In our recent Lunch & Lab on the 4 R’s of Brand Building, we discussed the importance of building what we called Reputationships as a key brand building skill. Reputationship is of course a combination of the words reputation and relationship. Reputationships are professional introductions or acquaintances, usually through a mutual third-party, not for the purposes of providing services (at least not at the beginning). Another way of saying it is that they are relationships that rest upon your professional reputation. If your reputation were to diminish, so too would the relationship. These are not your clients or customers, but rather they are people that you are introduced to or know you only through or in light of your professional reputation.

Some examples might be a person who has never met me in person but knows of me by way of content I post on LinkedIn. They feel some connection to me through that though there is not a real professional relationship. Or, someone who I may meet at a networking event by way of introduction through a mutual connection. I am introduced as a trusted professional to another person who is a trusted professional. Implied trust is the currency that is passed freely between us.

Reputationships are powerful and have value in all areas of your professional life, besides just brand building. They play on the idea of association and come with a certain amount of credibility baked into them. We know our reputationship with someone is on the line if we introduce another person who is not trustworthy or credible. 

 

Reputationships are important. People want to work with people they know, like, and trust. The quality and quantity of your reputationships speaks to your ability to build and maintain solid connections. It shows that you are a good steward of the trust others have placed in you.

1. Trust is in short demand (data breaches, identity theft, financial corruption, fake news, etc. If you are trustworthy, it makes you more valuable. 
2. It makes obtaining and leveraging the last two (Reviews and Referrals) that much more easy to get and leverage
3. Allows you to be able to connect others who have needs – increasing your perceived value

Reputationships are necessary in today’s marketplace. They go places we can’t. So, what are 4 ways that you can build your reputationships and how can they positively impact your personal or professional brand? Here are 4 simple, sustainable and, most importantly, successful strategies:

Connect 

Get connected with your local chambers of commerce, in-person and virtual networking events (as your schedule and comfort level allows). These are excellent opportunities to become known in small interlocking circles and communities. You are likely to run into people that know you or have met you before. LlinkedIn is built on the back of these mutual connections and the implied trust that exists between connections. It’s been my experience that I have been able to ….

Content

People love content, and fortunately social media and search engine algorithms love it too. Excellent, valuable content is a great way to showcase your thought leadership and also to boost the perception of you and your business. You may not be known personally, but you can become known professionally for your valuable content. There are some people I did not know before being exposed to their content. When their real-life personality matched the digital perception I had from consuming their content, this person took on a new level of credibility in my eyes. Content gives you an opportunity to be known. Your reputation can proceed you in a positive way. Allows you to be established as an expert, expertise is more valued than ever. With the advent and wide adoption of video marketing, you can now not just tell people, you can show them.

Credentials

Credentials allow you to show off your successes and certifications in an accessible and aesthetic formatting. This is also valuable because you show you are part of a trusted community of professionals, the elite in your industry. You don’t want to brag, you do want to highlight that you are worth people’s time and attention. In our simple brand strategy framework, we call this “Showing Off”, not in an arrogant or flashy way, but meaning honest, earnest communication of your value and expertise. Credentials provide trusted, third-party evidence that you are indeed an expert in your field. 

Creations

This refers not to your content, or what you show people, but the actual things that your business creates. The focus here is on showing, not just telling. Nothing builds credibility like evidence for your trustworthiness like the ability to see the quality of what you produce, what you’ve made as a brand. I remember getting started in the design business, nothing was more important than having a quality portfolio. While this is still important, now I’m able to layer on reviews, testimonials, making the case that I am a worthy candidate for opportunities that much stronger. 

Making the evidence of the quality you produce be as visible and accessible as possible should be a priority and allows you to generate the most impact. The compilation of your past projects and events, etc. helps people have a perception of your brand even if they have never met or worked with you. It confirms what they may have heard from a third party. 

Conclusion

Reputationships are one of the important, but sometimes-overlooked elements of a brand building strategy. We often think growing client base is the only way to grow the business or brand, but connecting with people who don’t work with you directly, but know and understand your quality of work is just as important. These are four simple strategies you can use to acquire and fortify reputationships. The goal is that your positive reputation will proceed you and that people will sense a familiarity and appreciation for you as a professional even if they have not yet worked with you. 

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