Do you know that the first impression you make as a hospitality professional is not just on your guest but also on yourself? If you want to succeed in the hospitality industry, it’s important to have a personal brand.
Building a personal brand that is visible to the external world is a great way to grow your hospitality career.
In hospitality, as well as other industries, personal branding is rooted in the established concept of professional reputation that is garnished with some unique 21st-century ideas about image, perceptions, and even marketing.
In the simplest form, we can regard personal branding as the act of taking your past works and your most sought-after skills to develop a unified marketing message that conveys the assets you can offer an organization.
As identified by Forbes, there are several amazing benefits of building a personal brand.
In this article, we will discuss the benefits of creating a personal brand and then provide some actionable steps for doing so.
Below are some benefits to expect when you choose to grow your personal brand.
Benefits of having a personal brand
1. You Will Gain More Trust: When Your personal hospitality brand explains the “why” you do what you do, people will be comfortable with you. And this will definitely foster trust. When clients know the source of your hospitality career energy, they will feel better about trusting you with their needs.
2. Your Perceived Value Will Increase: As your personal hospitality brand grows, prospects and clients will start thinking about you on a more emotional level (as a brand), and not just on an intellectual level (as a job title). Your prospect and existing clients will connect more deeply with your personal brand, which will enable you to charge more for your services. As a matter of fact, creating “credibility boosters” in the form of original, relevant content will establish you as an expert.
3. You Will Become a Magnet For Ideal Opportunities: Since your personal hospitality brand is authentic, it will open doors for like-minded people with the same values and goals as yours. Employers and/or customers will connect with you on a higher level. Interestingly, your rooted personal brand will shun opportunities that do not suit your brand’s purpose.
How to create a personal brand as a hospitality professional
Are you ready to build a rewarding personal brand as a hospitality professional? The following tips will help you achieve your goals:
- Be specific about your niche: The hospitality industry is a diverse industry with so many areas of expertise. In order to build a rewarding personal brand in hospitality, you need to identify your core strengths and skills. Will you perform better in tourism or hotel management? What about hotel marketing? The best way to identify your preference is by listing out the areas you are interested in. Get to know yourself better – what are you good at, what makes you happy, and what do you want to be known for. This will make it easier for you to get your hands around the field you’re good at.
- Define your brand: Once you are able to identify your area of expertise in the hospitality industry, the next step will be to define the basics of your personal brand. Develop a personal brand statement that reflects your values, personality traits, and skills
You need to develop the following to get your brand identity:
- Your Brand Name
- Your Brand Logo
- Your Brand Story
- Your Target Audience
- Your Services
Having defined answers to these will help structure your new brand.
- Build a good website: Having a website is a way to tell your target audience about your professionalism. It doesn’t have to be a complex one, a simple website for your personal hospitality brand will push to the online community. This is more targeted at people looking to apply for creative roles in hospitality or some executive leaders.
- Establish yourself as an expert: In a bid to grow as a hospitality expert, you need to let people know you have the knowledge and skills. How do you do that? By sharing high-value content across your platforms. From Instagram posts to the tweets you share, ensure they portray your expertise as a hospitality expert.
Write about topics that interest you and share them with the world.
- Network with stronger brands in your field: Your connection to other hospitality brands will determine if your personal brand will be strengthened or weakened. Network with professionals by joining professional associations that align with your goals or interests. Use this as an opportunity to make connections with new people in the industry by networking through social media channels like LinkedIn or attending conferences where other hospitality professionals will be present.
Are you ready to demonstrate your expertise and grow your hospitality career through your personal branding? Which of the above points will you begin with?
If any of these tips seem daunting, know that there are plenty of resources on our blog, available to help guide you on your way.