The Power of Branding

CHANELLE SEGERIUS-BRUCE is an online entrepreneur who lives in South Africa and runs a very successful coaching business. She understands the true POWER OF BRANDING and shares here how to really build your brand in a busy and demanding online space.

The ongoing priority to remember (even though it sounds obvious!) is the fact that in the online world, your prospective clients aren’t meeting you in person so it’s imperative your personal branding is strong enough for them to feel connected to you and feel they know you without meeting you.

Your personal branding is what will attract new clients to you, help people to like and trust you in order to sell you and your services- it’s how you’ll stand out and be memorable.

“Share your quirks, your likes and dislikes because people will remember these things. When I shared that I gave up coffee for 6-months to tackle anxious feelings I was having and how much it helped, people remembered it for ages!”

What can you share that may seem insignificant to you but will actually stick in the minds of your followers?

More than ever people are craving human connection. In a hyper-connected world, we’re more distracted than ever before.

Think about it, when’s the last time somebody really listened to you? If you can hold space for people, make them feel heard and understood, genuinely, then you’ll create long-lasting relationships that will turn into people wanting to work with you when you put out an offer.

We all do business with people we know, like and trust and the best way to create that connection is to show up on video.

It’s the closest thing to speaking in-person. Live streaming shows your personality, gives value and pulls back the curtain on your life and business to reveal the real ‘you’ behind the business.

Remember that people love a behind-the-scenes peek..that’s why reality shows are so popular!

So it’s not all about glossy branding pictures (which, as a professional photographer,  I love by the way!) – but about balance and real-life too.

Your aim is to be the brand that attracts who you want to work with, so show up as you.  Don’t pretend to be somebody else or copy what others do but step into that next-level and embody the kind of business-owner you want to be with the personal brand you aspire to.

Step up and be the person you envision yourself as a year from now

If you think your life is “too boring for Instagram” then maybe it’s time to design your days, weeks and months a little more creatively!

Learn to see the beauty in the everyday. Document what you do and take people on a journey of your personal growth, business growth – throw in a few fun lifestyle pieces too.

Living on Brand

If you’re all about freedom and creating a business that affords you more time off that you had in your 9-5, ask yourself are you really living it?

Are you doing what you set out to do in the first place?

Do you live on brand?

What are your core values that you believe in and want to live by?

Where are you not doing it and how can you improve?

Do this without judgment of yourself – or others for that matter. Nobody is perfect but examine what you do for the majority of the time and make sure it’s in alignment with what you stand for as a brand and as a person.

Are you being genuine?

The word authenticity is banded about a lot these days.

Think about how genuine you’re being with your communication, interactions?

You can’t flick a switch and be a different person in your everyday life vs. your business persona. There’s no point either – there’s no hiding online! People will see straight through it.

 Build a brand, leave a legacy

Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. It goes far beyond a logo and pretty colours.

So to stay in people’s minds, show up consistently, tell your story and demonstrate how you can help. Guide, teach, share and inspire through your content (writing, images and video) Get people emotionally involved in who you are and what you stand for and what you care about in this world.

That’s the power of your brand.

Chanelle’s background is in the design departments of top international advertising agencies including Versace, D&G and Vogue, as well as for world-famous photographer, Mario Testino.  Her global wedding photography business ran in the UK for 10 years. She was highly published and also commissioned by You & Your Wedding Magazine.

Having worked in the Caribbean for 2 years, Chanelle launched a social media marketing company and trained as a coach, moved back to South Africa in 2015 and  built a 6-figure coaching business with an enviable lifestyle. She coaches women across the globe to create entrepreneurial,  freedom-based, business lifestyles.

https://segeriusbrucecoaching.com