By Temi Ajibewa
Have you evefr felt lost in a crowd before? Or have you actively sought attention and visibility and could not get it because no one is listening to you or even looking in your direction?

Do you feel terrible that you have a brilliant and innovative business idea, but struggle to grow and succeed in that business? If your answer to any of the above is yes, you will be glad you’re reading this piece right now.

According to Statista, approximately 333.34 million businesses worldwide have an online presence, and over 39 million businesses are in Nigeria.

Having your business online doesn’t mean you are setting yourself up for success. The digital world is now more crowded than before, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic that caused the whole world to be managed online.

While many businesses have gone into extinction, others are invisible struggling to stay afloat. Personal branding is the bridge that moves you from being invisible to influential as a business owner.

What is Personal Branding?

Personal branding is the deliberate and intentional effort you put to shape your public perception, either as a professional or an entrepreneur, by positioning yourself as an authority in your industry, thereby increasing your credibility and distinguishing yourself from the crowd to advance your business.

Personal branding, unlike corporate branding, focuses on you as the face of the business making it more trustworthy.

Why Personal Branding is Important for Women Entrepreneurs

As a professional or an entrepreneur in the marketplace, having an online presence is the first way to build a personal brand. I started my online business in 2014 by launching a course called, The Millionaire Housewife Course, where I trained women on profitable online businesses they could do from home.

This course has impacted over 10,000 women globally, not because it’s a good course but because of the personal brand I built around the business – Temi, The Millionaire Housewife brand.

“Personal branding is the art of becoming knowable, likeable and trustable.” – John Jantsch.

If you want to stop being invisible and become influential in your business industry, all you have to do is BE DIFFERENT. Why should you be different?

Being different gives you authority, credibility, and trust.

No one would listen to you if you’re not an authority in your business, especially in Nigeria, where industries are overly saturated. Hence you have to showcase your expertise by sharing your knowledge, offering training and mentorship, or investing in public relations.

For example, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of the World Trade Organization, became a globally recognized figure in the financial industry through her unique contributions, thereby being an inspiration to many women worldwide.

Being different sets you apart in a saturated market.
Remember my introductory question? Most industries are already saturated. Thousands of people are doing the business you intend to do or are doing already, but personal branding will be your only distinguishing factor.

You have to put “you” into your business to differentiate it from the rest. As Seth Godin stated in his book Purple Cow, “Being safe is risky. Being remarkable is safe.” Your personal brand is what will make you remarkable in your industry.

Being different will help you attract the right audience.

Just as Zig Ziglar said, “If people like you, they will listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.” Personal branding enhances your visibility, positions you as an authority in your industry and increases your Know, Like, and Trust factor amongst your audience, which will, in turn, make them patronize your business.

Being different will help you attract good and unique opportunities
When you become influential in your business through personal branding, opportunities like speaking engagements, brand ambassadorship, global partnership etc., will come knocking at your door, whether you’re in Nigeria or the United States.

You will become a source of inspiration to others.

When you intentionally build your personal brand, you cease to be the sole beneficiary. As you become influential in your business, you serve as a source of inspiration to other people in your industry, thereby empowering them for success. This is a big deal if you’re legacy-driven.

Ibukun Awosika, the first female Chairperson of First Bank Nigeria, and the matron of Entrepreneurial Excellence and Leadership in Nigeria, has been able to inspire and uplift millions of women all over the world through her personal brand by sharing her story of grit, growth and excellence at different classes and conferences she hosts.

She encourages women to discover themselves, build their brand, pursue leadership roles, and break societal barriers through her mentorship programs, speeches and platforms. It is an understatement that she is a source of inspiration to so many women across the globe.

You Can Build an Influential Brand in Three Easy Steps
In the course of my career as a personal brand coach for women, I designed a 3-step formula called the 3C Framework. That is Clarify, Create, and Curate.

Step 1: Clarify
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle. You cannot build on something you don’t know about. Hence, to build your personal brand, it’s important to start the foundation by asking yourself questions that reveal your personality and what you want your personal brand to represent.

These questions include:

Who am I?: This speaks of your purpose in life and the kind of business you want to build. It encapsulates your core values, passions, and the unique contributions you aim to make in the world through your business.

What is my core message?: This means what is the message you want people to associate with your brand? When they think about you, what should come to their minds?

Who are my people?: This refers to your target audience. It defines the community or demography you want to serve, those who resonate with your mission, values, and the solutions you provide.

What is my solution?: This should outline the expertise, tools, or strategies your business will provide to help others overcome the challenges you’ve mastered.

Step 2: Create
It’s time to create a personal brand that will transform your online business. You can do this by doing these:

Create your solution framework: This is your unique way or method of delivering the solutions you want your business to offer. Start by identifying the key steps or stages your clients will need to go through to achieve their desired outcome and then highlight the steps they need to get there. These steps make up your solution framework.

Create your intangible and tangible brand elements:

Your intangible brand elements are your brand vision, brand mission, brand goals, brand message, and Unique Selling Propositions (USP) and so on.

While your tangible brand elements are your brand logo, brand colours, typography, brand imagery, brand voice and tone, website design, business cards, brand packaging, social media platforms, etc. They should all be concise, authentic, and reflective of your core strengths, values, and passions.

Create your brand channels: Becoming influential through personal branding requires you to show up on social media. Hence, you need to pick a specific platform where you feel your target audience is and showcase your business there.

When I started my online business years ago, I didn’t just want to establish myself as a Business Coach, but I wanted to build an influential brand.

I knew I had a lot of impactful messages that would transform lives, build systems, and make me successful in the business, but I didn’t have the audience. So, I started building my brand from scratch, and today, I can boast of running a 6-figure influential business that would transcend me, students from over 40 countries and a community of loyal people from across the world on different social media platforms.

Step 3: Curate

This step simply means professionally organizing how people perceive you. To move from invisibility to influence, you need to show up online like an authority in your business. Beyond the logos, professional pictures or selling strategies, you need to be conscious of your communication style, online representation, and professional interactions.

The following strategies will help in your curation process:

Niche down: What specific sector of the industry do you want to uniquely position your business to serve? You need to identify and focus on a specific set of people who have particular needs or interests that align with your business expertise, values, and solutions.

Publish authority-building content: Position yourself as an authority in your business by creating valuable content. Share your journey, challenges, and triumphs to create a genuine connection with your audience through storytelling. This will enhance your brand’s visibility, credibility, and influence.

Leverage public relations and social proofs: Solidify your influence in your business sector by engaging with media outlets, securing speaking opportunities, and participating in your industry events to promote your brand’s message and reach. Also, sharing testimonials, recognitions, and product reviews will increase your influence as a personal brand.

News flash: Personal branding is no longer optional, it’s of great importance if you want to succeed in your online business. It is the difference between staying invisible and growing influential. It takes determination, dedication, consistency and patience to successfully grow your online business through personal branding.

It is known that professional and entrepreneurial women in Nigeria and across the world have untapped potential to greatly influence their sectors. Personal branding is the ticket to a life and business of visibility, credibility and income.

“Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability.” – Jason Hartman. Take the step to start building your personal brand today because the world is waiting to benefit from your expertise and influence.
Temi Ajibewa is an award-winning and highly sought-after transformational speaker, Online Business Advocate, Personal Brand Monetization Coach, and Digital Wealth Creation Strategist.

As a US-government Recognized Individual With Extraordinary Abilities since 2022, Temi works as an expert in the strategic, tactical, and transactional aspects of sales and marketing, development and implementation of policies, programs, practices, and frameworks that support organizational growth in her company, Win Or Win international LLC.