The Collective Rising’s Personal Branding Tips for Entrepreneurs

It’s no secret that entrepreneurship is on the rise. According to PR Newswire, 63 percent of Americans believe that going into business for themselves is a good professional path to take. In recent years, The Collective Rising has been inspired by the rise of many influential women-owned businesses and the incredible female-founders behind them. 

However, a mistake many entrepreneurs make is that they tend to focus solely on the branding of their business and neglect their personal brand. While The Collective Rising knows first hand that the life of an entrepreneur is a hectic one, we also know that having a strong personal brand, especially when you’re leading a company of your own, is non-negotiable. 

While many entrepreneurs feel uncomfortable with the idea of self-promoting, spotlighting facets of who you are, what you have done, and what you are currently up to concerning your company can have a positive impact on your business and influence how others perceive your business.

Having a personal brand as an entrepreneur has countless benefits. It can make it easier to raise funds, connect with potential employees, spread the word about your business, and even increase your customer retention. It is especially important to have a visible and meaningful personal brand when you’re starting a new company. If your startup lacks credibility and doesn’t have a long track record, people will be looking to you, the founder, before deciding whether or not to learn more about your new business endeavor.

It was Jeff Bezos who said, “your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” While establishing a personal brand takes a bit of effort, in the beginning, it is worthwhile, especially when you’re an entrepreneur, and you’re looking to get others to believe in you and your vision.

At The Collective Rising, we help hundreds of female entrepreneurs strengthen their personal brand through our SEO-optimized platform. But here are three essential tips everyone should follow if they are an entrepreneur looking to establish a successful personal brand online.

Utilize LinkedIn to tell your story.

Learn how to utilize the platform as a business owner rather than as a professional employee. Highlight that you are an entrepreneur in your LinkedIn summary and be sure to include your past relevant work history and accomplishments to give those viewing your profile context about who you are and your achievements.

Collaborate Strategically. 

Collaboration is a great way for entrepreneurs to connect with other like-minded professionals and form connections that create win-win situations for all parties involved. As you begin to brainstorm potential collaboration opportunities, don’t forget that your personal brand and your business brand are two separate entities. Therefore, you will have more freedom to explore unique collaborations when it comes to your personal brand and pursue passions and interests of yours that might not directly align with your business. For example, if you own an interior design software company, but have always loved working with animals, make an effort to get involved with organizations and collaborate with leaders in that space. Finding unique ways to pursue passions that are outside your business is a great way to encourage self-development as well as strengthen your personal brand.

Commit to investing time in your personal brand. 

Finding time to create and post content is challenging for everyone, especially busy entrepreneurs. At The Collective Rising, we advise our members to approach the subject of building a personal brand by taking a quality-over-quantity approach. We believe it is far less important to post every day and, more importantly, that you are thinking about what you share and where you share your content. If you’re a female entrepreneur, having a profile on The Collective Rising and LinkedIn should be at the very top of your “to-do” list. However, consider branching out and explore using other social media platforms to share snippets of your life and interests.

One of the cool things about social media is its informal nature. By sharing authentic bits of your life on these platforms, you send the message to other leaders in your industry and your business’ target demographic that you are approachable and within reach. Opening the doors for this type of authentic connection will surely help you develop a successful personal brand.

Being an entrepreneur is not an easy undertaking. It is a 24/7 job that requires time, effort, commitment, and dedication. Don’t make the mistake of thinking establishing a personal brand is a step worth skipping – it’s not. Legitimize your own voice, in your own words, and on your own terms. You must take control of your narrative because your personal brand can either positively or negatively impact your business – there is no neutral effect here. 

The Collective Rising is an essential resource for female entrepreneurs. If you’re interested in learning more about our membership offerings, please visit our Join Us page.