Want to know more about the dark side of personal branding? What about the ways in which you might be ruining your personal brand?

Here are 5 ways you may be ruining your personal brand.

Maybe you are doing some of these things and don’t realize they are actually hurting your brand. Jump on in and see how you can stop doing this and start seeing results.

You Don't Have a Strategy

Every successful brand you see has a strategy. No one is just crossing their fingers that the things they are doing in business are just going to work. Even if we allowed for some serendipitous moments in our business, that’s really not a long term strategy.

Every business that is growing has a strategy behind it. They have systems in place that get their future clients to start thinking about their problems differently and showing them that perhaps their company has the solution. They are coming up with ways to engage and serve their current clients at a higher level. With different offerings and ways to work with them. All of this is a strategy. All of the content and marketing that they are doing has a purpose. 

Posting everyday is not a strategy. If you are not leading your audience along on a journey, if you are just posting for posting’s sake, that’s going to make your business run in circles and get you nowhere. 

If you do not have a clear understanding of the what and why behind the content you’re creating, you are not going to get to where you want to go. The simpler your strategy is, the better. Make sure to understand and be intentional with the content you are creating in order to help convert your audience from passive listeners to active customers. 

You Don’t Know Your Audience

If you are speaking to everyone, no one is going to listen. I absolutely love working with my one on one clients to get down to the core of who their audience is. Everytime we are able to go just a little bit deeper. Sometimes you think that you know your audience, but if you’re not getting feedback from people saying that they are loving your content, then you aren’t getting specific enough with your audience. You can always, always go deeper in understanding who it is that you are trying to serve and speak to.

When you know your audience, everything in your business changes. You can then cater your offers to them, speak to them on a whole new level, create content that turns them into raving fans and more!

You Are Confusing Your Customers

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times….a confused client doesn’t buy.

Confusion on the simplest level can really hurt your brand. Which is why I teach you how to have brand consistency in your content and visuals in my online course, Brand Builder’s Bootcamp. 

If you're constantly confusing your audience by not being consistent with your message and visuals they will seek out a more clear and consistent brand.

You Are Copying Other People

This can show up in a few different ways.

The first is that you are copying someone else’s content and posting it directly on your page. Even if you have permission and/or give credit to them, this is not helping your business. It is setting them up as the brand authority and taking that authority away from you. 

Another way is copying other people's ideas or content and presenting it as your own. Not only is this in bad taste, but it’s taking away your power and your authority in the field. 

Content is no longer king, original content is. So trust yourself, step into power and create your own original content out of your own origi

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Understanding your customer journey is key to growing your business and making more sales. But do you understand what stage your general audience is in? And how can you move them along faster?

There are 5 levels of brand recognition to understand in order to be intentional with your content creation. Think of these levels as a ladder to scale climbing upwards. 

Brand Rejection

The lowest level of brand recognition is where people not only don’t recognize you but they flat out reject you. This is where people have some sort of negative associations with your brand - they're 100% trying to avoid your company. 

Perhaps this is caused by a bad experience or bad press. Either way, you don’t want to be on this level with your audience. 

Brand Non-Recognition

Brand non-recognition is where you are just another face in a crowd and no one knows about you. People don’t recognize your brand or understand anything about it. Therefore they cannot take action with you. 

If you are not gaining traction in your business, perhaps you are stuck on this level. I teach in Brand Builder’s Bootcamp how to move out of this level so that you can be seen and heard. This is where branding starts to shine!

Transitioning from brand non-recognition to brand recognition is a huge step that comes through consistency, repeating your core messages, and your visual brand elements.

Brand Recognition

This level is where customers are actually recognizing you. They recognize your brand. They can differentiate you from your competition. At this stage you know what makes you different, you know what sets you apart, and you are able to convey that confidently and consistently in your messaging and your content.

Brand Preference

The next level of brand recognition is brand preference. This is where your audience actively chooses you and your offers over the competition. This is where you're no longer competing on price, but rather the unique offer you have. 

This comes from having great systems and processes in place - excellent customer service, and results that other people can see.

Brand Loyalty

The final level of brand recognition is brand loyalty. This is where your audience keeps coming back to your brand no matter what - even if they’ve had a bad experience with you. They love you so much they are willing to forgive your mistakes. 

You may not be perfect, but you’ve created a fanbase. These are your super fans. This is the ultimate level that we want to take our people to when it comes to brand recognition. This stage shows you are really honed in on the needs and wants of your audience and you can deliver results time and time again. 

Check out the episode to learn more about what to do in each of these levels in your business.

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Shelby & Kristina, both professionally trained comedic actresses, started making comedy videos "just for fun" in 2015. What started out as a passion project turned into a career, when various brands & businesses started approaching them for custom video content. Although content creation is no longer just a hobby, Shelby & Kristina still bring that same sense of fun to every project they tackle, leaving their clients with something truly unique. They handle every aspect of production from ideation to editing; a one-stop shop for all of your video content needs.

Understand that one of the best ways to connect your brand with your audience is relatability. You want your product to be relatable so people can see that it will serve them in their lives. The driving factor of comedy is relatability. 

When you are able to bring comedy into your content, you are able to be a little more vulnerable which allows you to double down on that connection and relatability.

Your content should do one of three things:

• Educate
• Inspire
• Entertain

When you use comedy in your content, you can easily hit all three of these targets. 

What if you are fearful of adding comedy in your brand?

Sometimes as women, we are much more aware of how people perceive us in business. We are fighting to balance fun and professionalism and it can feel very vulnerable. “When using comedy,” Shelby says, “you really have to let your guard down. You have to climb over that wall. You have to be vulnerable to show that you're not perfect. That you don't have it all together and that you make mistakes too.”

“But when you can laugh with someone, that’s the biggest bonding factor there is.”

Kristina says, “You should push yourself! Take that creative risk, because there is such a payoff when you go outside of the box.” She says that it can actually help your audience to respect you more because you are being so creative.

How to start using comedy videos in your brand?

1. Listen. Understand your audience. What are their needs? What problems do they have?
2. Brainstorm. Get all of your ideas out. Nothing is off the table.
3. Plan. Script it out. What tools are you going to use? What’s your budget? Who, what, when, where will you create this?
4. Create. Record and put everything into action. Actually do the thing!
5. Edit. Make sure to go back and edit things together so you can tell the right story.

We may think that you have to be spontaneous and off the cuff in order to be funny, but Kristina says that the opposite is true. “If you are thoroughly and deeply prepared, then you have the flexibility to sort of play around in the moment.”

The best advice that Shelby and Kristina have for you?

Check out the blog for more....

Connect with Shelby + Kristina

Take 2 Content

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It's time to make sure that your website is optimized for sales. This begins with your images. Learn more about how to uplevel your website and make sure you aren't making one of these 5 mistakes with your website images.

www.britbennion.com/110

Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

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As an entreprenuer, do you feel like you always have to be on and going. That's not how the nature of the world works and you shouldn't either.

In today's episode, we talk about what it means to have Ebbs and Flows in your business (and even breaks).

Listen in to learn more about how to structure your time and energy so that you can drop the overwhlem, guilt, and shame.

To learn more check out the blog:
 www.britbennion.com/109

Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

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Michelle Gifford is an expert at helping women business owners message and market their business, inspiring women to take action and delivering the tools to make it happen. As a business coach, podcaster, speaker, and founder and CEO of Michelle Gifford Creative, she guides women through creating and maintaining a business that lasts through creative content and online strategy. Her agency, Michelle Gifford Creative, cultivates brand strategies and content for influencers and creatives. A mom to five, she and her husband are raising their family in Southern California.

Michelle is passionate about working with women and helping them grow their businesses. One of the bigggest struggles that she sees women face is that they don't take themselves as seriously as they should.

Even working with big brands, Michelle sees that many women can feel scared.

"They're scared to put themselves out there and they also don't consider themselves a business. They don't treat themselves like a business and there's a mindset shift that has to be made by women at some point. It happens individually.

"We're so afraid that people are going to find out that we're starting a business and that's not what 'moms' do. But I'm a happier mom because I have."

Michelle says that one of the first big decisions she made while establishing herself as a brand was to hire a personal branding photographer. That's one way that she knew she could take herself and her business more seriously. She wanted to show up differently and in a very professional manner, so hiring a brand photographer was at the top of her list.

1. Knowing that you have a brand and what the elements of it helps you to become instantly recognizable.

2. Create a brand message that aligns with your branding elements.

3. When you have systems in place, you can replicate it over and over again - saving you time and energy.

"Not only does it simplify our business and simplify the decisions we make, it helps us! It helps us be more recognizable to our people. Branding is all about repetition. Branding and marketing is all about repetition showing up and saying, I've said the same thing in a million different ways for the last three years."

*Bonus Tip* Put yourself out there and then listen to what is resonating with people. The more you do this, the more you understand your brand.

"I think we can get really stuck on being perfect. We think we need to have our brand be perfect. We say, 'I need my messaging to be perfect.' But your messaging is going to get better and more clear, the more you say it and the more you take feedback."

Michelle also reminds us to show up and serve our audience, just like she does in her coaching program Money Makers.

Money Makers is a program that includes courses, coaching, and community. Michelle has a huge library full of courses to help you start, manage, and succeed in your business. She believes in making this information easily accessible for all women to learn and grow.
 
Her courses include topics like:

• Blogging
• Pinterest
• Content Creation
• Photography
• Instagram
• and more....

When you join Money Makers, you not only get 12 months of support, but you also get The Confident Selfie Secret and 3 months in The Content Collective. (Over $200 value!)

• Text "Money Maker" 951-309-7885

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What you wear is who you can become. Clothing can be your armour or costume. When you wear certain clothing, it can make you look and feel whatever part you want to play in life. That's what Lisa Gillbe says is the power of clothing and personal style.

Lisa Gillbe is a personal stylist, fashion blogger, course creator and podcast host of The Style Stories Podcast. Over the past 12 years she has worked with lots of entrepreneurs just like you to make sure they have the best image possible and a wardrobe that works for their goals. She has also worked with the BBC and ITV styling presenters. She is passionate about helping people to get confident with their image and firmly believes it is a powerful part of your tool kit for success in life. She lives in London with her husband Matt, a TV Producer and their two sons.

How to find your personal style?

There are 5 main style types that people can be dominate in. 

• Classic
• Preppy
• Natural/Relaxed
• Feminine
• Advant Guard

Lisa says that in order to better understand your personal brand style, you should start by creating a pinterest board. Choose looks and styles that you're attracted to. Your lifestyle is important and you need to take that into consideration.

Next, you can think about the adjectives that you want to describe your style.

Smart, Polished, Chic, Youthful, Fresh, Relatable, etc.

Finally, compare your pinterest board to your current closet. Do they match up? If they don't, you will want to find some pieces that are aligned with your desired style.

Tips for your personal branding session

1) Avoid small, tight patterns
2) Avoid bold, big patterns
3) Block colors look best
4) Use brand colors to stand out and build your brand presence
5) It's not the day to try something new
6) Don't play it too safe
7) Get your brand photos done regularly, so wear something that is current
8) Wear something that makes you comfortable
9) Understand which of the 5 styles you are
10) Choose fit and cuts that match your body type
11) Get your colors done to understand what colors flatter you

Winning Wardrobe Formula
Lisa Gillbe
Brand Style Guide

Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

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 A brand mentor of mine once said “You’re doing your audience a favor by repeating yourself.” 

What does it mean to repurpose content?

It’s really the practice of determining your best performing content and recycling and reusing it. I’m not saying that you should copy and paste the exact same content every single day. Instead, focus on what is working, what is resonating with your audience and create more of that type of content. 

Why should you repurpose your content?

Simpler

Why work harder when you can work smarter? This is 100% true. When you are repurposing content, it makes everything so much simpler. You’re able to really focus on a few main topics or points in your business that you want your clients to understand and can create to just those simple things. This is really where you get off of that hampster wheel of content creation. 

Easier to Understand

Too much new content for your audience can be overwhelming. It’s like drinking water from a firehose. You don’t want to drown your audience. However, if you keep repeating the critical things they need to know, they’ll actually start to grasp these concepts.

Stand out as a brand authority

Repeating your message and repurposing your content helps you to stand out as brand authority. People will come to you when they want to know or learn something. If you’re selling a coaching package and talk about something new every single day, you’ll have lost your audience. However, if you focus on a very specific niche then you will stand out as the authority in your field. You will be the one that others will recommend when their friend or co-worker or family members needs to hear your message. 

Not everyone sees your content the first, second, third, or fourth time

Most people, including the people who have actively chosen to follow you will not see everything that you post. In fact, industry average is that only 3-10% of your audience will actually see your content at any given time. That means that not everyone sees your content the first time, or the second time, or the third time, or even the fourth time.

If that’s the case, then repurposing is not only good for you, your workload and mental health, but it’s also a fantastic practice for your audience. They want to hear from you. So repurpose your content and message in a number of different ways so that they can get that message. 

By not repurposing your content and message you are leaving opportunities and money on the table.

Reach New Audiences

Your audience is always growing. You have new people coming into your circle every day. Don’t just give out your best information once and call it good. Your new audience will be missing out. When you repurpose your content you are allowing your new audiences the opportunity to learn all of the amazing things about you and your offer. Always keep in mind both your current and new audiences. Repurposing your content means that it’s not only getting reinforced in the minds of those who already know you, but it’s introducing that content to your new audience.

How to repurpose content?

Listen to the episode for all the details.

The next time you’re wondering what to post, focus on repurposing your content. This practice makes your content creation:

• Simpler
• Easier to Understand
• Allows you to stand out as brand authority
• Helps your audience to actually see your content
• And educates new audiences while supporting your current audience. 

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Sofia Adamova is a highly sought after energetics coach and business mentor, who specializes in helping ambitious female entrepreneurs build a successful, energetically aligned online business.

She is the creator of Total Energetics Reboot, her unique method to elevate your energetic state through your body- your most magical tool.

Sofia says that the number one tool to move your business forward is consistency. Her methodology helps you get unstuck and more consistent in building your business.

"Moving forward with self-discipline will allow you to be consistent."

How you take care of your personal energy is a reflection of your personal brand because your personal brand is a representation of your energy. In fact, what we call energy in the coaching business is your personal brand.

Sofia believes this is your number one asset in your business-alongside your audience and your offers.

"Everything depends on how elevated your energetic state is. It will represent itself in your offer in your audience, and who you attract. Everything depends on that."

Start with centering your energy and balancing the flow so that you can have energy freely move through your body. You can do this through simple techniques such as breath exercises, sequences and more. This will help to quiet your mind and begin a reboot of your energetic state.

SET AN INTENTION

Sofia's Total Energetic Reboot starts with setting an intention.

- What do I want to have come out of this?
- Where do I want to be in X number of days?
- How will I accomplish this task?

UTILIZE ENERGETIC TOOLS

- Movement
- Breathwork
- Nutrition
- Rest
- Adventure

Sofia teaches that you need to take care of yourself so that you can take care of your business. Upleveling your energy begins with exercising tools to help your energy feel stronger and allow it to flow easier.

BE OPEN TO THE FLOW OF ENEREGY

Open your mind to downloads from the ultimate source that will guide you. You have everything you need already inside of you - be willing to be open to access that guidance.

When you are able to uplevel your energy, you can focus on the strategy behind your business.

Sofia teaches, "If you're not in the right state or if you are in a relatively low state, you cannot possibly create a strategy, and may struggle for years."

Being open to the flow of energy brings clarity and strategy follows clarity.

Listen to hear the rest of Sofia's teaching and connect with her.

www.britbennion.com/105
www.sofiaadamova.co.uk/coach-bible

Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

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• Are you creating content on a regular basis for your business? 
• How many days a week do you post? 
• Do you enjoy creating content for your business or dread it? 
• Do you know if your content is making a difference in your business or are you jus creating content for content creation’s sake? 
• How would it feel to easily create content that actually works for your business?
• What if you could cut down the time it takes to create content?
• What would it mean if you never had to worry about what to post again?
• How would it feel to stop being overwhelmed with content creation and actually have time to devote to doing the parts of your business that you actually love?

I know that these are questions and thoughts you are having because at some point in time, all entrepreneurs have these thoughts. When content creation becomes a rat race and you feel an overwhelming pressure to create content, business doesn’t always feel as enjoyable as it once did. 

Content marketing is a way to nurture your community and show up regularly to build connection with them. That way, when you open doors to your next launch, or offer a new product, you’ll already have an engaged audience that knows, likes, and trusts you. This is the backbone of content marketing.

Showing up consistently doesn't mean you have to post every single day. Consistency just means showing up in the same place, regularly, and with consistently good content. It means showing up in the same style, with the same tone of voice, so that your audience isn't left guessing what you'll do next. This is what I talk about regularly when it comes to understanding and building your brand. You create brand awareness and consistency through everything you put out into the world. It’s not just your colors, fonts, and logo. It’s consistency in showing up to build that trust and not leaving your audience confused.

Which is why I created The Content Collective. To help takeaway the question of “What do I post today?” and take the overwhelm out of content creation.

The Content Collective is a monthly call that’s part accountability group, part co-working session and part coaching. For only 90 minutes you can business content creation subscription so you can finally:

• Stop wondering what to post every day
• Build your online presence with custom content
• Get coaching on your content so you know that it's actually working for you
• Actually get the work done
• Connect and collaborate with like-minded female entrepreneurs

You’re never going to feel 100% ready. Nobody will ever hand you a certificate declaring you qualified to take action. You’re not going to wake up one morning suddenly free of all fear and self-doubt. Right now, you’re as ready as you’ll ever be.

So join us in The Content Collective as we work together to bust through perfection-paralysis and content overwhelm, and breathe life and joy back into our content creation.
Learn more about The Content Collective at www.britbennion.com/collective. 

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