There has been a lot written about personal branding. Not so long ago, I wrote a blog about branding through leadership, and today I'm writing one more.

Why is it important to be intentional about your personal branding, you ask?

Because as an entrepreneur, especially a service-based one, you're also your business' brand. Your actions, services you provide to your customers, and how you behave create that brand. And even if you're selling someone else's products, your interactions with customers, posts on social media, and other behaviors represent you and the brand you're selling. All of this combined attracts (or deters) your ideal clients.

That's why today, I'd like to share with you three key strategies that'll help your personal brand not only stand out but also your ideal clients fall in love with it.

Tell an Intentional Story

Intentionally or not, whatever marketing content you put out to the world to make your business visible, you're telling a story. And not only through each individual piece of content but also cumulatively over time.

So, if put yourself in your ideal audience shoes and look back at all the pieces of content you have put out even this year. Look from their perspective.

What do you see?

• Does it portray what you stand for?
• Are you showing up consistently in places accessible to your ideal audience?
• Does it bring value to them?
• What type of person do you see emerging from this story?
• Is it what you intended it to be?

Once you look back, you'll get an idea of what your personal brand is shaping to be. If you LOVE it, your audience will too. If not, then maybe now it's the time when you become intentional on what stories you tell. And if you know what you want to portray but not sure how, then this blog on writing stories will help you. Click here to read more.

Let Your Clients Tell a Story

There are no better stories than those that your happy clients tell about you. They're not only the lifeline of your business but also the best storytellers, marketers, and advocates of what you're all about. That's why word of mouth from a delighted customer is such a powerful growth tool. Giving them all the material they need to prase you is your primary role as a business owner.

So, think about what you do to nurture your clients:

• Do you continually provide them with value?
• Do you have strong relationships with them?
• Are you making it easy for them to do business with you?
• Do you take 100% responsibility and being of service to them?
• Do you stay true to your values?

When your clients feel nurtured, loved, and cared for, you won't need to ask for them to spread a word about you and your business. They will be doing it on their own, reinforcing your personal brand and spreading your story faster than you can yourself.

Grow and Let Your Story Grow with You

I wouldn't be true to what I stand for if I didn't mention anything here about your growth and personal development 😊. One of my values is excellence. Excellence is doing the best you can with what you have now. It's a willingness to put yourself out there even though you'll make mistakes along the way. Excellence is taking the mistakes as learning opportunities and also being proactive about your growth. It's knowing that to be more valuable to the clients and grow your business, you need to above all invest in yourself.

And with all that, as you grow, your story will grow with you. Let it. Don't hold back. You don't need to be perfect, day 1. Personal branding should and will follow your personal development; that's when it truly tells a story.

As human beings, we love stories.

Everything we relate to evolves around storytelling. Stories bring out emotions, and that's how we remember things best. Every day you write your own unique story: in life and business. Because there is no one else in this world like you, make it intentional, consistent with what you stand for, and always growing. That's how you'll stand out and create a personal brand that your ideal audience falls in love with.