How to build a successful personal brand as a tutor

What do strong brands have in common? They're easily identifiable, have a good reputation, and are successful. Personal branding is about creating an identity that people can connect with and trust. It gives you an edge over the competition and mirrors you as an authority in your field. In the tutoring industry, personal branding can be powerful. But it is no walk in the park. It is a process that requires time, a well-thought-out strategy, a well-defined brand value system, self-improvement, commitment, and consistency. 

How can you create a unique image for yourself, set yourself apart from competitors, and reach a larger audience? 

Meet Teacher Daesha, the ultimate teacherpreneur! She's on a mission to help unleash the potential of others and show them the many income streams available online. Her YouTube channel takes you behind the scenes of her classroom and shares tips on starting your own teaching business. Plus, she's a TEFL-certified English teacher who has taught over 400 international students. Here's expert advice from Teacher Daesha.

Brand image is essential

Without an image, a strong personal brand can not exist. Building your personal brand image includes thinking about those values, strengths, and passions that make you shine. Identifying and focusing on your specialty. Figuring out whatever area(s) you excel in and putting all your energy into those. Once you have figured out these questions, the rest is about ensuring your clients know and recognize your brand when they see critical elements related to it.

It is important to note that recognition never ends. It requires constant stimulation, new ideas, a well-rounded strategy, consistency, and being present. You don't have to be widely known right away. Your priority at the start should be gaining recognition in those circles where you would like to "sell your services" first.

Work in such a way that people who will reach for your product or service recommend you with conviction and stay with you. Build an honest and reliable bond with your audience. This creates the quality essential for a strong community - trust.

Build a reputation that will precede you

What makes a brand mostly successful differs from how fantastic its services are. Its image and what it promises are also important. It would be best if you were clear about what your tutoring brand represents. What do you want people to think of when they hear about your business?

Building a strong reputation includes everything you do. Your teaching strategy, how you approach students and their parents, how you interact with colleagues, the content you post on social media platforms, etc. To build a strong reputation, here are a few important things to note: 

• Expertise: Carve out a niche for yourself as a go-to expert in your profession by pursuing and obtaining the appropriate credentials that confirm your skills and the quality of your services and staying up-to-date with the industry.

• Professionalism: Be professional and ensure that your communication online and offline is clear.

• Authenticity: Be authentic and genuine. Be true to yourself and your values, and don't try to be something you're not. A personal brand should reflect who you are as a person and a tutor, and building trust with your students and clients is key to success. 

• Adaptability: Be open to feedback and ready to adjust your teaching approach if you need to. 

• Reliability: Be reliable and responsive, and go above and beyond to help your students succeed. This will help you build a positive reputation.

Establish your online presence

Building an online presence is essential to promoting your brand as a tutor. By creating a strong online presence, you will reach a wider audience of potential students and build credibility as an expert in your field. You can establish an online presence through several channels. Social media, your own website, networking with other tutors and educators to showcase your qualifications, experience, and testimonials from satisfied students.

• Create a professional website: Your website is the foundation of your online presence. It should be well-designed and easy to navigate, with clear information about your tutoring services. Be sure to include testimonials from satisfied clients and samples of your work (if applicable).

• Use social media: Social media is a powerful tool that can help you reach a larger audience and promote your personal brand. Social media is great for connecting with potential and current customers and building relationships with other industry leaders. Be sure to post interesting and engaging content regularly and interact with other users whenever possible. Doing this will build a strong social media following that will help support and grow your brand.

• Network, network, network: Network and collaborate with other tutors and educators.

Connecting with other professionals in your field can open up new opportunities and provide valuable resources, insights, and collaboration.

•  Build an email list: I don't have an email list, but I can't deny the effectiveness of having one. An email list lets you stay in touch with past and current clients and potential students. Be sure to include a sign-up form on your website, so people can easily join your list. Then, send out periodic emails with helpful tips, news about your services, or special offers.

•  Creating content to support your brand: Creating content to support your brand is all about passing a constant message that resonates with your target audience. This means putting content that is not only informative but also interesting and engaging out there. Blogging is a great way to start. By writing blog posts relevant to your niche, you can garner new readers who will be interested in your content and, in the process, attract customers. In addition to writing great content, promote your blog posts through social media and other channels. This will help amplify your reach and ensure your target audience sees your content.

Spread the word about your brand

There are several ways to promote your personal brand as a tutor. One of the most effective is through social media. By creating a strong presence on platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, you can reach a wide audience of potential students and parents.

Another great way to promote your brand is through word-of-mouth marketing. Networking with other tutors in your area and getting involved in the community. You can also give talks or workshops on tutoring, which can help you get your name out there.

Finally, don't forget to use traditional marketing methods such as flyers and business cards. These can be distributed at local schools and community centers. 

" Know your endgame to stay in the game"- how does this define your brand? 

"Know your endgame to stay in the game." I coined this phrase as my brand's tagline after talking with a fellow tutor. To me, this means that the only way to stay in the game is to remember your reason for playing in the first place. Building a brand, business, and/or name for yourself is difficult. Sometimes things don't go as planned, and we may need to pick up a side hustle or two to make ends meet. When inevitable challenges arrive, the desire to give up becomes strong. But one thing that helps me to push through is remembering my endgame. We all know what our goal is. Stay in the game until you have achieved your goal. This can also be stated as: "Keep your ultimate goal in mind to remain in the competition." Or "Having a clear understanding of your final objective will help you stay focused and on track."

Thank you, Daesha, for sharing your insights with us and supporting Workee!

Find more interesting tips on Daesha's Youtube.

Connect and learn more about Daesha on her website.