Last week, I changed my Instagram profile picture from my logo to a photo of myself. It might seem trivial, but it was a big deal (at least to me). I should’ve made this change a long time ago, because my goal was never just to be a business, it was to be a brand.
What is a brand (vs. a business)?
Business:
A person, company, or organization that sells a product, and that’s basically it.
Brand:
An image, personality, emotion, and experience.
Pretty simple, right? But what does that all mean and why does it matter?
A brand has a mission and impact that goes farther than any product ever will. A brand is long term and can grow or change over time. A brand creates an experience that can sell far better than your product by itself.
Why You Need to be the Face of Your Brand
I bet you’re wondering why you need to be the face of your brand… The answer to this is simple: to humanize it.
Humanizing your brand creates trust, which adds value. When it comes time to sell your next product, it’ll be much easier if your audience is already connected to you and your brand. If you create that relationship and brand experience, people know they’re buying more than just a product.
How to Brand Yourself
This part isn’t as complicated as you think. To humanize your brand, you just need to add a little more “you” into the way you’re showing up. Here’s four main
Show your face.
Change your profile picture to your face, record yourself talking on your Instagram Stories, and post photos of yourself in your feed. A good rule of thumb is that you should be visible in one of your most recent nine photos on Instagram. That’s not so bad is it?
I know you’re thinking of all the reasons why you don’t want to show up on camera. Whatever your insecurity is, I get it, and so does 99% of the population… but do it anyway. Be honest, be genuine, and be open with others and I promise you, good will come of it. Someone out there needs to hear what you have to say today. Someone out there is going through what you are. Someone out there might be waiting to hear you talk about how excited you are about your next launch. Don’t be afraid to show up, people are waiting for you and they need to hear what you have to say.
Use your caption.
Instagram is all about beautiful photos, but do not underestimate your caption. Photos might be pretty, but captions are the heart of Instagram. Use your caption to tell a story, share a challenge you’re facing, or say what’s really happening behind the scenes. This is your opportunity for someone to slow down their scroll, stop for a moment and say “I needed that.”
Find a few things that you love.
It could be your dog, another hobby you have, or your favorite food – but pick three things and tell your audience about them. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. My thing is whales. I LOVE whales and I talk about them all the time. People will remember that before they remember what yarn I used in my latest post. It’s the coolest thing in the world when someone sends me a photo of something whale-related because it reminded them of me. It doesn’t really matter what it is, as long as it’s something you love. Once you decide on a few things, share them in your bio, your stories, or your captions!
Put yourself in your audience’s shoes.
Before you post anything, step back and think about how you would feel seeing your post. If your content feels cheesy, it probably is. If it’s something you would read as too “salesy” or has an ulterior motive, your audience will see through it too. When in doubt, keep it real. You’ll never go wrong with being honest.
If you enjoyed this post, you’ll love Why You Should Be Using Instagram Live & 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started.