Personal brand vs. company brand – it’s the first major choice you have to make before even publishing a single post online. Make the right choice and you’ll have a head start with the growth of your content. Fail to choose wisely and you’ll have to rebuild your whole online presence after one year.
One of the most important strategic decisions regarding social media marketing is not the choice of the social media platform to be used, but the choice of developing either a personal brand vs. a company brand. Both methods can promote a business, but the results are entirely different, and the wrong choice can hold you back for many months.
What Is a Personal Brand vs. Company Brand?
When we talk about the personal brand vs. company brand , the main thing is to focus on the audience. If you create a personal brand, then a person – a founder, consultant, or one of the key employees – becomes the main part of the content. People follow a certain person and not the logo of the brand.
When creating a company brand, people do not care who creates the content for them. They simply follow the brand itself. In any case, it is worth saying that there is no good and bad sides in the personal brand vs. company brand debate. It all depends on your industry, goals, and business.
Pros and Cons of a Personal Brand
Pros
- Establishes rapport quickly – people connect with people, not brands/logos
- Relatively easy to create relatable content
Cons
- Growth depends on one individual – the brand may lose steam when he/she steps away
- Difficult to delegate to other people/team/firms down the line
- Limited when company expands beyond one individual figure
Pros and Cons of a Company Brand
Pros
- Independence from a particular person
- Professional approach and more stability for bigger and B2B companies
- Better managed by a team of people or outsourced
- More suitable for product-oriented or multi-site businesses
Cons
- Harder to gain trust and personality
- Content will be more generic and lacks the brand’s unique voice
- Difficult to make noise in the crowd
Personal Brand vs. Company Brand : How to Decide
The choice between personal branding and company branding depends on the nature of your business:
- Retail and D2C brands – use company branding as the focus is on the product rather than the individual
- Realtors and consultants – use personal branding as the relationship is key in this industry
- Hospitality and restaurants – use company branding but add founder/chef to bring personality to the page
- Coaches, trainers, and freelancers – always use personal branding over a company one
Simple Methodology for Decision-Making
Do you think:
- The founder is the most credible aspect of the business? → Personal brand
- Product/Service is the major selling proposition? → Company Brand
- Do you think about hiring a team for managing your content in the long run? → Company Brand
- Are you an independent consultant, coach, or agent? → Personal brand
- Do you need both visibility and scalability in the long run? → Hybrid approach
Can You Have Both?
Yes. There is no need to choose between the two sides of the personal brand vs. company brand conflict once and forever. Quite many companies implement a mixed strategy by having their corporate page that maintains the uniform image of the brand together with the profile of the founder of the company that builds credibility and reach.
FAQS
- Can a company brand ever outperform a personal brand? Indeed. Within product-based companies, retail stores, and larger groups of people, company brands develop trust much faster and with more durability than any individual’s personal brand.
- Am I limited to choose one option only? Not at all. A combined strategy is increasingly becoming common – using a company brand for reliability while expanding with a personal brand at the same time.
- What is the biggest mistake that companies make when deciding between personal brand vs. company brand ? Making that choice due to trends but not due to their business models.
Conclusion
It is obvious that when choosing between a personal brand vs. company brand , there are no right choices. Choose the one which corresponds to your company type, aims and the level of your personal desire for development.