Building a personal brand is not necessarily just for influencers and celebrities, it’s for anyone looking to make a mark in their industry to boost their career and find new opportunities. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, business leader, or climbing the corporate ladder, here’s how you can build a personal brand that represents who you are and what you stand for.
What does your personal brand currently look like?
First things first, you need to be aware of what your personal brand currently looks like from an outside point of view. To do this, simply type your name into search engines in a private browser and check what search terms, images, and profiles are showing. It’s also important to check if any content pages or news articles are showing on the search page too.
When you look at the results, does this look like you want it to? Does it paint the best possible picture of you and your brand? If not, it’s time to do some work.
Decide how you want to be perceived
The best way to do this: interview yourself. It’s the best way to get to know yourself, unlock your personal brand and be able to effectively tell your story. For example, ask yourself:
- What do you like? Think about hobbies, interests, and your desired career.
- What are you against? Do you have any strong values or things you want to avoid discussing?
- What are some defining characteristics? If you struggle here, ask your friends and family to describe you.
- What is unique about you? This could be anything to help you stand out. Do you have niche knowledge or skills?
- What are your short-term and long-term goals?
- What are your strengths?
- What impact do you want to make on your audience? Or what difference do you want to make to the industry?
By answering questions about yourself, it helps you to dig deep to find exactly what you want out of your personal brand. Write these down and stick them somewhere you can see and refer to if you’re feeling lost.
Define your niche and target audience
After finding out who you are and what you want to showcase, it’s time to identify your niche and target audience. During this step, you need to think about the topics you are passionate about, what knowledge or skills you can showcase, and who would benefit the most from your expertise.
These could be potential clients, employers, or an audience who could learn something from your content. Understanding your target audience will help you tailor your content to meet their needs.
Be genuine
Authenticity is at the heart of every strong personal brand. People are naturally drawn to those who are genuine and true to themselves. By sharing real experiences – yes, even the failures – you can show your personality and present yourself as an authentic, trustworthy figure in the industry. This ultimately builds a deeper connection with your audience and can make you more memorable.
Tell a story
As humans, we’re natural storytellers and connect to stories on a personal level. Even if you’re not a strong writer, the best person to tell your story is you. Your story should reflect your personality, and help your audience feel that they know you on a deeper level.
Share anecdotes that highlight your journey, the challenges you’ve overcome, and the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Your story should highlight your mission, vision, and what drives you.
Be consistent
Consistency is key when it comes to building your personal brand. This means being consistent in your messaging, your values, your posting, and the way you interact with your audience. It’s also important to use the same colour scheme, tone of voice, and style across all platforms. This ultimately builds trust and helps to reinforce your personal brand identity to make it easier for people to recognise and remember you.
Engage
Engaging with your audience involves responding to comments, replying to messages, participating in discussions, and overall, showing appreciation for your audience. Engagement builds relationships and fosters a sense of community around your brand.
Build a community
A strong personal brand is not built in isolation, it thrives on community. By posting insightful content regularly, engaging with your audience, and encouraging interaction among them, you can create a vibrant community of supporters to help amplify your message.
Invest in personal branding professionals to help
By following the steps above, you’re well on your way to creating a strong personal brand. However, you can really take things to the next level by hiring a professional to refine your personal brand strategy and provide you with all the tools and resources you need to succeed.
A personal brand strategy is a time-consuming process, but we’re here to help. Get in touch with us now and let’s see how we can power up your personal brand.
