Got an exit strategy? Here’s how to make your personal brand story count
When I launched The PR Hub nearly a decade ago, my intent was to provide young entrepreneurs with an opportunity to build their brands in the media to showcase their amazing and often disruptive businesses. At the time these businesses were only a few years in and the longer term exit strategy was not always top of mind.
Today we work across multiple industries with a diverse range of entrepreneurs, many of whom are well down the path as founders and business leaders, having either already taken (or at least considering) the next step in their business journey.
Working with both founders whose businesses have eventually been acquired (in the past two years at least eight of our clients have successfully been invested in or acquired) or acquired new businesses themselves, I see first-hand how personal branding, far from narrowing a potential investor’s lens, can actually become a key selling point down the track.
So, how do you leverage your personal story to help tell the story of your business and make it stand out from the crowd when you’re ready to take that next step?
- Share your back story
Don’t shy away from sharing those very early dreams, aspirations, and early influences. Everyone loves a great personal story, so having the courage to delve into what has shaped who you are today will genuinely interest people. A well-told founder story that taps into universal human truths, will serve to strengthen your bond with both your audience and potential investors.
Man of Many founder Frank Arthur is a great example of founder storytelling done right. His “journey from country kid to leader of a successful men’s lifestyle juggernaut” along with his university mate and co-founder Scott Purcell (who I have previously interviewed for the Influence Unlocked podcast), is both relatable and inspiring.
Or Susannah George, founder and CEO of Urban List, who makes no secret of the business’ humble beginnings in suburban Brisbane and how her experience as a young Aussie working in Paris and LA fed directly into her decision to found the business which she’s grown into the Number one business of its kind in AsiaPac.
- Connect your personal experience to the business’ success story
Founders tend to create businesses that solve problems or which fill important gaps in a market. Levels of experience will vary; some will have previous industry experience, others (like Frank Arthur) may be more green and do a lot more learning along the way.
Don’t shy away from sharing your years of industry experience and showcasing some insights into how you got to where you are today. There are so many brands out there competing across all industries that putting a human face to a brand will add credibility to your overall business success story.
- Stay abreast of current industry affairs
I’ve written previously about the importance of staying abreast of industry news and events from a thought leadership perspective. The goings-on in your industry, especially if they are topical or controversial, will provide lots of opportunity for expert commentary.
So don’t sit on the fence. Have an opinion! Publicly expressing your response to current affairs will not only help build your personal leadership profile, it will give your business and brand direct visibility to like-minded consumers, media, and other business owners or commentators, all of whom are interested in what you have to say.
- Get active on social media (especially LinkedIn)
In my last article I wrote about the important connection between social media and PR, and plenty of our clients who lead multi-million dollar businesses say that LinkedIn has been a game changer for them.
On LinkedIn, you get to curate your own content so you decide what you are posting and how often. If you want to keep the focus more on the company than you personally, highlight new hires, partnerships, and company results. Alongside news, it helps to share your personal opinions, ideas, and commentary; you’ll engage (and build a following) faster and better if you’re giving people content that interests, educates, or entertains them.
A quick word on exit strategy
Do you even need an exit strategy for your business? It’s not essential, but most successful entrepreneurs will have an exit – or at least a stepping back from the day-to-day so they can turn their focus elsewhere – as part of their medium-long term strategy.
Regardless of what you decide, if you’re unsure or uneasy about investing time or resources into personal branding because you fear being in the spotlight, even if you’re at a later stage in business and planning on how to attract investment without your personal brand being tied up in the sale, you’re not alone.
Either way, just as you would enlist a professional services provider like an accountant or SEO specialist, a good publicist will be able to help you develop a strategy for personal branding or building your profile as a thought leader and industry commentator, freeing you up focus on what you do best: building a winning business.