Personal brand vs. business brand: Finding the right balance on LinkedIn

As a small business owner, striking the perfect balance between your personal brand and your business brand can feel like walking a tightrope, writes Friska Wirya.

On one side, you want to project yourself as an industry expert, building personal connections that make people trust you. On the other, you need to ensure that your business brand is seen as a credible entity, delivering consistent value to customers.

Successfully managing both can help you grow your company while reinforcing your own professional identity.

Imagine your personal brand as the foundation of a house and your business brand as the exterior walls. The house can’t stand without a strong foundation, but without the walls, no one knows the purpose of the structure. Finding that perfect harmony is crucial to your success on LinkedIn.

 My personal story: Learning the balance

When I first started promoting my small business on LinkedIn, I made a common mistake—I hid the ‘real’ me and put on ‘corporate me’. I believed that people would trust the business brand alone and didn’t need to know much about me. My posts were heavily branded, filled with company logos, product details, and corporate speak. But I noticed my engagement was low, and my connections weren’t growing. People weren’t buying into my business the way I had hoped.

Then, I made a shift.

I started sharing personal stories, discussing the challenges I faced as a business owner, and engaging directly with my network. I posted about lessons I learned from running a small business—some successes, but also the failures and hard-earned lessons. Suddenly, my LinkedIn became alive. My posts received higher engagement, my connections started to grow, and most importantly, people started reaching out to work with my business.

It wasn’t until I began balancing my personal story with my company’s brand message that I saw meaningful results. And the data supports this approach.

 The stats and research

Research shows that people trust individuals more than companies. According to Edelman’s Trust Barometer, 76% of people trust content shared by “people like themselves” over branded content. Additionally, LinkedIn’s own data shows that profiles with personal, authentic content receive 27% more engagement than those with generic, corporate messaging.

In the age of social media, consumers want to connect with real people, not faceless corporations. When small business owners build strong personal brands, it naturally creates credibility for the business. People are more likely to trust and engage with your business if they trust the person behind it.

 Striking the right balance: 3 key strategies

1. Humanise your brand with personal content

– One of the best ways to balance personal and business branding is to share stories from your entrepreneurial journey. Talk about why you started your business, the obstacles you’ve overcome, or moments of growth and learning. This humanizes your brand and helps people connect with your “why” instead of just your “what.”

– Example: Share a post about the lessons you learned from a failed product launch, followed by how your team adapted and improved based on customer feedback. This type of vulnerability builds trust while subtly showcasing your business resilience.

2. Use LinkedIn’s features to showcase both

– LinkedIn allows you to combine personal and business content seamlessly. You can write articles or posts that focus on industry insights (personal expertise) while tagging your business page (company credibility). You can also share content directly from your business page but add your personal thoughts in the caption.

– Example: Share a recent blog post from your business page, but write a caption from your personal profile that offers your own perspective or adds a personal anecdote.

3. Leverage LinkedIn recommendations

– Personal branding is all about reputation, and recommendations are LinkedIn’s way of validating both your personal and business brands. Ask clients, collaborators, and employees to provide recommendations that highlight both your leadership skills and the value your business delivers.

– Example: A recommendation from a client could praise your ability to provide personalised solutions (personal brand) while also mentioning the effectiveness of your company’s products or services (business brand).

 Real-Life Example: Richard Branson

A prime example of successfully balancing personal and business brands is Richard Branson. On LinkedIn, he doesn’t just post about Virgin Group’s achievements—he shares his personal philosophies on leadership, work-life balance, and even social issues. Branson has built a personal brand as an adventurous, risk-taking entrepreneur, which feeds into the Virgin brand’s image of being bold, innovative, and customer-focused. His personal stories make people feel connected to him, and in turn, to Virgin.

 The Tree and Its Roots

Think of your personal brand as the roots of a tree and your business brand as the branches. The stronger and deeper the roots, the more stable and thriving the tree becomes. Without roots, the tree can’t stand, but without branches, no one can see the beauty of the tree from a distance. The roots anchor the tree, and the branches help it grow outward, visible to the world.

In the same way, your personal brand grounds your business. It gives it authenticity, trust, and a human face, while your business brand helps you extend your reach and impact. Together, they create a powerful and balanced presence on LinkedIn.

Build Both, Grow Together

Balancing your personal and business brands on LinkedIn is not about choosing one over the other; it’s about understanding how they complement each other. Your personal brand can humanize your business, while your business brand can amplify your expertise and credibility. When you strike that balance, you create a LinkedIn presence that not only builds trust but also drives growth for your business.

By combining authenticity with strategy, you can build connections that see the real person behind the business and the value the business brings to the table. After all, people don’t just buy products or services—they buy from people they trust.

Time is money. A 1:1 session will get you leveraging LinkedIn like a pro. DM for details at linkedin.com/in/friska

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