Read time: 3 minutes

You've heard the gurus preach about personal branding – the magic secret for success. But their complex strategies leave you feeling overwhelmed.

What if there was a simpler way?

The reality is, we can boil personal branding down to just 3 key pillars.

So, that's exactly what we're focusing on today.

We'll unveil a powerful framework. It's one that cuts through the noise and gets you the results you desire.

Let's get straight to it...

Why having a strong personal brand is key in the modern business world

Targeting your 'average customer' isn't good enough!

Differentiating your business online and gaining business on repeat is often a struggle.

But having a strong personal brand makes it much easier.

Your personal brand embraces your uniqueness.

It gives your potential clients someone to trust, resonate with, and feel connected to.

So a strong personal brand makes it easier for you to:

• Gain greater career opportunities

• Attract higher paying clients

• Differentiate your services

• Meet like-minded people

• Increase your rates

Why is this?

Simon Sinek says it best…

So, your personal brand becomes your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

It brings your personality, perspective, and voice to the front of your business.

And in doing so, it separates you from everybody else.

But what if everyone built a personal brand?

This would make your personal brand worthless, right?

WRONG!

We all resonate with different people for different reasons.

So a strong personal brand allows you to connect with some people better than anyone else.

This is something that a business on its own cannot do.

Think of it this way...

If you start with a business presence first (i.e. without a personal brand), you have more barriers to overcome.

Once a potential client has shown interest, they may misalign with you as a person or your approach to work.

Yet with a personal brand first approach, your potential clients can see if you're a good fit for them from the get-go.

They can connect with you and your values straight away.

This way there are less barriers in the way of doing business with you.

With the power of personal branding now clear, here is a powerful framework you can apply to build a successful personal brand...

The 3 key pillars of every successful personal brand:

#1 Credibility

Credibility is the foundation of your personal brand.

It is about proving you're knowledgeable and reliable.

You convey credibility through your track record because...

Strong results show proof of expertise.

Factors contributing to credibility include:

• Awards and recognition

• Past experience

• Consistency

• Social proof

#2 Authority

Position yourself as a thought leader by conveying your unique perspective and expertise.

This differentiates you, and when done right is difficult to replicate.

Factors contributing to credibility include:

• Social role/position

• Unique perspective

• Content creation

• Public speaking

• Networking

#3 Trust

You earn trust by delivering on your promises and nurturing relationships over time.

It shows that you care which boosts loyalty and makes your audience listen to you.

Factors contributing to trust include:

• Transparency

• Engagement

• Consistency

• Authenticity

• Reputation

Why each factor matters

• Credibility + Authority (- Trust) = Self serving and detached from audience needs.

• Authority + Trust (- Credibility) = Talks the talk without walking the walk - built on opinions, not facts.

• Trust + Credibility (- Authority) = Doesn't lead and guide with strength, so struggles to inspire others.

Moral of the story:

Building a strong personal brand is an essential differentiator for your business nowadays.

It connects your business (or more accurately, you) to people and potential clients on a person to person basis.

But to build a strong personal brand in the first place, leverage the 3 pillars I highlighted for you:

• Credibility - Proving you're knowledgeable and reliable.

• Authority - Positioning yourself as a thought leader.

• Trust - Delivering on your promises and nurturing relationships

And on that note:

Until this time next week,

Ryan