Outsourcing sounds familiar to most of you. It is something we usually mention in many of our discussions. In fact, I have mentioned outsourcing over 120 times before in our discussions. Outsourcing is something every entrepreneur or business person ought to be familiar with. It is one of the ways you can use to reduce or keep your operating costs minimal. Plus it helps you tap into expert pools that can streamline your work at reasonable costs. Not everything should be outsourced though. An example of such is personal branding. Here is why you should not outsource personal branding:
It Is About Building A Community Around Yourself (Especially Online)
Look at many examples of reputable personal brands. A global example is Elon Musk. In Zimbabwe, we have examples such as Tinashe Mutarisi. We also have other examples such as Strive Masiyiwa and Phillip Mataranyika. These are people who managed to build online communities around themselves. They did or do so by interacting with people online. They share their personal stories and provide invaluable insights on business.
They also interact with people in ways that anyone can relate to. The key highlight is that they do so themselves. When they make a post or a comment, it is them. It is that which makes many people follow and engage with them. All this shows the power behind building your personal brand yourself without outsourcing it.
The Way You Think Cannot Be Outsourced
As an individual, there are certain things that are unique to you. They can only be best enunciated by you. Examples of such things are your opinions, assertions, perspectives, beliefs, and so on. All these are central to personal branding. Especially when you tell personal stories those aspects come to the fore. You would not want someone to misrepresent what you think or stand for.
You would rather take ownership and be accountable yourself. You can never effectively let someone think and speak for you. Their own opinions, assertions, perspectives, and beliefs will bias what they think or say. No wonder why it is best that you do your own personal branding to avoid mishaps. It also helps in keeping your messaging consistent. Plus it makes it easy for your unique voice to be discernible.
You Infuse Your Personal Touch
When you build your own personal brand you infuse it with that personal touch. That personal touch is often intangible and cannot just be outsourced. For instance, you can be someone who is naturally funny and chatty. That is something that can appeal to people easily. Outsourcing can be difficult because it is inherent in you. When you are actively building your personal brand you get to present your face and who you are. This makes a huge impression on people because it shows you are not scared to expose yourself.
Many people find this as a premise to trust you. It usually means that you have nothing to hide. That access people can have to interact personally with you is a big deal. There are people who will rally behind your business and do word of mouth simply because of your accessible personal brand. Never underestimate the power of building a personal brand that is replete with your personal touch. Only you can effectively do that; not someone else.
Personal Brands Are Too Important To Be Left To Chance
The success of your business is strongly tied to your personal brand. Over 60 percent of people make purchase decisions based on personal brands. The same applies when someone is looking for a job. They are more likely to apply to companies whose personal brands are resonant. This shows just how important personal branding is. What usually make a personal brand resonate with someone are trustworthiness, authenticity, and relatability.
These are attributes that are best attained when one builds their personal brand personally. Given how important personal branding is you would want to do it yourself. Letting someone do it for you can be akin to leaving things to chance. Someone may not able to replicate the exact trustworthiness, authenticity, and relatability you bring as a person. You are better off being in charge and on top of things yourself.
Personal branding is not for a select few. Every entrepreneur or business person must strive to build a personal brand. This will build the much-needed trust of customers in you and your business. Ultimately it cements your business’ brand authority and reputation. Some studies have even shown that roughly 7 in every 10 people trust reputable personal brands. In 2023 make it a priority to build your personal brand. Just remember to not outsource that process; build your personal brand yourself.
