I’ve had a surprising number of executives from the C-suite tell me that they don’t want to actively manage their personal brand. Why? Because it’s, “all about the company’s brand.” And they would be so very wrong. People do business with people. Employees are who makes up a brand. Period.
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Personal Brand: The Bad News
Poorly managed or non-existent personal brands of a company’s employees damages the brand. If you think that’s untrue, then you have been stuck in your cubicle for to long. You might want to read a blog post or two.
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Actively Managing You Personal Brand: The Good News
However, the inverse is true too. If you manage your personal brand online as well as you do it off-line, then you can help your company close more sales. People trust brands that have people they can trust. Not rocket science, but given the large number of smart people who don’t get that you would think it was rocket science.
Talking With Patrick Sitkins
I asked Patrick Sitkins what his take was on B2B executives and personal branding. He’s a respected digital marketing executive who works with mid-sized businesses, and has co-authored Brand Aid with Larry G. Linne. His book focuses on entrepreneurial strategies for creating and managing a unified personal brand.
Watch Can You Damage Your Company’s Brand By Ignoring Yours?
Interviewed: Patrick Sitkins, @PatrickSitkins Director, Quintain Marketing Co-author, Brand Aid: Taking Control of Your Reputation — Before Everyone Else Does (with Larry G. Linne.) Cool Bonus Stuff: Download Exclusive Free Brand Aid Resources
About The Author
Steve Farnsworth is a consultant that funded start-ups and mid-sized to large B2B tech companies hire to create and implement content marketing, inbound marketing, and social media programs. These programs are strategically designed to generates product demand, increase a company’s online/digital brand, and build passionate customer loyalty. With over 14 years as a senior marketing executive, he integrates new digital strategies into company’s marketing mix that effectively grow sales. You can find Steve on Twitter as @Steveology.
This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet. I’ve been compensated to contribute to this program, but the opinions expressed in this post are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
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Lindsey Winsemius
April 28, 2014
Steve, you always have great topics. It seems like common sense, but so many executives ignore one of the most important aspects (and greatest benefit) of online marketing – it is all about building relationships and gaining trust. What better way to do that than by building a personal brand in conjunction with a company brand? Thanks for the post!
Steve Farnsworth A.K.A. @Steveology
April 28, 2014
You are so right. I think executives are starting to understand it’s about communicating, but many are not and becoming more irrelevant by the day. Thanks for your kind comment, Lindsey.