What Top Investment Boutiques Know About the Power of Personal Brand

Want your boutique investment firm to stand out? Think about getting a little more personal (with your branding.)

To be clear, you still need your company brand—the logo, tagline, and all that jazz—but your company brand is not the same thing as your personal brand.

Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.

You obviously can’t control what people say about you—whether you’re there or not— but you can have an impact on the way others perceive you, your business, and what you bring to the table.

How do you want people to see you?

When you invest in your personal brand, you establish credibility, attract your ideal clients, and differentiate yourself in a competitive market.

personal vs. business brand: what's the difference?

Company brands and personal brands don’t fall into the “or” category—this is a full “and” situation.

Company brand or and personal brand.

Business brand = Your boutique firm and its values, mission, and people. It’s the clients you serve and how you do that in a different way.

Personal brand = Putting a face, heart, and soul on that company; the personification of the business brand.

You’re not identical twins, but you’re certainly related. Your personal brand makes it easier for true fans to connect with you—because isn’t it much easier to connect with a person than a logo?

Your personal and business brands should work in conjunction with each other—especially when you’re a boutique founder. Your business brand is the foundation of building your firm, and then the personal brand is the juice that really kicks your efforts up a notch.

laying the groundwork for your personal brand

You knew your company needed branding, but now you need it, too?! We get it—your head is probably spinning. Where should you even begin?

Let’s start at the very beginning—a very good place to start. (Shout-out to The Sound of Music)

You need to develop your backstory.

Stories create connection, and your backstory as a founder is essential to the initial growth of your boutique firm. Your backstory could ultimately be the reason an early adopter investor chooses to work with you—knowing who you are and how you got to where you are can sometimes be more important to them than the actual numbers.

Get really clear on your target market: who you serve, how you help them, and why they should care about you. What makes you different than everybody else who could potentially provide the same or similar services?

With your target market in mind, you can craft your backstory in a way that will speak to them and accurately portray who you are.

What is your story, and what about it makes you qualified to be their guide?

Your backstory is your personal journey—not your resume. And honestly? It requires some courage on your part because your story should be vulnerable and relatable. You don’t need to overshare, but you should challenge yourself to push outside of your comfort zone a bit.

Keep this five-phase arc in mind as you craft your backstory for your personal brand:

1.   There is a relatable likable character (that’s you!)
2.   They encounter obstacles.
3.   They face a truth or make a decision.
4.   They determine what to do.
5.   They emerge transformed.

The thread that ties it all together? There should be high stakes involved. Think about your favorite movies as examples—the stakes have to be high if you want people to cheer for you.

This upfront internal work is so essential to your personal brand. Engaging in critical thinking and deep exploration before you start posting on social media and creating content will ensure that both you—and your true fans—know exactly who you are.

creating content as a boutique founder brand

Once you’ve committed to how you want to show up in the world, the next step is to…actually show up. And by show up, we mean it’s time to start creating valuable content to establish yourself as a thought leader.

Cue: The panic. “What am I supposed to talk about?!”

Go back to the initial work you did on your target market, put yourself in their shoes, and brainstorm things that they care about. Be realistic, too—you can’t tell yourself they care about something because you want them to care about it.

When you’re clear about what your target market cares about, think about what you care about—not just professionally, but personally. Consider your hobbies and passions; what makes you unique?

Take all those ideas and narrow them down to about five different categories of content—these are your signature content pillars, and they will keep you on track when you’re in creation mode.

Rotate through these pillars to ensure you’re staying true to your personal brand.

your brand may be personal, but you don't need to build it alone

The idea of building your personal brand may feel like a lot—especially as you’re getting your firm off the ground. The good news? You don’t have to navigate those waters on your own.

If branding, marketing, and content creation aren’t your unique abilities, then don’t do them. You have to be willing to delegate activities or tasks that are necessary, but not your “thing.”

Our founder, Stacy Havener, shares her thoughts about delegation—including the possible benefits of getting a ghostwriter—in a video chat about modern marketing for investment boutiques. She shares several invaluable tips for founders about personal branding, building social capital, and leveraging LinkedIn. Learn more and get access to the free video below 👇