Growing Your Personal Brand into an Entrepreneur Brand

"Operating from under the singular umbrella of your entrepreneur brand will allow you to leverage your interests and your mission. You'll connect with more followers, including individuals from outside your immediate online community. Entrepreneur brands shift the focus from the influencer to the audience. Expand your community and enhance your audience engagement by turning the “personal” into an “entrepreneurship." It's a surefire way to make the most of your brand."

You might not even realize it, but so much of what you peruse, and ultimately purchase, is a function of a social media Influencer. Whether you're into fitness or food (heck, even dog fitness or dog food), there's an influencer that is making it their mission to attract hundreds of thousands of followers who share in common a specific area of interest.

Perhaps you just like the general vibe of a particular influencer, and therefore enjoy swiping through their aspirational existence. But there is so much more at play...in a very subterranean way. If you yourself are a social media Influencer, you're able to discreetly monetize your digital existence through branding opportunities.

A real life example of this Influencer economy just hit the internet in a major way: Kylie Jenner was just dethroned by Dwayne Johnson as the highest paid Instagram influencer in the world. The Rock is raking in roughly $1 million per sponsored post.

If you're a social media Influencer but not a Kardashian, fear not. The world of paid posts and sponsored content is far reaching and has proven hugely lucrative for Influencers with sizable followings. The key, however, is making the transition from hobby to thriving business. One common mistake? Influencers will often employ different names for their websites, channels, and stores—the result of which is much confusion for the consumer, and less business for the Influencer.

Once an influencer has attained a certain number of followers and subsequent fanfare, it's best for them to make the thoughtful transition from their personal brand to an entrepreneur brand.

What's the difference? The focus.

Personal brands focus on the parasocial relationship that emerged from the early interactions of the personal brand. If you're transitioning to an entrepreneur brand, it's time to examine how the personal brand is presented to further attract the audience. The parasocial relationship is the springboard from which the entrepreneur brand rises. Think Facebook versus LinkedIn.

Making the switch from a personal brand to an entrepreneur brand means you will streamline both your channels and sales. Operating from under a singular umbrella of your entrepreneur brand will allow you to leverage your interests and your mission. You'll connect with more followers, including individuals from outside your immediate online community. Entrepreneur brands shift the focus from the influencer to the audience. Expand your community and enhance your audience engagement by turning the “personal” into an “entrepreneurship." It's a surefire way to make the most of your brand.