I’ll best illustrate this with the use of a listening-to-the-radio analogy. If you listen to the radio, you have a couple of (or more) stations you like to listen to, maybe for the music they play or the programs they feature. However, should you hear something you don’t like (songs you don’t appreciate, too many commercials), odds are you’ll change the station. Even more displeasing is where there’s too much static noise on a particular station, in which case you hurriedly find the next best station and escape the static!

Always having strings attached to the content you provide

Blending that analogy to our topic of the day, your personal brand is the radio station, and what you present to your audience is like the music/content that radio stations provide. If the audience likes what you have to offer (informative content, helpful material and advice), they’ll tune in to your brand.

Noise in your personal branding comes when you start being confusing in your messaging. Messages that are disconnected from your brand, are more likely to chase your audience away. Constantly going ‘salesy’ on your audience is bound to push them away as well, much like a station playing too many commercials will drive listeners away.

This often happens when you’re focused diligently on garnering a “return on your investment” into your personal brand. The audience wants messages that are relevant, useful, informative, and valuable yet authentic to your personal brand. How do you help, with a product or a service, a specific audience?  If you can communicate helpful hints or educate others from your strength area, then your audience sees that your messages are relevant and helpful. When they see you as someone who provides helpful, valuable information they’ll seek you out for further business.

A list of ingredients does not make a chef. Go ahead! Share what goes into the secret sauce!

The trick is to balance the helpful content with the marketing pitch. Asking every once in a while for customers to buy from you is acceptable, as it’s a good way to generate business. However, let the ratio of good content in relation to marketing be favorable in terms of the former, and you’ll be keeping your “listeners” tuned in all the time.