How Personal Branding Helps Your Website Stand Out From The Crowd

Freelancers, Consultants, and Entrepreneurs this one for you. Imagine your ideal client, the one desperate to find a business?just?like yours, the one that wants or needs?exactly?what you offer. They begin their search online, typing words and phrases into google and within seconds are presented with pages and pages and pages of search results. Great SEO will help your website rank high on google, but once they are on your website – how will your business stand out from your competitors??

A strong?personal brand.

A personal brand is the unique combination of skills and experience that makes you who you are. It is how your brand is presented to the world. Your personal brand is shared across your website, your social media and all online channels. Effective personal branding will differentiate you from your competition and allow you to build TRUST with prospective clients.

So how do you develop trust??

Photography + great web design

I spoke with the very talented Melissa Martin who is a Personal Branding Strategist and Photographer based in Melbourne.

Finding a personal branding photographer that’s right for you can be a daunting task simply because there seem to be so many photographers out there these days. While I believe that’s a great thing because it shows the demand for photographic services is strong, it can get really hard and overwhelming to choose one.

The good news is it doesn’t have to be. I’m going to share with you some insider tips and questions to ask that will help you save time and choose the photographer that is right for you and your business.

1. Relevant Experience

Let me begin by saying that it’s really important you start looking for a?Personal Branding Photographer.?This is a photographer who has both Portrait and Commercial experience. They have the ability to tell an appealing visual story, the skills to pose and guide you naturally and beautifully throughout your shoot, they know how to work to a brief (ie your business growth goals), can provide creative direction, and have the technical skills to ensure your photos turn out better than you expected.

Having your photo taken is as much about the experience as it is the results you walk away with. The mix of skill and expertise of a Personal Branding Photographer is very different to say an event photographer, wedding photographer, or landscape photographer. Just like in the Finance world, you wouldn’t ask your mortgage broker to file your tax return, you need to make sure you’re speaking to the right person for the job!?So, look for a?Personal Branding Photographer.??It will make a huge difference in how you feel about your photos and whether or not you’re confident to share them to market your services.

2.?Ask for Referrals

Did your biz bestie or someone in your network recently have a personal branding photoshoot that they’re raving about??Ask them who their photographer was then jump onto their website and have a look at their portfolio.?How does it make you feel when you look at their work??If you love it then reach out to them for a chat.??

Professional personal branding photographers want you to feel comfortable and have a great experience with them.?A big part of this is having a connection with each other where you’re able to communicate and be understood with ease.??

3.?Give Yourself Time

Start looking for a Personal Branding Photographer?well before you need your photos!

My recommendation is to start doing some research between 1 and 3 months in advance.?

Why??

Because taking the time to find the right photographer for you helps ensure you receive the results you’re after and more!

Believe it or not, 80% of a successful shoot happens?before?you step in front of the camera!

Once you choose your Personal Branding Photographer, they’ll need time to plan your shoot and make sure all the pieces are in place for a successful shoot day.??

They’ll consult with you weeks before your photo shoot to learn more about you and your business, what makes it stand out and what your goals are. They’ll then offer their creative vision and direction based on where you’d like your business to be in the not too distant future, and explain how the photographs they create for you will help you get there.

High quality personal branding photos will always help elevate your brand and help you stand out from your competitors because trust what they see more than what they read!?Humans are visual creators and the internet is a visual platform.?Making the most of this feature by investing in purposefully designed photos that tell your business story and help your future clients see you and connect with you is an absolute necessity for any entrepreneur who uses the world wide web to build their business!

Website Design

So your personal branding images are ready to go, next it’s time to develop a high-converting website that offers great design and user experience. Here are my top tips to help set you apart from your competitors and build a strong brand presence.

• First impressions matter. Make your home page informative, fun and Introduce yourself. Don’t forget to include your physical location or location you service [you’d be surprised how often this is missed].?
• When copywriting use tone and language that represents you, are you funny? Be funny. Are you creative? Be creative. Your website visitor really wants to know who they could potentially be working with, your copywriting is important.
• Have fun with your about page. Most about pages are bland. This is the one area you can really have fun and showcase yourself and your brand. Believe it or not, your website visitor really does want to learn more about you, keep in mind the reason they are visiting your site so link it back to solving their problem but I love nothing more than finding out some fun facts about the person I could potentially be working with.
• Testimonials are a great way to add authority and trust to your website, after all, people will trust your client’s reviews.
• A blog is great for SEO and also helps establish you as a thought leader in your industry.
• Call to action there are plenty of ways to direct your website user once they are on your website. Like,?download a freebie, follow on social media, contact you, join your mailing list, or purchase now.?

Authentic brand connection is made through shared thoughts and values and a strong personal brand will help establish this for you.?

Are you ready to develop a website that showcases your brand personality? Contact?Melissa Martin?for personal photography visit my website www.melissawillcocks.com?to discuss website development.?