Decisions regarding your brand are often very personal and can have a big impact on your business. When it comes to the choice between personal branding vs business branding, you’ll want to consider the advantages and disadvantages before making a move.
Of course, there are times when personal and business branding work together beautifully. In these circumstances, you won’t need to choose one over the other. Rather, you can strengthen your brand by leveraging audiences from both sides.
Let’s dive in to learn more about personal branding vs business branding.
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What Is Personal Branding?
Personal branding is any action that attempts to establish and influence public perception of an individual. This can be done by positioning them as an authority in their industry, promoting their personal achievements, and building a reputation based on goals and values that differentiate them from the competition.
One of my favorite examples of a personal brand is Gary Vaynerchuk. While he operates a very successful media company with its own business branding, Gary has established a wildly popular brand for himself as well. Entrepreneurs look to him for business advice when trying to build and grow their own companies.
Advantages of Personal Branding
- People trust people more than they trust brands, so a personal brand can have a bigger impact on the behaviors and decisions of the audience
- The opportunity to share personal stories strengthens the business brand by making both sides feel more relatable
- Personal brands can take audiences with them if they pivot to another venture or business
Disadvantages of Personal Branding
- Pivoting to another venture or business can confuse the audience
- Maintaining a personal brand demands additional time and energy, otherwise it loses the equity built over time
- Personal brands have a reflection on associated businesses, so communication needs to remain in sync with company-related messaging
What Is Business Branding?
Business branding is any action that attempts to establish and affect public perception of a business. This can be done by communicating the brand purpose and values, developing visuals and messaging associated with the brand, positioning it as an authority in the industry, and promoting its accomplishments.
Advantages of Business Branding
- Branding for a business can be done by more than one person, so the work can get done whether you’re there or not
- The audience may be more wide-reaching than that of a personal brand, depending on the history of the business
- Business branding is more high-level and doesn’t depend on the same level of transparency that makes a personal brand successful
Disadvantages of Business Branding
- People trust brands less than they trust people
- It can be more difficult for businesses to stand out than it is for individual people
- Since it’s less personal, the branding that’s done for businesses may be more susceptible to competition and customer churn
Examples of Personal and Business Brands Working Together
If you’re not sure which to choose — personal branding vs business branding — perhaps you can use both. Here are some examples of this exact approach:
Dr. Paul Ekman / Paul Ekman Group
Paul Ekman Group literally wouldn’t be what it is without Dr. Paul Ekman, the world’s expert on emotions and co-founder of micro expressions. While the Group promotes the research of Dr. Ekman, and the training programs based on that research, Dr. Ekman also leverages personal branding to reach another audience that’s incredibly engaged.
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Gary Vaynerchuk / VaynerX and Many, Many Other Businesses
Gary Vaynerchuk has a personal brand that’s quite possibly more recognizable than those of his multiple businesses, and that’s because his personal approach to entrepreneurship is what created successful organizations in the first place. Business starters and owners seek the advice of Mr. Vaynerchuk because of his accomplishments, yet his personal brand supports what has happened — and will continue to happen — with his companies.
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Learn More About Branding
To learn more about how to create a brand, and personal branding vs business branding, check out Simplilearn’s Digital Strategy for Brand Marketing Course. You or your team can learn how to strategize by working on real-world case studies, lesson-end quizzes, and more.
