5 tips for experts and entrepreneurs to work with a personal brand in a crisis
Personal brand – one of the mechanics PR, Which helps an entrepreneur or business professional to be in demand, promote and expand. Natalia Ivanova, a consultant on strategic communications, told us what strategies to choose today to promote your personal brand.
The main problem faced by entrepreneurs today – The need to adapt the business infrastructure to the new reality, looking for new opportunities in the Russian and foreign markets. This applies to all parts of the business, including PR, marketing and advertising.
There are two systemic communication challenges in the current crisis:
- Business strategy changes dramatically – You need a plan of anti-crisis communications, including informational outputs on new platforms.
- Limitations of key international media platforms, adapting to them in the new conditions and monitoring alternative resources to which the audience really left.
These challenges also apply to changes in the approach to the personal brand of an entrepreneur or business professional.
1. Position building
We have created an expectation in the audience on social networks of our personal reaction to large-scale events on the global agenda. This has been the case with natural disasters, catastrophes, the COVID-19 pandemic. But there are crises in which one should form a position not in terms of personal emotions, but in terms of business priorities. Social network – A personal but professional platform. Positioning should be based on what mode your business will continue to operate in – for partners and clients. What are your intentions for your employees.
2. You made a statement, but you were wrong
One more critical thing: don’t switch positions from one opposite to the other in a matter of weeks, much less days. It’s a direct reputational blow to a personal brand. But if you have vented your emotional expression and then realized you were wrong, work it out with your PR manager. Prepare a statement and a plan of action if it is obvious that a post on social networks or the company’s website will not be enough.
3. Personal brand crisis communications plan
It involves more than just the initial statement-reaction to the crisis. Mainly it’s a strategy for your personal positioning in the professional and media field, taking into account redefined business priorities.
You stay in the same markets, but you will work differently; you have swiftly changed markets and already know how you will work; you have an innovative service that will help many in a crisis. Talk about it through your personal brand. This is a direct channel of communication with your investors, partners and clients. It’s a trusted channel. Finally, all of these – A healthy and necessary signal to your audiences.
4. Evaluating personal brand communication mechanics
Some of the communication platforms you used to work through have changed it. Evaluate which mechanics to keep for personal brand promotion and which should be abandoned in the interest of business. If your business has to change markets quickly, work out how you can enter the right communities and the right media quickly and optimally. How quickly you personally assert yourself in a new field and build credibility with your audiences will determine the success of your business.
5. You are an expert, and the crisis happened on your profile
Your position is especially expected by audiences and journalists. Crisis – The moment of truth, the audience’s validation of your professionalism. Refrain from taking a stand – means signing off on the fact that you’re a talking head for media commentary, not an industry professional. Formulate the position. Consider potential criticisms and questions from your opponents, and prepare reasoned and fact-based responses to them.
Be prepared for the fact that part of the audience will support your view and the other part will provoke and try to destroy you reputationally. Did you know that?. So respond with poise, keep your dignity, and stick consistently to the vision you originally chose. This is just the kind of thing where blatant online hate speech devoid of stance can be ignored.