In the ever-evolving world of business, a new trend is taking shape among C-level executives: the rapid development of their personal brands. This shift, as highlighted in a recent article by the Wall Street Journal's CMO Today, underscores a strategic move where personal branding is no longer a vanity project but a crucial part of professional growth and company success.
A survey by the CMO Council, encompassing 186 executives, reveals a striking statistic: 80% of marketing leaders are actively nurturing their personal brands, with a majority planning to invest even more resources. This trend goes beyond mere self-promotion, often serving as an innovative way to market their companies. This comes at a time where we're seeing a shift in consumer sentiment away from brand-based storytelling, looking towards the people behind a brand and their authentic identity.
The creation of a strong personal brand and creating compelling content are generally not a DIY affair for executives who are busy running their businesses. In addition to trying to define their personal narrative strategy, creating high value content with authenticity and consistency takes thousands of hours of work. The growing demand for personal branding has led to an increase in the use of ghostwriters and third-party firms.
The movement towards personal branding among executives isn't just about staying relevant. It reflects a deeper understanding that a strong personal brand can dramatically enhance a company's image and consumer engagement. 2023 data reveals that content shared from exec's personal accounts almost always sees significantly more engagement than those from company accounts. This increased visibility not only boosts company marketing and sales efforts but also plays a key role in talent acquisition and retention. Consumers are looking for people behind the brand they can trust and give their money to. Social is one of the first places new consumers look when trying to understand if they want to trust a brand.
It's critical for brand leaders to figure out their target audience and purpose of their personal brand. For some, a laser focus on being a niche thought leader is the most compelling and effective way to build a rich personal brand that will build trust and authority around their products. For others, blending the strengths of professional with lifestyle content can dramatically vault reputation and show a creator's values and unique personality. With the younger generation of executives and entrepreneurs turning to platforms like Instagram and TikTok and building signifiant followings, it's important now more than ever for executives and business leaders to take advantage of these platforms and brand building opportunities.
For most execs that are busy building a business and focused on their day-to-day job, working with a brand building partner to seamless and efficiently build their audience on social platforms that make sense for their business goals. From building strategic vision, to copywriting, to video production and amplification, majority of the work can leverage a brand partner to build an authentic brand without all of the legwork.
