In 2023  Time Magazine might name “You” the Person of The Year. Ten years later, “You” are the Brand of The Year.

Personal brand building online for executives, employees, and students will continue to dominate. It may have been considered clever two, three, or four years ago to say, “I am a technological dummy,” but it’s not clever anymore.

It’s irresponsible.

As brands push to further humanize and engage with consumers in new ways, they’ll look to their workforce to lead the charge.

Executives will become micro brands within organizations.  Poised to buoy social media content distributed by the brand.

Does it really work?

Building my personal brand has changed my life.

When I wanted to get into social media,  in a serious way I opened the Facebook Page The Social Hotelier – Home | Facebook . I started to go LIVE every Wednesday and talk about things the most to tourism-related folks. That also gained the attention of Mediterranean Tourism Forum which has an annual conference in Malta. In 2018 I   moderated a panel discussion on the topic, ¨Technology Re-defining the Hospitality of the Future¨. These opportunities gave us visibility in front of 1000 delegates. More important the opportunity to network with like-minded people. Networking is a start of a relationship. The relation in turn may create a business opportunity.

In 2014  a Finnish Business Daily published a blog I wrote about the potential of Chinese Tourism to the Gateway of Europe, Finland. This article was read by several hotel owners and it provided me with leads to several assignments.

The B8B Hospitality brand was another way I could reach more people with my service offers. I am often asked what B8B stands for. This gives a chance to tell the brand’s unique story.… a bit of storytelling…anyway, this is how it goes 😜 .

B8B is the philosophy of my business ¨Business Eterne Business¨. The purpose is to provide hospitality services in the various cycles of my client business that endures all time. I work side by side with clients in all phases of their venture and provide value, and provide solutions that Transform the Hospitality Assets of his business.

In the brand logo the Greek symbol Infinity is displayed as numerical 8.

The numerical 8 is very important. In Asia where I spent a major part working. It is customary to regard even numbers as being more auspicious than odd ones. No. 8 has been regarded as the luckiest number in Chinese culture. With the pronunciation of ‘Ba’ in Chinese, no. 8 sounds similar to the word ‘Fa’, which means prosperity, success, etc.

It is no coincidence why the  Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 were opened on August 08.08.08.08 pm, and why my company is called B8B Hospitality.

How do I start building my personal brand?

Taking control of your personal brand doesn’t have to be hard. Here are five simple ways to get started:

1. 1. Become active on the top social media sites (Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) by contributing to conversations in your industry.

1. 1. Start your own Facebook Page and provide value with LIVE video from your desktop Lifestreams with Facebook. Live is the episodical videos and lifestreams are on the go going live with tour mobile device.  Repurpose evergreen topics to your YouTube account, or create fresh content for your YouTube channel. Here is what I do on YouTube. LINK

1. 1. Start your Instagram Business Account and provide value daily with Instagram Stories, Reels and Posts. This is how I do it on Instagram  The Social Hotelier

1. 1. Buy your domain name and create a personal website.

1. Start blogging (or vlogging) about what’s going on in your industry, using your own voice and opinions. Get disciplined and be curious about what is happening in your industry and around you, and document it. People will love to learn what you learned.  I have to admit blogging does not come easy to me. I decided to make an effort to publish a piece at least twice a month. I now regularly have a blog published in Studio Puisto Architects Newsletter. 

Who should do it?

Employees:

Whether you feel secure within your job or not, your job might go away. In fact, your whole company/industry might go away. Building your personal brand is a safety net. Investing in your personal brand is an investment in your career.  The equity is yours.

Bosses:

Educate your customers about your product in a non-invasive manner while establishing trust. Empower your employees to advocate for your brand.  Allow employees to amplify your message via social media.

Unemployed:

When potential employers Google you, they’ll see that you’ve been an active content creator. Engaging with others, sharing ideas, and contributing to your field prove your acuity. Now, you’re not just a clock-puncher, you’re a thought leader concerned with the larger world. And that’s attractive to your next employer.

Entrepreneurs:

Customers will view you as a thought leader. They will connect with your business on a personal level. New business, new investors, and outside opportunities that you never could have conceived will come to you

Students:

Students who grasp the reins of their personal brand will be the first to get the attention of potential employers.  When engaging in building your personal brand, you will help further define your career path.  You may even discover an idea that will start you on the path to becoming an entrepreneur.  

What you need to know:

If you’re preparing to generate content (blogging, podcast, video, etc.), make sure it’s good. This may sound simple, but if you’re publishing junk, people will view you as junk. It’s difficult to repair a damaged personal brand online.

When done properly you will educate customers in a human way, and establish trust. People will view you as a thought leader. Customers will connect with your brand on a personal level.

Employers, customers, partners, investors, and opportunities discover you instead of you discovering them.