How to make your personal brand high-growth, high-yield

Fiscally-focused blog titles are not normally my thing. 

If you've been on my blog list for any length of time you know I'm generally about the feels, the fruit (impact) of what we do and flourising as humans while we do it. 

But there's no denying the commercial realities - they exist for all of us - regardless if you're an entreprenuer, employee, expert or executive. 

#FunFact: I spent FIVE times longer on this piece than I usually spend on my content. Not because it was hard to write....on the contrary, there was SO much I wanted to say - and SO much research and data, SO much learned from experience, I painstakingly distilled what I wanted to say into a blog-length piece.

Why?

Because what I'm about to share is SUPER IMPORTANT right now.

I have been talking about it with a few friends recently, unpacking my own personal approach - because if there's one place where I reckon is the best place to direct your focus right now - it's this. 

We have to absolutely play the long game when you're building a personal brand and build into the future. And this is the blueprint for how to do it in a way that relieves you from the unfair burden of expectations we often place on ourselves to see "quick results".

Imagine the farmer who was discouraged because the new orchard she planted didn't yield results in the first few months. 

I'm blessed to have a gorgeous assortment of citrus fruit in my backyard but these juicy creations take time to take root, grow, and ultimately bear fruit. 

(yes I seriously have grapefuit the size of rockmelons in my backyard!)

Same is true for our brand. 

But this doesn't mean we can't expedite progress and growth.

We absolutely can. And should. 

Primarily, through strategic personal positioning. 

Personal branding is a buisiness concept many understand, yet the potency of personal positioning often flies under the radar.

When we talk about personal branding, we go to into the associations people have when they think about you. And this comes about through how you express your values, your essence, and what you want to be known for.

However, personal positioning is the strategic counterpart to this - think of it as the secret sauce that makes the commercialisation of your brand faster and easier. It’s the quintessential bridge that connects your brand to your audience.

Imagine your potential clients / employers / partners knowing exactly who you are, what you do, how you can help, and why choosing you is their best decision—all within moments. This kind of clarity shortens their decision-making process, making it smoother and faster.

Think about positioning in the context of chess. The Queen, Rook, Bishop and Pawns each have a "brand"—you know the pieces, you recognise them by their appearance, are familiar with their capacity for moveoment, and their reputation -

But the the square on which the player positions the piece, in relation to the other pieces on the board which determines its potential next moves and capacity for impact at any given time.

Similarly, personal positioning is about strategically placing yourself in the marketplace for maximum impact, in alignment with your own strategic objectives at any given time.

It’s just good commercial sense.

Solid positioning makes it way easier for people to buy from you.

You do still need to sell, but it's way easier when the right people know you, know what you do, how you can help them, and why you're a solid choice for them.

This differentiation helps potential clients see you as the obvious choice when they need what you offer. When people can easily grasp your “position”, it reduces the effort they need to put into evaluating you against others. They can see how you stand out and why you are the best fit for their needs.

In over three decades of being a professional marketer I"ve been at the helm of brands and agencies through a range of economic seasons. Including during the  dot-com bubble burst, GFC in 2008, the pandemic and several other memorable ebbs and flows in the economy. 

And there is a very. clear. pattern.

Interestingly, the ROI on positioning is usually at its highest during periods of economic downturn. There is less competition than when the marketplace is thriving, and people are less receptive to selling and promotional-based (performance) messaging.

It’s an opportunity to reinforce brand presence in a strategic way, allowing you to reach more people more frequently and with greater attention than during periods where competition is fierce and everyone is trying to get known.

The IPA dataBANK case studies from the 2008 financial crisis show that brands with over 8% ESOV (Excess Share of Voice) saw five times the business impact and 4.5 times the annual market share growth compared to those that reduced their SOV (Share of Voice).

The data around this is so freaking irrefutable. Especially for big brands. And as someone who takes these tried and true marketing and branding principles and applies them specifically to "people" brands, there's so much truth and opportunity here people are missing.  

This strategic approach to positioning during an economic downturn is akin to buying low in the stock market. You get more leverage and maximize your investment's potential growth as the market recovers.

By focusing on positioning rather than promoting or agressive selling, you build trust and credibility. When economic conditions improve, you'll be the go-to option for your audience, having already established your value and reliability during tougher times.

Because you've done good strategic positioning, you’ve made it easy for them to buy from you—they know what you do, how you can help them, and why you're the best choice.

Just like investing in the market, positioning is about playing the long game. .

Positioning is not like day trading; You're not generally buying in to quickly sell. You're investing for growth.

This is something  I am leaning into - and helping others do it, and explore new, fresh, market-relevant ways to do it in a way that is authentic, aligned and stands out - for the right reasons. 

I'm running my popular Marketing Me® Experience for the Final Time this year starting in September and have capacity for 6-8 people (it's super intimate because we work so closely together), so if you'd like me to help you personally to get you clear and confident around your personal brand over 6 energising weeks, and then amping it up with the right positioning - reach out and let me know. 

I know a lot of people are waiting for the market to turn around again (especially in light of the business outcome forecasts being put forward by as economists at firms like Deloitte and KPMG).  Then, as the market momentum builds, they will put their hand to the plough and ramp things up, but by then it's going to be soooooo much hearder to be seen, be heard and stand out. The ROI on your positioning efforts will be a very different story. 

If you'd like to work with me, we'll work out what makes the most strategic sense for you and your business or professional goals, get the right foundational elements in place, and get you set up with your one-hour-a-week marketing system so you do all of this in a way that is conducive to your lifestyle, 

Easeful, enjoyable and energising.

That's my philosophy and the ONLY way to build a personal brand that goes the distance.

Positioning is a BIG part of that. 

And right now is the absolute best time to be capturing your "Share of Voice" while the opportunity is there!

You'll get to "buy in" while the market is low, and experience both long term sustained growth and commercial yields on your brand along the way!

And build an asset that you can quickly and easily apply to any commercial purpose in future. 

Things are going to be very different in 2025 - as economists are predicting an uptick and are cautiously optimistic - and this is your opportunity to a) get ready and b) get ahead of it. 

So there's a HUGE window opportunity right now! Using last part of this year to get primed, prepared and purposeful in your personal branding and positioning efforts.

So that you're already front of mind in 2025. 

It doesn't have to be exhausting or all gung-ho. Just focus on the right things, on the right order, like I write about on page 64 of my book Marketing Me.

And in the meantime you get to do a ton of good for a ton of people - and build your own clarity and confidence as you do - so it's a win/win all around. 

And even if you only take one thing from this blog, I hope that it's that you're inspired that now is a really good time to take action - OR - if you've been in an action for a while and showing up consistently delivering value (not just promoting) to the marketplace, that it's not been in vain and it will serve you well in the future. 

I've never regretted planting seeds earlier than I needed to, I was always grateful for the decisions I made for my future self. 

And that's what I want for you too. 

******
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nina Christian is a Marketing Futurist & Global Marketing Mentor who helps people do their marketing in a more human way. 

She is a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), Life Member and Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute & AMI State Chair (Vic) and for 20 years was director of Braveda (Winner, Best Marketing Agency, Australian Marketing Excellence Awards).

Several years ago Nina saw the world of marketing shifting – this time as people became their own brands.  With this, she created a new business as a thought leader, combining her expertise in brand building with personal positioning, resulting in a breakthrough praxis known as Marketing Me™.

She has a knack for simplifying the complex which comes from being a hands-on mum to five children, and uses this to turn time-sucking activities into easy-to-follow systems and processes that make a lot of sense and get outcomes fast.

There are different ways to work with Nina based on your situation and organisation size - with all of them you'll see rapid transformation and tangible outcomes fast. Book a chat with Nina here.