Last week we talked about brand consistency and focused on how to create alignment across all channels. This week we are going to dive a little deeper on the topic and explore how to ensure that the personal brand you put out there aligns with your business brand. 

As small business owners, who we are as individuals very often become intertwined with the brand of the business. Our opinions, our personality, the way we speak, act, and perhaps even the way we fidget all connect back to our business. The line is pretty thin between our personal brand and our business brand, which means we really need to be on top of our personal brands. 

There is a strong chance that the values you set out for your business align with values that you hold as an individual. This means that it shouldn’t be too far of a stretch to assume that your personal brand lines up with your business in that department. But this might not always be the case. Which means… 

Check Your Values Alignment 

Before setting forth on polishing up that personal brand, do a quick check on how your personal values match with those of your business. Literally write them out in two columns. It’ll look like this: 

Spend a few minutes and write out your own list. What did you find? Was it aligned, or was it way off? On the chance it is way off, you need to ask yourself a hard question: Do my daily interactions I have with others have a positive or negative impact on my business? 

This takes us to our next step… 

Check In On Your Personal Social Media  

There is a strong line between the people who use their personal social media for business and those who don’t. We’re not going to argue either side of this, as we firmly believe it’s a personal decision. That being said, we also know that interaction on our personal social media accounts can be seen and judged by external audiences, including our target audiences. Let’s be real for a second here; if you found a small business that you wanted to know more about, wouldn’t you Google the owner as well as the company? We know we sure would. 

So that takes us back to the question “Do my daily interactions have a positive or negative impact on my business?” 

How can you answer this? Take a look at the posts, images, and content that you share. From the lens of your ideal client, would they be satisfied with what they saw, or would they start to feel a little doubt about engaging in your product or service? We’ve heard the argument before “But it’s MY social media account! I can post whatever I want there!” The argument doesn’t stick in todays online world though. The line between personal and business activity online is blurry when it’s publicly accessible information. If you put it out there, you cannot expect privacy and separation. 

(Next week we’re going to be talking about cleaning up your digital presence, so be sure to check back for it!) 

Boost Up Your Personal Brand 

Everything you do lends to your personal brand. Intentional actions and unintentional actions. We love the quote “If you’re not branding yourself, you can be sure others do it for you.” The quote comes from an unknown source, but we think it’s gold. It’s a great reminder that we need to be mindful of the impact of our actions. 

We’ve got 5 quick ways that you can boost up your personal brand to help you stay aligned with your business brand. 

1. Use your authentic voice 
2. Embrace your imperfections 
3. Identify your uniqueness and strengths and don’t be afraid to talk about them 
4. Be a good listener 
5. Remember to view yourself from the lens of those you interact with 

Personal brand as a business truly ties into our business brand. The decision to make the connection between two and seek alignment is yours to make, but always be mindful that social media puts us in the spotlight, even if we don’t intend it to. 

Curious how your brand is stacking up these days? Check out our post from last week to learn how you can clean up your brand.