Building Your Personal Brand: A Guide for Summit County Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs
Whether you're running a cozy café in Breckenridge, a boutique clothing store in Frisco, or a personal training service in Silverthorne, your personal brand is one of your biggest assets. It's how you stand out, connect with clients and customers, and build trust in our tight-knit mountain community. But here's the thing—branding isn't what it used to be, and thanks to AI, marketing has changed a lot.
So, how do you create an authentic personal brand while making sure your audience (and Google) can actually find you? In this post, I'll dive into some practical tips to help you define your brand and optimize it with SEO-friendly keywords—without losing the personal touch that makes your small business yours.
Why Your Personal Brand Matters Now More Than Ever
A personal brand isn't just a fancy term for influencers—it's something every small business owner and entrepreneur needs. Your brand is the combination of your expertise, values, and personality that makes you recognizable. Think of it as the reason customers choose you over a big-box competitor.
Before AI, branding was all about networking, word-of-mouth, and maybe some local ads. And while those things still work, AI and digital marketing have given us a whole new way of doing things. Now, potential customers are Googling before they ever set foot in your business, and social media algorithms decide who sees your content (and let's keep it real: these days, the algorithm changes faster than a baby's diapers). That means having a clear brand and the right keywords is essential for getting found online.
Step 1: Define Your Personal Brand
Before we get into SEO, let's talk about what makes your brand unique. Ask yourself:
What's your story? Did you start your business because you saw a gap in the market? Because you love the outdoors and wanted to share it? Because you make the best burgers in Summit County?
What values drive your business? Sustainability? Community support? A love for adventure?
How do you want people to describe you? Friendly? Expert? Down-to-earth? Luxurious?
Who is your ideal customer? Are they locals, tourists, families, or hardcore skiers?
Once you have these answers, you can build messaging that consistently reflects you. That means everything from your website bio to your Facebook and Instagram captions should reinforce your brand.
Step 2: Find the Right SEO-Rich Keywords
Now that you have your personal brand figured out, let's make sure people can find you when they search online!
Keywords are phrases people type into Google when looking for businesses like yours. And in today's AI-driven world, search engines are getting really good at understanding what people mean, even if they don't type the exact words. Here are a few tips for how to find the best keywords for your brand:
Think Like Your Customer: What would someone type into Google if they were looking for your business? For example, if you own a yoga studio, they might search for "best yoga classes in Breckenridge" or "Summit County vinyasa classes."
Use AI-Powered SEO Tools: Platforms like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or even ChatGPT can suggest relevant keywords based on what people are actually searching for.
Look at Your Competition: Check out what similar businesses are ranking for and see how you can use similar (but unique) keywords.
Prioritize Local SEO: Since Summit County businesses often serve both locals and tourists, keywords like "Frisco coffee shop" or "Breckenridge hiking tours" will help you attract the right audience.
Mix It Up: Use a combination of short keywords ("Summit County bakery") and long-tail keywords ("best gluten-free bakery in Frisco, CO") to reach different search intents.
I talk quite a bit about the above and dive into more tips in my guide, Cracking the SEO Code in an AI World.
Step 3: Optimize Your Content for AI-Driven Search Engines
You now have your brand and your keywords, so it's time to put them to work! However, knowing where to put them can make a difference! Below are a few places you should focus on:
Website: Your homepage, About page, and service pages should naturally include your main keywords.
Blog Posts: Writing helpful content (like "Top 5 Après Ski Spots in Summit County") helps Google see you as an authority. My guide, Basics of Blogging, provides plenty of helpful tips for effectively setting up your blog for SEO success.
Social Media: Your Facebook and Instagram captions, LinkedIn posts, and even hashtags can include keywords to improve your chances of being discovered.
Google My Business: If you haven't claimed your business listing yet, do it! This is huge for local SEO.
AI-driven search engines also prioritize helpful, well-organized content over keyword stuffing. That means writing in a natural, engaging way (and not like a robot), answering common questions your customers have, and using headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to make your content easy to read.
How Marketing Has Changed Since AI
Before AI, marketing was more manual: You had to guess what keywords worked, rely on traditional advertising, and hope for word-of-mouth referrals. Nowadays, AI has equipped us with many more tools to make marketing easier:
AI-powered analytics give us better insights to show exactly how our content performs.
Search engines use machine learning to understand our search intent, so stuffing keywords no longer works—quality content, on the other hand, does.
Tools like ChatGPT can help generate blog ideas, write social media captions, and even predict what type of content will perform best.
That said, authenticity is still key—no AI tool can replace you. People connect with your voice, your experience, and your story, so use AI as a tool, but don't let it completely take over your brand!
So, what's next?
Creating a strong personal brand in Summit County today is about blending authenticity with smart digital strategies. By clearly defining what makes you unique, using the right SEO keywords, and adapting to how AI is changing marketing, you'll easily stand out in a crowded market. Take some time to define your brand, research your keywords, and start optimizing your content. And if you need help, you know where to find me!
In the meantime, make sure you stay connected via my free newsletter!
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