Personal Branding For Small Businesses | Q&A With Digital Marketing Consultant Erin Fred
Here to talk to us about Personal Branding for small businesses is my lovely client, Social Media & Digital Marketing consultant, Erin Fred! I had the pleasure of creating a set of Personal Branding photos for her business, & it has been so amazing to watch the growth of her brand since she began implementing her custom Personal Branding Images as part of her marketing strategy. Continue reading to find out how to take control of your social media presence & utilize your visual contention in a way that tells a clear, cohesive story & engages your ideal client demographic!
Hi, Erin! Thanks so much for joining me - Tell us a little bit about yourself & your business!
Hi Miranda! Thanks for inviting me to chat with you. Well, I’m a digital marketing consultant specializing in social media marketing and I’m also a content creator. I help small businesses find their voice, hone their message and lighten their marketing load through my services.
I decided to start my own business for many reasons, but one being that I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit from my dad, who’s a pool contractor. I grew up tagging along with him in his truck, carrying pool cleaning supplies, visiting customer’s houses, and making flyers at home.
I also just noticed that so many small businesses have beautiful stories and products/services but either (1) don’t have the time or (2) the know-how to communicate that visually through their web design and social media. After having worked in a marketing role on the agency side and in-house, I knew I had the tools necessary to give these businesses the extra hand they needed.
I also often blog about new local shops in town, entrepreneurship and marketing tips!
As a Content Creator & Digital Marketing Consultant, what do you think is the most effective way to promote your skills & stand out from your competitors online?
There are so many ways of doing that! The sky really is the limit. You just have to choose one thing to hone in on that’ll differentiate you from the rest and be CONSISTENT with that message. I.e., if you’re a photographer, maybe you’re known for really edgy, more avant-garde style photography, or for doing hilarious and memorable portraits of people and their pets. If you’re a healthy fast food restaurant, maybe you’re known for super convenient, fast delivery and a wide variety of healthy options. All it takes is hyper-focusing on one feature and doing everything you can to convey that message through visual content, copywriting, and design.
I’ve seen entrepreneurs who have online courses really differentiate themselves by having an amazing Facebook group that is filled with other supportive, collaborative professionals that are willing to help eachother out, or by emphasizing the fact that they started out as a blogger and reached their success through their own efforts. This perhaps would be going more along the path of branding yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
As mentioned above, there are many ways to go about it.
In your experience, what are some reasons that having clean, consistent, & professional Visual Content is so important in order for an individual or business to stand out?
You can use images from your personal branding session for every marketing need you might have. From discussing my goals, aesthetic and services with you during our initial consultation, I was able to get really tailored visual content to fit into my website structure and use as branding on all my social media platforms (like my Facebook cover photo, Instagram profile photo, and YouTube banner). Also, if you’re ever asked to participate in an interview, speak at a conference, or host your own workshop, you can easily send your personal branding images to the organizers or publications without extra thought.
I also think personal branding photography is a requirement in this day and age to be competitive online. I should say that it does depend on your industry and what you might be selling, but consistent, professionally shot visual content goes a long way in establishing trust and professionalism with your potential customers.
What is something simple that you recommend all of your clients do in order to make their social media platforms more effective?
It’s like anything in life: if you want to accomplish something, you have to create a plan, write down what you want to achieve on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and/or yearly basis, and evaluate your efforts however often as you want and adjust as necessary. There is no secret or quick and easy way to achieve success through social media.
It’s almost cliche and oversaid now to mention this, but I can’t stress enough the importance of a brand to clearly outline (1) who their audience is - and I don’t mean just listing that they’re 25-35 yo. females in the LA metro area, but really getting into detail about their lifestyle, desires, needs, etc.; (2) what problem(s) you solve or what void you fill with your product/service, and (3) what your brand’s goals, aesthetic, and voice is on social media.
Also, subscribe to some social media marketing newsletters online! That’s how I try to stay ahead of trends in the social media world and learn about new tactics that might be working really well for other businesses.
CHECK OUT ERIN'S SITE!
How has having consistent visual branding helped you grow your business?
I think personal branding photography has added a level of credibility and professionalism. I’ve noticed a change in tone from potential client emails and have experienced an increase in the number of brands that have reached out to do sponsorships.
MEET miranda
Hello! I’m a Portrait, Headshot, & Personal Branding Photographer based in Bend, Oregon.