In the Middle East, the idea of having your personal name directly attached to your business brand is a fairly new concept. Most entrepreneurs in the business world already understand the significance of being recognized in the industry and how it strengthens their market, presence and revenue. How often you present and describe yourself will help you stand out from the competition as well as keep your clients in the loop of your business growth.
Social networks were made to connect people to each other. Regardless of that, most online businesses do not recognize the value that social networks have on their ability to create relationships online. Trusting online referrals and public relations is still a difficult process for most businesses.
When closing a deal, people from the Middle East believe that a handshake should be in process. It is obvious that networking is the core of each business and a successful entrepreneur understands that if he or she wants his or her business to grow, he or she needs to surround himself or herself with the right audience and relate to the best people in the industry. He or she connects with the people he or she trusts through business meetings and relations, events or dinners.
What causes Middle Eastern entrepreneurs to find it harder to connect online is the fear element that is produced from trust. Face-to-face events and connections are held more important than online relationships due to the fact that people trust others more when they see them in person.
How Do You Eliminate This Fear to Become More Successful in the Middle East?
Despite the fact that most entrepreneurs and business owners understand the significance of having their personal names and branding when building a trusted reputation, the concept is not usually applied in the correct manner.
In this day and age, it is important to utilize technology in personal branding. Integrating the self and the personality in a business exposes it to a wider global audience and embeds people’s characters in their brands. This helps support their vision and brings uniqueness to the business. In other words, become a futuristic leader that people can trust by paying attention to these points that I have included in this article:
- Allow yourself to be seen in global magazines by making sure to feature yourself in around ten well-known print medias every year.
- Work on your social media presence and create an influencial and friendly environment for your clients.
In the Middle East, people are big consumers of content on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Despite the fact that LinkedIn is not one of the highest used platforms in Arab countries, take advantage of various creative means to engage people in your business. Dream big with your customers and include them in your journey.
- Be a trendsetter and share your story online by letting your followers know the steps you’ve taken to reach the goals you have completed today.
Older entrepreneurs believe that engaging with people through a personal brand commits you to a life of no privacy and allows people to understand your experiences deeply. This worries them because they think that the growth of their business should be kept a secret to protect their success. This mentality has been slowly diminishing over time with a new generation of leaders inspiring and supporting people with their success.
Let your followers know about your inspiring stories, the value of your content and the human side of you that they could relate to. Listen to their concerns about their own businesses, let them learn from your failures and inspire them through your success stories. Let them see your name everywhere and keep it at the top of their minds. You will then open up their minds to the new western techniques of leadership and personal branding and make them respect you and your journey more.
- Stay in check with the new leaders of today and learn from the techniques they use. People and businesses in the Middle East are always up-to-date with the new leaders of the day in various fields. It is important for you to notice what big Western entrepreneurs and public figures are doing to represent such a strong and stable business. People only want to work with the best in the business.
- Localize your online presence and expand your audience by helping them relate to your content. Focus on the culture, language, social behavior and perception of your clientele by making use of branding experts who are always available to help you create your space while preparing a flexible stage for you to meet your potential clients. People feel more secure and comfortable when they know that you understand their expectations and their cultures.
- Stay up-to-date with Middle Eastern challenges and give your opinion online by mentioning a few real-time suggestions and solutions that you might be thinking about. The Arab market is constantly hungry for solutions and valuable opinions.
With the new ways available for building brands, most leaders have already started changing their behaviors for the growth of their businesses. While some still believe that personal branding is a practice reserved for public figures, new up-and-coming entrepreneurs understand the connection between allowing your followers to know you and the growth of your platform. Owners of businesses have made themselves memorable by making an impact on their clients and the business world.
The majority of profiles today lack the development of personal branding strategies. A clear branding strategy will allow you the right positioning when coming up with your personal brand or putting your name on the market. By being aware of the real time exposure of your brand, forecasting potential risks to the industry and your skills in communicating with new connections, you will be able to attract a larger audience as well as potential partners.
