Did you know that 44% of a company’s market value is directly related to the CEO’s personal brand, according to a study by Weber Shandwick?
Perhaps one of the most poignant examples of the power that CEO personal branding has on business value was when Tesla stock plummeted after Elon Musk smoked a joint on a live TV show back in 2018.
To give a more positive example of B2B leadership personal branding, we can look at Gary Vaynerchuk who has built multiple successful businesses based on his own personal branding.
As we enter the era of CEOs solidly being viewed as influencers, companies who want to move the needle must start paying more attention to personal branding.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the potential benefits of embracing executive branding:
Increased company value and profits
Boosted thought-leadership and reputation
Differentiation within the marketplace
Greater media coverage
Attracts more aligned, high-quality talent at all levels
With today’s technologies, almost everyone has everything they need to cultivate a powerful personal brand in their pocket. However, for leaders who are relatively new to the limelight, the most common sticking point they face is actually putting themselves out there.
While the following are all understandable concerns, we have some simple counter-arguments to give you the inspiration you need to get started!
If you’re worried about being judged - you will be judged regardless of whether you put yourself out there or not, so why not take the chance?
If you’re unsure what to publish - create a robust strategy that outlines your core values, mission and target audiences. This will be the backbone of your personal communication plan. If this still seems like a stretch, then why not try “documenting” your thoughts as you go about your day rather than “creating content”?
If you’re too busy - then delegate or outsource the content planning process to a trusted team member or agency, but maintaining control of posting so you can stay in control of your own authentic voice.
In closing, your business may be B2B, but people really do business with people. This is why personal branding should be a top priority for your leadership team this year.
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Could your company’s leadership team benefit from a robust personal branding strategy? Get in touch with Philip Martin to discover how DMA Partners can help you and your core team members shine online: philip.martin@dma-partners.com.