Some people naturally show up, front and center, in their brand. Others prefer pushing their business and their products to the forefront. Neither is right or wrong. What we’re talking about is the difference between personal branding and corporate branding. And if you’re contemplating which fits you and your business best, it’s important to understand how they differ and get a feel for how to incorporate one or the other or both.
Personal vs. Corporate
Usually when we think of “corporate” we’re thinking of major Fortune 500 companies. Boeing, Bank of America, Banana Republic. But corporate branding doesn’t mean you have a massive empire with thousands of employees. It simply means that you are leading with your business.
It means that your personal life takes a back seat to products and that your content isn’t focused on you.
On the other hand, personal branding is fairly self-explanatory, but it also comes with some misconceptions. Developing a personal brand doesn’t mean you’re necessarily in the influencer game and that every post is a selfie. It just implies that your story and perspective will be a more intricate part of your strategy.
In truth, there is room for both corporate and personal branding in just about every business, but the nature of your brand can help you decide.
Type of Product
A major part of the direction you take will have to do with what you’re selling. If, for example, you’re a coach who works one-on-one with clients, sells courses, and earns a living from speaking engagements, a personal brand is an absolute must. People need to get comfortable with who you are before they can decide to pay you for your time.
On the flip side, if you are a web design team, your content should be focused on adding value from the perspective of a company, insights into the team culture, and client highlights.
The quickest and easiest question you can ask yourself is: Am I an essential part of my product?
Obviously, no matter what you sell, you play a major role in the production and distribution. But can that process happen without your face and voice? Is your personality and talent vital to your product or service’s selling power?
Sometimes your involvement will be undeniable. If you are in an ambiguous position though where you can go either way, and it becomes a question of want. Do you want to be audience-facing? Do you feel your story adds to the interest in your brand? Do you feel like you’d be forcing yourself into a role you don’t really enjoy?
While it may feel like personal branding is all the rage, it’s okay to be a business owner who doesn’t form their whole business around their personal life. The choice is ultimately yours. In that case, we’d totally recommend layering a personal brand on top of the corporate one.
Tools for Each
The reason it’s important to decide which direction suits you more is because there are different tools and strategies for each side of the coin.
As a personal brand, you may:
- Go live on IGTV
- Require a lot more brand photoshoots
- Engage in PR by being interviewed
On the flip side, a corporate brand might be more interested in:
- Facebook advertising
- Email marketing
- Getting product reviews
There’s also ways to blend the two if you decide a mix is what works best for your brand. You can:
- Demonstrate your product by using it yourself on a YouTube channel
- Create a Pinterest page that features your favorite lifestyle products as well as your own
- Showcase your services/skills through a podcast
Examples
The Fixer Upper host has become the Oprah of home renovations. With her show, her shop, her product lines, her magazine and her big brand partnerships, Joanna Gaines and the Magnolia brand are a perfect blend of corporate and personal branding.
Her smiling face and her sweet Texas personality have become as much a staple of the business as her modern farmhouse vibes. The personal and the corporate brand weave and intermingle and overlap in such a seamless way.
Sometimes an entire brand is built around the person who created it. Their name, their likeness, their energy is completely one with the brand. As is the case with MHN. Her music, inspirational, designed graphics, shop of products and poetry book are as beautiful as they are uplifting. And her own story plays a vital role in her brand. This brand simply couldn’t be without
One of our Desert Dwellers Podcast guests, Jessica Helgeson, sees salt totally differently and her high-quality Fleur de Sal takes center stage all the way! While we think her story and her personality are awesome, it’s definitely a quiet undertone to her product. Her gorgeous, craft seasonings and the food they pair with are the real stars making her business more of a corporate branding strategy that still has a ton of heart.
Corporate can feel like a dirty word to small businesses… but when it comes to corporate branding, what we really mean is product-first branding. And if you’re a camera-shy introvert, personal branding can sound like torture, but in truth, you can still have a very personal brand without plastering your face on everything.
The important part is figuring out which one you are or how you’re going to blend the two so that you can tackle your strategic goals with intention and direction.
This was such a helpful breakdown. It looks like IGTVs and photo shoots in my future. Thank you!