5 Sure-Fire Entrepreneur Strategies that Can Build Powerful Brands

Note: This is a guest post by Suzanne Bates, author of “Discover Your CEO Brand,” “Speak Like a CEO,” and “Motivate Like a CEO.” We’re honored to have her on the blog.

What’s makes an entrepreneur successful? How can you grow your business faster and achieve your dreams? Is it just hard work and commitment? If that were true, many more entrepreneurs would succeed!

What successful business owners know is that you need to build your brand.

A brand is a magnet, attracting opportunity. Your personal name should have marketing gravity. Whether you are the Ritz Carlton, Mercedes Benz, or You, Inc. the same rules apply. When people know you, trust you and believe in you, they want to do business with you.

There’s an old saying, “A brand is more than a word; it’s the beginning of a conversation.” Ask yourself, “What’s the conversation people are having about me?” It’s time to get serious about building your brand and leveraging it to create economic value.

I’ve been coaching CEOs and entrepreneurs for 10 years. I’ve seen how those who rise to the top make the time to put themselves out there and raise their profiles. And if you are wondering what your brand is – that’s simple. It’s you! The brand is who you are and what you stand for.

In “Discover Your CEO Brand,” I share the secrets that made Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, Anne Mulcahy and Richard Branson household names. And they apply to anyone who wants to build a great reputation.

Here are 5 sure-fire strategies for entrepreneurs who want to build powerful brands:

1. Know your own brand

1. The secret is found in the stories of your life and career. These stories define your values and will shape the business you will become – they will also become part of the fabric of the organization you lead.

2. Share your story
When talking to employees, customers, investors and stakeholders, make a point to share the stories to make points that highlight your personal values. Create a strong connection that attracts people who resonate with those values.

3. Don’t sit at your desk all day
Avoid the temptation to work with your head down. Embrace the enormous power of building a brand. Color code activities on your calendar to be sure you’re spending up to 50% of your time outside your office.

4. Invest time and money in your brand
Public speaking, articles, and media interviews on high interest topics take time to prepare but pay huge dividends. If you need help hire it – it will be well worth the money when people say “I see you everywhere!”

5. Leverage social media and networking
We all have the same amount of time – time is no excuse! Get up early and blog, spend 20 minutes on LinkedIn, send at least one tweet a day, connect with people on Facebook, submit articles to other blogs, and build your digital footprint. When people Google you, you want them to say, “Wow, you’re really big!”

Related Posts:

3 Ways to Conquer Indifference — The Kiss of Death for Your Brand

Brand Early and Often — Cause You’ll Need to!

About the Author

Suzzane Bates

Suzanne Bates is the author of the just-published Discover Your CEO Brand (McGraw Hill 2011) as well as the business best-seller Speak Like a CEO and Motivate Like a CEO. Her firm, Bates Communications, provides leaders with the tools and strategies to communicate in a powerful way with their important audiences. As a former award-winning television journalist, Suzanne transitioned into her own business and today her firm’s clients include many Fortune 1,000 companies. For more information, visit www.bates-communications.com , and follow her on Twitter at @CEOCoachBates