Who are you? No, really, who are you? If I Google your name what will I find out about you?  Will the search results pull up your professionally designed blog that will tell me all about you or will it pull up those embarrassing photos you took at that party? Worse, will nothing come up at all?

The internet has integrated itself deeply into the fabric of life. So much so that people are turning to search engines and social media outlets to find out information about businesses and individuals. If the wrong information comes up or, worse, no information at all, then your prospective clients may hesitate to do business with you. This hesitation can cause you to lose business to a competitor who has put in the time and effort into their business and personal brand.

It is a common misconception amongst small and independent business owners that personal and business branding is only for the “big guys”. Maybe at one point in time that was true but I can safely say that is no longer the case. The internet has leveled the playing field and provided anyone with a dream and the willingness to work a way to build a successful business. As a consequence the marketplace is chock full of people trying to get the attention of prospects and the only way to be heard above the noise is to brand yourself so that your prospective clients remember you when they think about your particular industry.

For example, a real estate agent who takes the time to cultivate a personal brand as an expert in the real estate industry will sell more homes than a person who doesn’t. This is because when people need help buying or selling a home, they will go to the person who has demonstrated that they have the knowledge, skills, and solutions they are seeking. Think about it. When you need help with a problem, who are you going to turn to? Someone who has proven to you that they know what they are talking about or someone who says they do but you have no way of knowing for certain.

Business and personal branding is not as difficult as it may first seem and anyone who has a business should have a strategy in place for doing it. The easiest way is to start a blog and to begin writing articles about the industry topics that are important to your clients. Not only should these articles provide information that your prospects can use to make good decisions, they should also position you as a knowledgeable expert in your field.

Business owners aren’t the only ones who need to have a personal and business branding strategy in place. Even if you are employed, you need to take steps to build a personal brand for yourself outside of your job. The world is gradually switching over to a freelance mentality which means rather than being “employed” by a company you will be “hiring yourself out” to the business that offers the most benefits in exchange for your skill set.

Read the rest of this entry from guest author Debbie Russell»