Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Manuela Šola, owner and director of Abrakadabra Integrirane Komunikacije
Today, as never before, it is vital that every CEO has a firm grasp on what the process of branding really entails. The relationships portrayed in The Mad Men series are ancient history due to the advent of social media, which today influence and in some cases shape corporate strategy decisions. Thus your products or services are not the only things that need promotion, you also need to promote yourselves, especially if you are the CEO.
The CEO is one of the most important tools for company promotion these days. Users, buyers, clients desire a more personal connection with the brands they love, so it is important that brands have a human face. This makes so-called CEO branding the new corporate branding and it manifests itself through public relations, appearances in public and in the media, philanthropy, speaking opportunities at conferences, relations with employees and communication on social media. Therefore, it is important to define your mission, live it every single day, sustain a positive image in public and promote your achievements, especially if you are the CEO. Nowadays this is crucial for differentiating brands and companies. CEO’s reputation is something your clients take into consideration long before they contact you for collaboration.
In our business, what we usually deal with is perception – some companies are perceived as big and old-fashioned, others are perceived as modern and forward. But this perception is usually based on our opinion, rather than in-depth analysis. And this opinion usually appertains to the most prominent person in the company.
Personal and brand image
Perhaps this will lead you to conclude that corporate image is intrinsically linked to CEO image. This is not entirely wrong. The news of managers changing the companies they work for is always a big issue because some of them have become “brands” themselves.
Maybe you are in that position right now, or maybe you aspire to it. The following are tips and tricks on how to better yourself in what you are doing. These tools may be useful for your business and personal growth. Once you get to know them, you will never look at them in the same way.
What tools are we talking about?
Social media
Have you ever googled yourself? If you have, what were the results? Most likely the first results that came up were your social media accounts – Linkedin, maybe even Facebook. The same is true for everyone. Regardless of your social status, whether you are in the media eye a lot or not, social media accounts will be the first results that come up in your search. The reason is simple – social media channels are optimised for search (yes, this is the infamous SEO).
Your LinkedIn and Facebook pages are extremely important. People check them to see who you are and what you do … your partners, employers, employees and so on. A lot more goes on here than meets the eye.
Ask yourself the following:
- What if my LinkedIn page was the only thing that people judged me by, would they get a clear picture of who I really am?
- Does my company have a social media policy? (if not, it is advisable to initiate drawing one up.)
- How am I utilising my LinkedIn page for personal promotion and learning – am I posting relevant content, am I a member of groups where I am able to learn something, am I following the companies that my company works with…
Avoid this pitfall. The fact that we have social media accounts does not mean we are using them the right way. Get informed, seek advice. Perhaps your company could benefit from education in this field. Do not lose this opportunity to position yourselves the right way.
Blog
I am sure that many of you are rolling your eyes just reading this and thinking “who will write it?”, “who will read it?”, “what is the point of having a blog?” Many business people will find a reason not to write a blog, but a blog is one of the most significant tools you have at your disposal to build your own brand.
A blog on your corporate page is an excellent means of communication – but you have to know what the purpose and desired effect of writing it is beforehand. A company blog drives visits to your website, providing you keep refreshing the content. A blog also helps to establish your authority in the industry your company belongs to. Of course, all of this is true provided that the content you are producing is interesting and useful to those reading it.
Invest time and effort in your blog. Bear in mind that it takes time to build your brand, as well as strategy and planning. Plot your strategy wisely, be sure it is market oriented – know at all times what kind of brand you want to build. To what extent does your personal brand need to be intertwined with the corporate brand?
Never forget that the internet “remembers” every single detail and piece of information about you.
Attending conferences
Why is this relevant? While you are giving your lecture, someone in the audience might come to the realisation that they want to do business with you or decide to look into your company as a potential partner. It doesn’t matter whether you are working for a small or large company, finding time to attend conferences as speakers and panel members is worthwhile.
Conferences are great for networking, positioning, exchanging ideas and gathering useful information.
The same applies to college lectures – those listening to you will perceive you as an expert and practitioner, instead of merely a theorist. The positive image of the lecturer usually affects the company in a positive way.
Media relations
Media presence is the ultimate goal of every CEO and manager since the media are the best tool for promoting oneself. Still, not everyone can be in the media. What can you do about it?
What you can do once the opportunity does come along is to be cooperative – be as concrete as possible, try to be interesting, avoid long and artificial answers. Respect deadlines. Treat journalists the best you can. Think what you would do if you were that journalist – if you could choose, wouldn’t you choose to work with a person who respects you and makes your job easier.
Networking
Do not forget how important it is to build a network of friends and acquaintances. You can be at the top of your respective field, but if you do not throw basic networking abilities into the mix your brand will never reach its full capacity.
In addition to strength, your network gives you the gift of real time information. Information does not spread in a linear manner, but trickles down and spreads through the network. This means that we can never know how far or whom our information reaches.
Therefore, create and expand your network… and be sure to have your calling card with you at all times (and plenty of them :) ).
Last, but not least, when building your personal brand it is crucial that you are authentic and that you position yourself in accordance with your brand. In the long run, you cannot pretend to be something you are not. Therefore, communicate honestly and be consistent.