6 Personal Branding Ideas for Executives

The article, "6 Personal Branding Ideas for Executives" is part of LinkedIn's Newsletter Series. To get weekly insights hit the "subscribe" button above. Parts of this article were first published in the Daily Herald Business Ledger.

Most executives do not actively manage their personal brands.

CEOs like Richard Branson of Virgin Group and Arianna Huffington of Thrive Global see the value and actively manage their digital presence. Branson’s 19.6 million followers on LinkedIn and Arianna’s 10.2 million followers fortify their influencer status and personal brand.

You don’t have to be a world-famous CEO to build a credible personal brand.

Executives Get Personal with Branding

When you Google yourself. What comes up? Are you happy with what you see? Welcome to a partial view of your personal brand truths, according to the internet.

If you don't like what you see, you will wait a long time for Google to replace it with more relevant descriptions. There is an algorithm for that.

When I was a new VP of Marketing, my CEO requested I alter some online content that mentioned him. Uh Oh! His request could only mean there was a problem.

He was quoted by a disreputable tech blogger. When you typed in the CEO's name, this blogger's posts were the first results seen by investors, partners, and potential customers. A black mark by association was the problem for the executive’s online reputation.

How could I repair this nonsense reference? It wasn’t as simple as burying the information with better coverage. The CEO's problem was not a quick fix. Building, cultivating, and refining a digital brand presence takes time and multiple communication forms.

There are no erasers for the internet.

The negative association faded over time with a little help from content marketing efforts displaying more current information.

Shape Your Personal Brand or Others Will

Most executives don't bother with crafting and managing their brand on LinkedIn or anywhere else online.

Your digital footprint can cultivate, ruin, or launch careers. Why not be intentional about it?

Many executives leave the responsibility for personal brand management to their PR department, yet the way you express yourself and the words you use to communicate are an important part of your public image.

Like the clothes you wear, the volunteer efforts you participate in, and the tone of your voice, you can take actions to refresh and revitalize your personal brand.

Why Executives Should Cultivate Their Personal Brand

Dan Schawbel is the managing partner of Workplace Intelligence and has written extensively on the topic of branding. He says,

“If you don’t take ownership of your online reputation, your Google results will speak for themselves.”

—Dan Schawbel

Another reason to focus on your brand is your perceived image will impact future career opportunities.

If you are in the C-Suite, your customers, partners, and investors will make decisions to work with you and your company based on your reputation.

What is Personal Branding for Executives?

When social media erupted as a business tool and marketing channels expanded, personal branding was defined by marketers and career developers. Schawbel refined the definition to "how we market ourselves to others."

While I was conducting a recent corporate personal branding workshop, one person offered,

"Branding is knowing who you are and who you are not."

You gotta love the simplicity of the words.

According to Gregory Wade, a senior executive leadership advisor,

"Executives can’t hide behind corporate walls and hope for the best. They must look within and determine their leadership stance, seeking out avenues that amplify their message, perspective and connection to what is meaningful."

—Gregory Wade

Parissa Behnia, an executive coach, has conducted research with C-level executives. She suggests an executive who knows herself will "crowdsource the team's intelligence" for the benefit of a company. She also believes ingredients of an individual's brand are evident long before they become an executive.

In his article, “Personal Blanding vs. Personal Branding,” Kevin D. Turner, personal brand strategist, offers the following interpretation. He also outlines compelling reasons for taking action within the definition.

“Personal branding is the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a more significant impact.”

—Kevin D. Turner

6 Personal Branding Ideas for Executives

Drawing from my experience as a personal branding workshop facilitator for organizations, and from the insights of personal branding experts,  here are specific suggestions:

1️⃣ Start now.

If you have neglected your brand presence, it's not too late. Your personal brand efforts are incremental. Your findable content gets better with age, thanks to search engine optimization (SEO) and chronicles the history of your work and ideas.

2️⃣ Be media savvy.

Say the right thing. And don't say the wrong thing. When you are interviewed by the media, keep your positive and authentic messages easily accessible so you are not caught in the danger territory of poorly chosen words and phrases.

Know how to respond in times of crisis and present yourself confidently. Noeleen McGrath, a former TV news journalist and executive presence coach helps leaders communicate confidently and convincingly in our increasingly virtual world.

As she says, “Most executives have already achieved a high level of professional success, but they aren't naturally GREAT communicators.”

3️⃣ Build your thought leadership from the inside out.

Craft intentional messages through self-awareness and behave in a consistent manner. Create memorable phrases that project a professional and positive image.

Reflect your corporate culture on issues like equitable hiring practices or actions that protect the environment if it aligns with your leadership.

Write industry articles about your point of view, speak at industry conferences, and participate in high-profile podcasts. Publish articles on LinkedIn, as they are indexed on Google and have far-reaching impact.

If you are not a writer, work with a ghost writer or speech writer who can interview you and generate content for you in the form of bylined articles and white papers. Your ghost writer can translate your thoughts into visible smart content.

And don't forget about video content. YouTube is the second largest search engine behind Google.

4️⃣ Complement the corporate brand and employer brand with your authentic personal brand.

Many executives do not realize the number of job seekers who reference LinkedIn to determine if the company is a place where they want to work.

The impact of these three types of branding—corporate, employer, and personal—will be amplified when integrated.

Design an outbound personal branding campaign for your public image. This is separate from your corporate marketing effort. Personal branding is an intentional marketing program for YOU.

5️⃣ Your brand is also defined from the outside in; what others think of you or hear about you.

You can't always control what is published by journalists, competitors, or other media. Stay the course with consistent words and behavior. A misquote will eventually fade away when more positive responses outweigh a negative incident.

Martha Stewart, the CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, demonstrated this when she managed her brand after spending time in prison for financial insider trading. Her comeback was stunning.

As mentioned earlier, the only way to help my former CEO outweigh negative online sentiment by a tech blogger was with a strategic personal branding content marketing blitz. The old messages were eventually buried.

6️⃣ Be in alignment with who you are.

We’ve all met executives whose behavior is consistent across venues. Consistency eliminates confusion. Your words need to be in alignment with your values.

And own up to your mistakes, rather than bury them. When a crisis arises, get in front of it, rather than hide from it.

And as Oscar Wilde suggested,

“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”

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