Using the power of personal branding to grow your vegan business

In today’s digital age, where attention is a valuable currency, personal branding has emerged as a potent tool for individuals and businesses alike. But is it something you should explore? Would building a personal brand be the right move to grow your vegan business, or would a company brand be more appropriate?

Let’s explore the value of personal branding, its pros and cons, and how to get started.

What is personal branding?

HubSpot defines personal branding as “the projected image of an individual’s personality, skills, experience, and behaviour that defines their unique identity”.

To some extent, anyone who posts online has a personal brand, a unique identity that’s shaped by what they communicate and how. Most people see a personal brand as synonymous with that person’s online reputation. It’s about how people perceive you or would describe your values.

If you’re unsure whether you have the beginnings of a personal brand, we’d recommend Googling yourself (try doing an Incognito search to see what results would come up for a first-time searcher).

What search results do you see? What do those results tell people about you? Can people see content you’ve posted? If so, what content are they seeing? Is it the content that you would want them to see? Are there other people with the same name as you who are more visible?

As with building a company brand, growing a personal brand is about connecting with people, establishing your reputation as an expert or thought leader, becoming more visible, and growing your business. The difference is that personal branding centres on you as an individual rather than on an entire organisation.

The value of personal branding

In the 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer Survey, 64% of respondents described themselves as “belief-driven buyers” who choose, switch, avoid, or boycott businesses based on the brand’s stand on societal issues.

This highlights that people are actively looking to connect with and buy from those who care about the issues shaping society – i.e. vegan business owners or organisation leaders like you.

When you build a personal brand, you can forge a genuine connection based on your values, beliefs, and journey as a vegan. People are likely to respond positively to this, especially if your values mirror their own.

This sense of authenticity and genuine connection fosters trust and loyalty, crucial elements for the success of any vegan venture.

Personal branding can function as a beacon, helping you stand out from the noise of the crowded digital landscape. It’s a way of saying, “This is me. This is what I personally stand for. Let’s stand together”.

By cultivating a strong online presence, you expand your reach and attract like-minded individuals who resonate with your mission, thereby amplifying the impact of your business or organisation.

Establishing yourself as a thought leader within the vegan community elevates your personal brand and positions your business or organisation as a reputable authority. You can shape conversations, influence perceptions, and drive positive change within your sector through insightful content and meaningful engagement.

The benefits of personal branding for your vegan business or organisation

There’s an often-repeated adage in marketing circles that people buy people, not products. This is undoubtedly true. People like to feel that they can trust those from whom they’re buying. They want to know the humans behind a brand and the stories that shaped those humans.

Personal branding is a way of making a vital emotional connection. It will help potential stakeholders to feel that they know you and share common ground with you. As their sense of connection deepens, they are more likely to be loyal to your brand and advocate for your vegan cause.

As your personal brand gains traction, doors to collaborations, speaking engagements, and media features will open, providing more avenues for growth and exposure.

People are much more likely to connect with someone who’s speaking as an individual than someone who they perceive to be the mouthpiece for a company. That doesn’t mean you can’t be part of a large organisation. There are some incredible business brands that are run by people with strong personal brands, but it’s vital that the two feel harmonious and an extension of one another.

The potential risks of personal branding

It’s important to acknowledge that creating a personal brand can leave you exposed. If you’re perceived to be straying from your core values or attempting to portray an image inconsistent with your beliefs, it can damage trust and undermine your credibility and reputation. Therefore, your personal brand needs to be always authentic and transparent.

While visibility is desirable, excessive self-promotion can alienate your audience. You will need to carefully balance promotion with genuine engagement, as this is key to maintaining authenticity and relevance.

Personal brand vs business brand: Which is best?

Choosing between a personal brand and a business brand can be a pivotal decision for vegan entrepreneurs and activists.

Personal branding emphasises your identity as the individual behind the venture, leveraging your personality, expertise, and story to connect with the audience. It humanises the brand, building the know, like, trust factor.

On the other hand, a business brand focuses solely on the organisation, its mission, values, and products or services.

While a personal brand allows for deeper emotional connections and flexibility in content creation, a business brand offers scalability and longevity, independent of individual personalities. This could be a factor if you decide to grow or sell your business in the future.

Ultimately, it isn’t really a question of which is best. The choice between the two depends on factors such as long-term goals, desired level of visibility, and strategic positioning within the market.

Some people find success in blending elements of both personal and business branding, striking a balance that resonates with their audience while ensuring the sustainability and growth of their venture.

Only you can decide what feels right for you. A business brand can have a strong voice and identity if you feel that would be the better fit for your organisation. Equally, you can amplify your own voice into your personal brand.

Crafting your personal brand: Strategies and tips

In the next section, we’ve put together seven tips to help you create a powerful personal brand.

1.      Define your mission and values

Before you begin building a personal brand, you need to articulate your mission and core values. What drives you as a vegan entrepreneur or activist? What do you stand for? Your personal brand should reflect these principles.

2.      Identify your audience

Branding isn’t just about the source; it’s about the audience, too. This goes beyond demographics, such as age and location. Think about what interests the people you want to connect with. What are the thoughts that keep them awake at night or the problems they want to solve? What are their hopes for the future, their aspirations for themselves, their loved ones, their fellow animals, and the planet?

Being able to answer these questions will help you to tailor your messaging and content to resonate with their needs and preferences.

3.      Choose the right platforms

Select platforms where your audience is most active. For the vegan community, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube offer fertile ground for sharing visual content, stories, and educational resources.

Don’t feel you have to use every social media platform or even that you must use social media at all. A growing number of brands are choosing to leave social media, while others are just getting super targeted about where they direct their energy.

Whatever you decide, it’s sensible to prioritise creating a website that communicates your personal brand and gives you a way to connect with your audience. When Facebook and Instagram temporarily went down on the 5^th March this year, it was a stark reminder to many people that they shouldn’t operate solely on platforms over which they have no control! A website is something that you own and can shape to your own needs. You can also use it to build your mailing list.

4.      Create compelling content

If you think about your strongest relationships in life, they’re likely to be built on meaningful conversations, shared experiences, and common ground when it comes to your values. When you’re building a personal brand, it’s about forging those personal connections on larger scale.

Share compelling stories, insights, and resources that align with your brand and resonate with your audience. Whether it’s through blog posts, videos, podcasts, or social media posts, prioritise quality and authenticity.

Think about why you do what you do, why you’re building a personal brand, why you want to make a difference in the world – your why will be what brings your audience on your future journey.

5.      Engage authentically

We’ve mentioned authenticity a lot in this article, and there’s a danger that it can sound like a buzz word that people use to sound genuine.

The thing is that when you’re building a personal brand, authenticity matters. Your brand will be seen as a curated version of who you are, while you will become a walking, talking incarnation of your brand.

Foster meaningful interactions with your audience by responding to comments, participating in discussions, and soliciting feedback (even when the feedback is hard to take). Authentic engagement builds trust and fosters a sense of community around your brand. It is also the secret to creating loyalty.

6.      Collaborate and network

As you grow your personal brand, you may find that people want to connect with you in the online space because your mission is aligned with what they’re trying to achieve too.

Collaborating with other influencers, businesses, and organisations in the vegan space will expand your reach and leverage synergies (the concept that two or more people, brands or companies combined can achieve more than their individual parts).

Networking enables you to tap into new audiences and opportunities for growth. You may need to explore different networks before you find one that feels like it’s right for your brand.

There are a growing number of vegan networks and networking groups with a difference, such as Netwalks (in the UK Small Business Britain has set up a series of netwalking sessions where you can get out for a walk in nature while meeting other business owners).

7.      Consistency is key

Consistency in messaging, branding, and content is essential for building a recognisable and trustworthy personal brand. Maintain a cohesive aesthetic and tone across all your channels.

Creating content for your personal brand

Once you decide to build a personal brand and have a sense of what you want that to look and feel like and who you want to connect with, the next step is to create content that helps you reach your intended audience and goals.

To help, we’ve put together some ideas:

1.      Blogs and articles

Writing informative and engaging blog posts or articles allows you to share your insights, experiences, and expertise in your niche.

Consistently publishing high-quality content can help you position yourself as a thought leader and attract organic traffic to your website. You might also want to explore syndicating your content to platforms such as Medium or LinkedIn or writing some guest blogs for organisations that share your audience.

2.      Social media posts

Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn offer opportunities to share bite-sized content, updates, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into your life or work. Visual content, such as photos and videos, performs particularly well on social media, helping you build a strong visual brand identity and connect with your audience on a more personal level.

3.      Videos and live streams

Video content has become increasingly popular across social media platforms and websites like YouTube. Creating videos allows you to express your personality, deliver value-packed tutorials or educational content, and engage with your audience in real-time through live-streaming sessions.

In case you missed it, you might find our guide to short-form video helpful for planning for live and pre-recorded video content.

4.      Podcasts

Hosting a podcast enables you to share your expertise, interview industry experts, and engage with your audience through audio content. Podcasts are an excellent medium for building a loyal following and establishing yourself as a trusted authority in your field.

You might also want to explore opportunities to appear as a guest on podcasts run by people who share a similar audience with you.

5.      E-books and guides

Publishing e-books, guides, or whitepapers on topics relevant to your audience can help you demonstrate your expertise and provide valuable resources. Offering free or gated content can also help you grow your email list and nurture leads.

6.      Webinars and online workshops

Hosting webinars or online workshops allows you to educate your audience (if applicable), address their pain points, and highlight your knowledge and skills. Interactive sessions enable real-time engagement and provide opportunities for networking and relationship-building.

7.      Infographics and visuals

Visual content, such as infographics, memes, and illustrations, can help you convey complex information in a digestible and visually appealing format. Infographics are highly shareable and can increase your content’s reach and engagement on social media.

8.      Guest posts and collaborations

We’ve mentioned collaborations in various contexts above. Contributing guest posts to reputable websites or collaborating with other influencers in your niche can expand your reach and introduce your brand to new audiences. Guest posting also enhances your credibility and authority within your industry.

9.      Email newsletters

Sending regular newsletters to your email subscribers allows you to stay connected with your audience, share updates, promote your content, and nurture relationships over time. Personalised and value-packed newsletters can help you build trust and loyalty among your subscribers.

10.  Reviews and testimonials

Encouraging satisfied customers or clients to leave reviews and testimonials on your website or social media profiles can enhance your credibility and reputation. Positive reviews serve as social proof and can influence others’ perceptions of your personal brand.

Conclusion

Personal branding is not just a buzzword but a powerful tool for you to amplify your impact and effect positive change as a vegan entrepreneur or activist. By authentically sharing your story, values, and expertise, you can forge meaningful connections, inspire action, and drive progress within the vegan community.

Embrace the journey of personal branding with honesty, purpose, and compassion, and watch as your influence and impact soar!