She does it again: Beyoncé broke the Internet when it was reported that she earned $24 million for a one-hour performance in Dubai at Atlantis The Royal. This staggering amount of money is a testament to Beyoncé’s personal brand authority and star power. Her allure, her artistry, and her sheer magnetism have placed her firmly at the top of the pop music industry. She’s definitely the GOAT – whether you like her music or not.
This is a testament to both Beyoncé’s prowess as an entertainer and to the immense respect she has earned as a personal brand throughout the entertainment and business industries.
Seeing that Beyoncé was able to demand $24M for one hour on stage, I couldn’t help but wonder:
How does one build up enough brand authority to be able to demand however much money one wants? how can everyday influencers, personal brands, experts, coaches, and speakers gain a similar level of personal brand authority?
The answer lies in personal branding. And that’s not something that you build overnight. It has to be crafted through years of execution and perfect effort.
In this article, you’ll learn 5 ways you can build personal brand authority like Beyoncé.
1. Know and Charge What You’re Worth
Do you believe and know what you’re worth? Are you actually charging what you’re worth? And are you walking in that in every conversation and business dealing you have?
To become an authority figure in your personal brand, these are questions you’ve got to ask genuinely yourself–whether you like the answers or not.
When you know your worth, don’t be humble about that sh*t.
You’re a beast at what you do and you’ve got to tell and show the world who you are. Don’t undersell yourself and your personal brand. It’s essential for you to charge your worth in order to build personal brand authority.
Knowing and believing your worth and charging accordingly is key to establishing yourself as an authority figure in your space. People need to recognize the value you bring, and that starts with understanding what you’re worth and communicating it effectively. Charging what you’re worth will help set a standard of excellence for others to follow and establish you as an industry leader. Furthermore, be okay with walking away if they don’t want to pay what you’re worth. It’s better to miss the deal than to devalue yourself because when you do it once, you’ll do it again. And, that’s how habits forms. You should also avoid these 5 mistakes.
The world will pay your worth when YOU believe your worth first.
2. Define Your Personal Brand
Who are you? What do you stand for? Who are you as a personal brand and what do you want to be known for? This will help people recognize your personal brand and the value you bring. Defining your personal brand will help build the personal brand authority that you desire.
You should also consider your personal mission statement and personal values. Having a clear sense of why you are in business and what motivates you is essential to posture yourself as an authority figure in your field.
The world can’t know who you are until you do. Your brand is simply what other people say about you when you’re not around. Your brand is not a logo or social media account; it’s what people believe about you.
So, what do you want people to say about you?
3. Create Experiences That Add Value to People’s Lives
Beyoncé didn’t get to her position by accident. She created experiences that people are willing to pay for; experiences that add value to their lives and keep them begging for more.
You can do the same thing in your field. Create content, products, or services that solve a problem your audience is facing, and make sure that it’s done on a very high level of quality, excellence, and execution. By creating experiences that add value to people’s lives, you can start building personal brand authority and become an industry leader in no time.
I’m not saying you need to go over the top Beyoncé-style, but think about it like this: how can you do in your business, what Beyoncé has done over the last two decades, but on YOUR level? Look at what the greats do, and reverse engineer it for yourself.
By consistently providing high-value content, products, services, and experiences people love, you will establish yourself as an authority figure in your industry and be able to command a larger bag.
4. Brand Yourself Online Using Visual Branding
What brings a personal brand to life is the visuals. I mean just look at Beyoncé’s music videos. When you listen to the audio of the song, you think about the visuals she created for the song. Even her last album cover broke the Internet.
You’ve got to have the visuals to bring your personal brand to life. Visuals play a key role in personal branding because your audience is able to identify and become familiar with your personal brand.
Be sure to have consistency across all your platforms and websites to build personal brand authority.
This can be achieved by using the same colors, font choices, style guides, logo designs, etc. Your personal brand should be recognizable no matter what platform you’re on. That consistency is key. And, don’t forget to add personal touches like photos of yourself, behind-the-scenes videos and stories, and personal quotes. People love that sh*t because it endures. Now, don’t get out of hand and just post what you had for lunch (unless that’s relevant to your brand). Every piece of content should have a purpose.
When potential clients or customers come across your personal brand online, it should give them a feeling of familiarity and trust.
When you combine all these elements together and become the best at what you do, your personal brand authority will follow. People need to recognize your personal brand and know that when they come to you, they’re getting quality products or services from an industry leader. Beyoncé is an industry leader! She’s at the top of her game and her industry.
5. Divorce the Outcome and Marry the Actions
This means: don’t get so caught up in the outcome of what you’re trying to accomplish that you lose sight of the activities it requires to get there.
It’s easy to watch the scoreboard when you have a burning passion to reach your goals. But, if you’re watching the scoreboard, you’re not focused on the game. Keep your eyes on the activities that are required to reach the goal (because the goal is nothing without the activities). Stay focused.
In personal branding, this means you need to commit yourself to the process. You’ll need to invest time, money, and energy into creating content, products, or services that add value to people’s lives. That is the only way personal brand authority will be achieved.
Beyoncé has proven that personal brands can build authority and success. Keep doing what you’re doing in your own way and I guarantee that you’ll become so laser-focused on the execution that the outcome won’t even matter.
6. Be Consistent, Then Be Consistent Some More
Consistency is key to building undeniable personal brand authority. You’ve got to consistently showcase the value you bring to the world and give your audience a reason to keep coming back. The more consistent you are, the more personal brand authority and success you’ll achieve.
Branding is simply consistency over time. If you do one thing enough over a long period of time, your authority on that subject is inevitable. When folks think of that thing, they’ll think of you. When they hear someone needing something related to that thing, they’ll recommend you. Beyoncé has been executing at a high level in the music industry for 26 years and counting. That’s why she can demand $26M for a one-hour performance. That, my friend, is brand authority!
Now that you have a few keys to building your personal brand authority in your space, it’s time to unlock the next level and become the industry leader you know you can be. Be determined, be focused, and don’t ever give up on yourself. Believe in yourself and watch the authority come.
Read this post to learn how I became a personal brand and what yours can do for you.
