'Personal branding' key to furthering one's brand, says Brew My Idea Founder

Brew My Idea Founder Vikrant Tamhane believes Personal branding is key to furthering one's brand; shares tips on Personal Branding. Small-business owners are interesting characters. More often than not - focused, determined and super busy. While all their energies are focused on building their company. They often tend to forget to brand themselves.

Although personal branding might not work for all small business owners, it works pretty well for service-oriented businesses wherein the business owners are the face of the company. A close case is Vikrant Tamhane, a young entrepreneur who understood the importance of personal branding early in his entrepreneurial journey. He has grown a strong influencer profile on Instagram attracting over 18,000 followers within a few months. Being an influencer on Instagram has helped him leverage his popularity in shaping the success of Brew My Idea, his digital marketing agency in Mumbai.

Vikrant says, "Facebook and Instagram over the past few years have repeatedly stated that they prefer personal content than branded content. A brand is made of people after all. So why not promote the people who make the brand? When you log in to Facebook, you want to see posts from friends, family and people that matter to them, certainly not from companies. People would rather get an insight into the people who make the brand than see branded content."

He further recommends that, "Small business owners can create short YouTube videos to educate their customers. This not only helps them generate leads but also helps them become local celebrities of sorts." He further suggests that, "For the ones who are too shy to do videos, they can also leverage the power of Facebook groups. Creating niche communities on Facebook and networking with the targeted audiences can help their brands in the long run." "You are your Brand. Understanding this concept will help you be miles ahead of your competition. You as a brand are the secret ingredient to your brand's success," added Vikrant.

(With inputs from agencies.)