I’m sure we’ve all heard of brands before, and I’m almost certain that when someone mentions a brand, your first thought is about business (or corporate) branding. But there is more to branding than corporations; you also have your personal brand.
The differences between the two brands
A personal brand is a brand that is built around you. Your personal brand can be whatever you want it to be, represent you as you are now, or utilise it to change people’s perceptions of you. Your business can even be a part of your personal brand, making you look like an expert in your field.
A corporate brand is a brand that is specifically built around your business. It is how all your customers see your company. It represents how trustworthy and reliable your business is. It is all that your company stands for but is entirely separate from you.
Personal branding or corporate branding?
Now, this really depends on you. There are differences between the two brands, but that doesn’t mean one is necessarily better than the other. For example, if you have a lot of smaller businesses that you may not have the time to commit to fully, you may want to focus more on your personal brand. This way, you can bring attention to your many businesses. On the other hand, if you have a single business or a few that you would like to focus on, corporate branding may be for you.
If you opt-in for a more personal branding focus, it can be easier to promote and emphasise a wider range of things. Whether it’s a company or a product, you should highlight it.On the other hand, it means that you are put in the spotlight much more often than you would otherwise. This means that, due to your popularity, you would have to be much more careful about what you do and say online. If you post the wrong thing or say something that doesn’t agree with people, it could be very detrimental to your brand and everything affiliated with it.
Alternatively, a corporate branding focus can assist with building up a name and reputation or creating more business for a particular company. This method can be more attractive to those who would prefer to stay out of the limelight. Also, if you create a brand specific to a company, it can be more beneficial than using a personal brand to highlight it, as it offers greater personalization. It also enables you to create an identity for your company rather than yourself. Instead of everyone thinking that you are reputable, people will think that the company itself is reputable.
Having a great personal brand and having a great brand for your business are both very beneficial things to have. Whether one is better than the other, I really can’t say. Only you can decide which would be best for you.
