Why Personal Brand Matters More Than Ever for Your Business
This isn’t a new concept in marketing, people buy from people. But what has changed is how much more important personal brand has become, not just for founders, but for entire teams within a business. It’s something we talk about all the time at Zebra PR, both with our clients and in our own marketing. And we’re seeing more businesses realise it’s not just about the logo, website or social media channels anymore, it’s about the people behind it all.
_____________________________________________________________________
Why is personal brand so powerful in marketing?
For years, founder-led brands have been a key part of business marketing, think of Steve Jobs and Apple, or in a much more local sense, small business owners who are their brand. But now, we’re seeing a real shift to employees having their own voice within a brand too. People trust people. And this applies whether you’re a solo founder, a growing team, or a big business with lots of moving parts. Employee Generated Content is on the rise!
At Zebra PR, we love supporting this through our 1:1 coaching and VIP days, helping business owners get clear and confident in showing up online. But we’re equally passionate about supporting marketing teams and employees to do the same, because the more voices within a brand, the more connection it builds.
A great example of this is Rea Valley Tractors, one of our long-standing clients. Their sales teams are encouraged to show up authentically online — sharing their knowledge, updates, and behind-the-scenes content. It’s all about showing the real people behind the brand. Empowering employees and founders to do this allows them to create content they enjoy making – meaning they’ll likely create more and be more creative with it than if they’re tied to a strict brief given by someone else.
_____________________________________________________________________
How can business owners and teams get started?
And the benefits? They’re huge. Visibility brings opportunity. From new client enquiries to speaking invites, partnerships and collaborations — people feel like they know you (and your brand) before they’ve ever met you. And when that happens, marketing gets a whole lot easier.
But what if you’re not an influencer or natural content creator? Good news, you don’t have to be. Personal brand isn’t about being everywhere or shouting the loudest. It’s about being somewhere and showing up consistently as you. Maybe that’s on LinkedIn, maybe it’s Instagram Stories, maybe it’s writing blogs like this one! We love to help people figure out what showing up authentically means for them.
We also know from experience, both through our own marketing and client work with brands like Creteprint, that content featuring real people consistently outperforms brand graphics and product shots.
This people-first approach is something we practice in our content at Zebra PR. We share our own behind-the-scenes regularly over on Instagram or via updates like this one, because we know connection comes from showing up as humans, not perfect or faceless brands.
If you’re just starting to build your personal brand, here’s what we’d suggest:
- Pick one platform and focus there
- Share your expertise generously
- Show your face
- Have brand guidelines to ensure consistency but also allow freedom
- Be consistent more than perfect
- Engage like a human, not a brand
Most importantly — remember personal brand isn’t optional anymore. It’s one of the most powerful tools you have in building trust, reputation, and long-term relationships with your audience.
If you’d love some help in figuring out what this could look like for you or your team, we’d love to chat, just get in touch.