You’ve heard people saying that you need to get visible and show up in your business to attract your dream clients, but you’re wondering if you REALLY need to.

I know you might feel like it’s easier to hide behind your laptop and do work that doesn’t involve putting yourself out there (I’ve been there!). Getting visible it’s not something that comes naturally to many of us. However, showing up in your business and building a personal brand is essential to attracting clients and establishing trust with your audience.

In this blog post, I’m going to talk through 4 reasons why it’s important to get visible in your business and build your personal brand.

I’m also going to be sharing photos that I took of the amazing fashion designer and stylist Deborah Dedewo. Deborah modelled for us at our recent workshop retreat for branding photographers in London. Her energy was just incredible and if anyone can inspire you to get more visible in your business, it’s Deborah!

Here are my four reasons why you need to get visible in your business:

1. People buy from people they know, like and trust

I’m sure you’ve probably heard of the know, like and trust factor before – it’s a fundamental principle of marketing. Your potential customers need to firstly know who you are in order to find out what you offer. They need to like your personality and approach, and then they need to trust that you can deliver on your promises before they part with their money.

By getting visible and showing your face, you can ensure they hear about you in first place, and also that they like and trust you. As the saying goes, people buy from people, and they can’t get to know you if you’re in hiding!

Imagine if you walked into an independent shop and the owner ducked down behind the counter and wouldn’t show their face or talk to you. It wouldn’t exactly motivate you to purchase anything! That’s exactly what you’re doing if you don’t get visible as a small business owner.

2. Being visible helps you stand out from your peers

There are likely many other businesses out there offering very similar products or services to yours. By getting visible, building your personal brand and sharing your unique story, you can differentiate yourself from the competition and attract your dream clients who adore what you have to offer.

Imagine you are choosing between two people who offer a very similar service…one of them has been showing up regularly, sharing why they do what they do and demonstrating the love and passion that they have for their work. They share engaging photos of themselves on their website and social media and bring you into their world.

The other person only shares inspiring quotes and photos of landscapes and doesn’t even have a photo of themselves on their about me page. Who are you more likely to book with? I know who I would spend my money with!

3. It creates opportunities for you and your business

When you get visible in your business and grow your personal brand, you become a voice in your industry. You establish yourself as an expert, someone who knows what they’re talking about and has the experience to back it up.

This helps you to gain credibility and increases your chances of being noticed by other entrepreneurs or businesses in your industry. This can then lead to collaborations, partnerships, and other opportunities to reach new people and grow your business. How are people going to know about you and all of the brilliant things you do if you don’t tell them about it?!

All of the opportunities I’ve had in my business – such as speaking on stages, featuring in books and magazines, guest speaking on popular podcasts – have all come as a results of being visible in my business. Building my own personal brand meant that others saw me as an authority in my field and invited me to share my knowledge with their audience. That definitely wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t put myself out there and been visible.

4. Getting visible can boost your confidence

One thing I am really passionate about is helping female entrepreneurs to increase their confidence and self-belief. Expanding your comfort zone and getting visible can be scary, but it can also be incredibly empowering.

When you show up and build your personal brand as an entrepreneur, you not only build trust with your audience, but also with yourself. By taking risks, trying new things, and putting your ideas and work out into the world, you prove to yourself that you are capable and deserving of success.

Getting visible can also help you to overcome imposter syndrome and other self-doubts that can hold you back in your business. Whenever I show up in a way that is slightly out of my comfort zone, I feel braver afterwards and it increases my confidence. The more visible you get (in a way that feels true to you and doesn’t give you the ick!) the more you will start to believe in yourself.

This increase in confidence and self-belief can have a ripple effect on your entire life. You may find yourself taking on new challenges, setting bigger goals, and pursuing your dreams with more enthusiasm and passion. And who can say no to that!

So, don’t let self-doubt hold you back from building your personal brand as a female entrepreneur. The more visible you become, the more you will believe in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals. Being visible gets easier the more you do it, I promise!

One thing you do need in order to  build your personal brand is some gorgeous branding photos that showcase your personality and your love for what you do.  When you have a selection of magazine-worthy images of yourself at your fingertips, it makes getting visible SO much easier. Luckily I can help you with just that! Check out my personal brand photography services here.