only find your capture page. Do you have a blog that brands you? I’d like to return the favour!
[Reply]