Building a personal and corporate brand

Too many B2B companies think they must choose between driving traffic through their corporate page or boosting executive presence with personal branding.

But what if the real answer is both?

Brands that prioritize only their corporate machines often see low engagement.

Why?

Because logos don’t form relationships; people do.

Even LinkedIn themselves are talking about the importance of Executive profiles over corporate pages.

Executives with strong personal brands can act as magnets - drawing attention, establishing trust, and guiding audiences back to the corporate brand.

This blog will explore why building a personal brand isn’t just about individual growth, it’s about amplifying your company’s reach and reputation.

We’ll provide proven strategies, real-world examples, and actionable steps to help executives and strategic marketers strike the perfect balance.

Why Personal Brands Outperform Corporate Pages

Building personal brands beats relying solely on corporate accounts, and the data backs it up. According to the Edelman-LinkedIn Thought Leadership report, employee posts generate 8 times more engagement than company content, while content shared by employees extends the reach by an astounding 561% compared to official brand channels.

Why does this happen? Because personal stories resonate. People are drawn to authenticity, relatability, and the human touch. A faceless company logo, no matter how sleek, can’t offer that connection.

For instance, take Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. His consistent, values-driven thought leadership on platforms like LinkedIn doesn’t just establish him as a trusted voice in tech. It also humanizes Microsoft, fostering goodwill that ripples down to the company itself.

The Parasocial Power Move

Here’s where the magic happens. Personal branding creates parasocial relationships. This psychological phenomenon refers to the one-sided connection audiences form with personalities they admire or trust.

When executives build trust through transparency and storytelling, that trust often transfers to their organizations. Consider this pathway:

• People discover and follow an executive because of their valuable insights or perspectives.
• Over time, this audience begins to trust the executive’s judgment and expertise.
• That trust spills over, encouraging the audience to engage with and explore the company the executive represents.

Imagine being the approachable, insightful voice that embodies your company’s values. When you share your unique perspective on leadership, innovation, or industry progress, you’re naturally leading people toward your company, no hard sell needed.

Step-by-Step Strategies for Building a Personal Brand that Benefits Your Company

Now that we’ve established why personal branding is critical, how do you build one that aligns with your company and supports its growth? Follow these actionable steps:

Step 1. Define Your Content Pillars

Every strong personal brand starts with focus. Identify 2–3 content pillars where your personal passions intersect with your company’s mission. These pillars guide your messaging and make your brand cohesive.

For example:

• “The Future of Work”
• “Remote Leadership Insights”
• “Innovating Team Culture at [Your Company]”

These themes should reflect both your expertise and values, as well as highlight topics that matter to your company's audience. This alignment ensures every post subtly reinforces your company’s identity.

Step 2. Share Valuable and Authentic Content

To build your audience’s trust, put authenticity above perfection. Content shared with sincerity often resonates far more than polished corporate statements.

Post Ideas:

• Behind-the-Scenes Decisions: Share your thought process behind major leadership decisions.
• Lessons Learned: Be honest about successes, failures, and the lessons each brought.
• Industry Insights: Offer strategic commentary or actionable predictions about shifts in your industry.

Devin Banerjee of LinkedIn News notes that raw, off-the-cuff content often sparks higher engagement rates because it feels real and relatable. If you’re experimenting with a new strategy or approach at your company, talk about it openly.

Step 3. Integrate Subtle Brand Mentions

One common mistake executives make in personal branding is overly promotional content. Your audience isn’t looking for ads, they’re looking for insights. Instead, integrate your company naturally into your stories.

For instance:

• “At [Company], we’ve been piloting a new approach to hybrid work culture…”
• “A recent project at [Company] taught me the importance of…”

Tag your company only when relevant, and ensure your posts prioritize value rather than self-promotion.

Step 4. Engage Publicly as a Leader

Your engagement strategy extends beyond posting. Actively participating in online discussions builds trust and increases visibility for both you and your organization.

How to Engage:

• Comment on posts related to your content pillars.
• Join trending conversations using relevant hashtags.
• Tag and interact with influencers in your industry.

Remember, your public interactions say as much about your leadership style as your original content.

Step 5. Amplify Through Cross-Promotion

Your personal and corporate channels should complement rather than compete with each other. This builds cohesion between your executive voice and your company’s branding.

Tactics:

• Occasionally reshare corporate content but add your perspective (e.g., “I’m particularly proud of this initiative at [Company]…”).
• Boost company visibility by tagging the corporate page and encouraging employees on your team to engage with your posts.

Cross-promotion ensures that your efforts amplify both profiles simultaneously.

How Personal Branding Drives Business Results

When done well, personal branding doesn’t dilute corporate branding. Instead, it becomes a powerful driver of growth. Here’s how it benefits your company:

• Expanded Reach: Your posts may reach audiences who wouldn’t otherwise interact with your corporate page.
• Improved Trust: Executive thought leadership builds credibility and rapport, making your audience more likely to trust your company.
• Halo Effect: A visible, trustworthy leader creates a positive association for the brand, positioning it as more human, innovative, and relatable.

LinkedIn research even suggests that thought leadership from executives can help increase pipeline conversions and attract higher-value customers.

Bonus Tip to Manage Branding with Ease

Want to simplify managing both your personal and corporate profiles? Tools like SocialHP make creating and scheduling content seamless. From a single dashboard, you can:

• Maintain cohesion between executive and brand messaging.
• Schedule posts across multiple profiles.
• Monitor engagement and performance metrics.

It’s a modern way to align your personal voice with your company’s goals while staying efficient.

Build the Brand People Trust and Bring Them Home

Building a strong personal brand isn’t a distraction from growing your company. It’s a proven strategy to amplify trust, expand reach, and humanize your corporate brand. When your audience connects with you as a leader, their engagement eventually benefits your company.

The next step? Start posting with purpose. Show your audience who you are, what you stand for, and how your values connect back to the company you represent. When you lead with personality, your brand will follow.