It happens every single time, without fail. Whenever I give a keynote, deliver training or coach a business owner on personal branding and social networking, one of the very first questions I am asked is, “How do I keep my professional and personal contacts separate?”
My answer, also without fail, is “Why would you want to?”
Too many business owners and entrepreneurs see their personal page on Facebook as the way to connect with friends, and their LinkedIn profile as the place for professional contacts. But networks, by their very design, are fluid entities. When we attempt to apply restrictions and control affiliation, we prevent the normal movement of its members — the natural flow that makes having a large and engaged network so valuable.
Social platforms give us an unprecedented degree of speed and reach, and put the process of staying connected on hyper-drive. Studies show we’re no longer six degrees of separation from one another, but now closer to just two. Why does this matter? Because when you own the business, you are the business. Your personal brand is an extension of the business brand. And by personally staying visible in the social stream with on-brand status updates and engaging behavior, you’re better able to reach the people you want through the people you already know.
Let’s look at an example. Let’s say you and I are both members of the local chamber of commerce, and we become friends on Facebook. Or perhaps our kids play soccer together, and we connect on LinkedIn. Then I see you post something about the latest trends emerging from the Auto Show and I am reminded that you’re “that car wash guy” and I think “You know what, my car IS filthy! I need to stop in and say hi.” Sound incredulous? That is precisely how it works. But wait, then I post a photo of my shiny clean car on Facebook and tag your business.
In my very first year of business, a client of mine reached out to “friend me” on Facebook. I paused at first, wondering what he might think about some of my candid snaps, smart-mouth comments and other online shenanigans. But I took a leap of faith and trusted that if he grew to know more of me, the whole me, there was a greater chance that he would become one of my personal brand champions. And so it was really no surprise that just the other day I was copied on an email he sent to encourage a colleague to hire me to speak at an upcoming conference.
As your occasional customers become loyal regulars, they become spokespeople for you and for your business. They become what I call brand champions. Similarly, through consistent, positive interaction on social platforms, people will develop an affinity for Brand You; you will become etched in their mental Rolodex. And that’s a good thing provided you gently remind them every now and again that you’re “that car wash guy.”
Bottom line? It doesn’t matter where people first meet you or where you stay connected. What matters is that they come to know, like and trust you; that they become your brand champion.
Personal brand or business brand? Private contact or professional connection? I argue that for business owners, they are one in the same.
