The rising interest in women’s football is clearly visible today and female players can
contribute a lot to make the game grow further by working on their authentic and
outstanding athlete branding. Together with our official partners the Johan Cruyff Institute, we talked about this subject in a webinar.
In today's blog you will read the first part of what we have discussed during this webinar. If you would like to learn more about athlete branding and what else we talked about in this session - check out part 2 in next week's blog or watch the recording in the video on the bottom of this article!
The importance of personal branding
You might have heard the term ‘personal branding’ several times. Maybe you haven’t really thought about it or think you don’t need a personal brand. But the reality is that even if you don’t make any attempt to create your personal brand, it still exists—even more so if you are active online.
To have a good reputation and representation of your personality, you have to work consciously on your personal brand
People will create a certain image of you based on what other people say, which might not be a good representation of who you really are. Because your personal brand is eventually just your reputation. And to have a good reputation and representation of your personality, you have to work consciously on your personal brand! There are different reasons for personal branding and why it can be beneficial to you. Let us name a few:
1. You are in charge of your own reputation
Personal branding is all about having control over your own reputation. If you are not working on your personal brand, you let other people create your image for you. And that is not what you want. You want to be in charge! If you spend time on personal branding, you can positively influence what other people will say about you, because you decide what to show and how to position yourself.
If you are not working on your personal brand, you let other people create your image for you
2. You create more exposure
As an athlete, you want to be seen. You want people to know that you are a good player to increase your chances of a transfer to a more successful team. You want businesses to notice you, so they will consider you for a sponsorship deal. The more exposure you get, the more you will get noticed by others. Your personal brand helps you to grow your audience and to grow that exposure.
3. You boost business opportunities like sponsorships
An important benefit of building and growing your personal brand is that it increases your sponsorship opportunities. A strong personal brand means strong values, a strong personality, and a unique identity. And with that you will distinguish yourself from others. Your audience identifies with you on a personal level, which is extremely interesting for companies with similar values and target audience. A match made in heaven?
A strong personal brand means strong values, a strong personality, and a unique identity
4. You increase your value
Who do you think will have a higher value: someone with a strong brand who has created a unique image, or someone who presents themself just like any other athlete?
You probably know the answer. You have to invest time and energy if you want to develop your brand, but it will help you increase your market value in return. With a stronger brand, more potential sponsors will be interested in working with you and they will be willing to offer you more as well.
With a stronger brand, more potential sponsors will be interested in working with you
5. You increase the chance of securing (future) job opportunities
Do you ever ask yourself what will happen when your football career is over? What are you going to do?
Your personal brand helps you increase your opportunities in your post-football career. It enables you to share your knowledge and experience with your audience, so you can position yourself as an expert in the field you are passionate about. This can be connected to a study you did or are doing, hobbies you have or other things you have done during your football career. But it also gives you the opportunity to build your network. The network you are building today may be very useful later and can definitely positively affect your future career opportunities.
Your personal brand helps you increase your opportunities in your post-football career
6. You can find clients for your own business
Some players have started their own business during their football career. If you have a business you need clients, and personal branding can help you with this. With your personal brand, you can build trust with your audience and position yourself as an authority in your industry. The stronger and more authentic your brand is, the deeper the connection with your audience will be.
The stronger and more authentic your brand is, the deeper the connection with your audience will be
Personal branding has great benefits for everyone, but to get the most out of your personal brand, you need to define your authentic identity first.
In the video below you can watch the recording of the webinar in which we talk about personal branding.
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