What do you do if your personal brand as a beginner in digital strategy needs development?

Narrow down to a specific thing you want to be known for and try to learn and improve on it. As you grow, share your journey online, it can be through your social media handles like LinkedIn and a portfolio. Be consistent in delivering results to your clients and building your online presence.

For beginners in digital strategy, finding your niche is crucial. Assess where your passions meet market needs, focusing on your unique skills and insights. Research trends and sectors primed for digital breakthroughs. Identifying a specific area allows you to concentrate your efforts effectively, making your personal brand stand out. Share your exploration and challenges you encounter; this authenticity resonates with your audience and highlights your dedication to contributing meaningful value in your chosen domain.

As a beginner looking to develop your personal brand in digital strategy, start by defining your unique value proposition: what sets you apart in your field? Engage in continuous learning through online courses, webinars, and industry literature to stay updated on digital trends. Create and share insightful content on platforms like LinkedIn, Medium, or a personal blog to showcase your knowledge and perspectives. Network actively, both online and at industry events, to build relationships and gain visibility. Seek mentorship from established professionals to gain guidance and credibility. Consistently analyze and refine your strategy based on feedback and results to ensure your personal brand evolves effectively with your growing expertise.

Niche down.. take the time to understand the market spectrum. but soon as you see your market, niche down quickly. Step 2, start building a portfolio, portfolio, body of work or case studies to showcase your knowledge and skills. Step 3, Start with one industry, one customer type and one and targeted solution that gets you results. Build your own strategy framework, Test and measure and finally rinse & repeat.

For beginners, but for the whole "digital bubble", it's essential to resist the "me too"-effect that results from the hypes & the "FOMO/fear of missing out". If everybody does the same thing, it's impossible to differentiate. The best differentiation comes from acutally doing things and from creating learnings out of it - experience (at any age) is what creates the best effects, is of most use, is what people are interested in & what clients pay for. Personal branding comes automatically then.

A well-curated portfolio is your personal brand's visual resume. I focused on showcasing projects that not only displayed my digital strategy skills but also told the story of my journey and growth in the field. This included detailed case studies highlighting the challenges faced, strategies implemented, and the results achieved, thus providing tangible proof of my expertise and approach to digital strategy.

Show a historical path that can A) highlight your key projects and B) narrate your growth path. Metrics where possible to showcase ROI for a brand and media to demonstrate the creative aspects to your work.

This is where it gets tricky. While researching for your content you will come across a lot of content in your domain and will be tempting to add those broad niche ideas in your content. Stay focused and pick only those content pieces that are relevant to your micro niche. The progress will be slow but sure. Linkedin offers great visibility and reach if your content and communication strategy serves the audience. Begin with curating 10 pieces of content (Single posts, Blog or Carousel). Focus on getting those content pieces out maybe twice a week. Gain momentum and repeat the cycle. Use Publer to schedule the content.

Establishing a strong online presence was pivotal. I utilized platforms like LinkedIn and a personal blog to share insights, trends, and case studies relevant to my niche. This not only helped in establishing my authority in digital strategy but also facilitated engagement with a wider audience. Regularly updating these channels with fresh content ensured my online presence remained vibrant and reflective of my evolving expertise.

LinkedIn is the ideal startpoint as you can develop a content strategy without the immediate worry about cost (Unlike building a personal brand website). As you develop and start to make a name for yourself you can take the next step with confidence. Maybe Youtube next as a way to compliment your website.

You won't create any business unless you connect with people to showcase your value and build rapport and trust. Offer value to your network with free tips/advice/materials. Share positive discussion amongst peer groups. Being a consistent contributor makes great connections in time.

Over time you will learn that any platform that you choose will reward consistency. Be it google with blogs, Instagram with reels or Linkedin with posts. If you are just starting off on Linkedin the 2 areas to focus on should be #1. Content Publishing and #2 Reach out to at least 10 people in your niche daily. As you gain momentum, spread the mix to 50% people in your niche and 50% your target audience (ICP). You can use tools like Taplio and Octopus CRM to plan and sending out connection requests and messages to your network. From week 5 - 6 onwards call out for collaboration requests. You will get a response now that you have about 50 to 60 connections that you have gained over the past month.

Networking has been instrumental in the growth of my personal brand. I actively sought out opportunities to connect with other professionals, whether through digital strategy forums, webinars, or industry events. Collaboration on projects or content creation with peers allowed for the exchange of knowledge and exposure to different perspectives, enriching my own understanding and practice of digital strategy.

Learning online can be tricky. While traditional learning (classroom) forced us to stay in the class it was also ideal to maintain focus. With Online learning the chances of succumbing to distractions is extremely high. Building a personal brand is also about sharing your learning, because what you've learnt is something that somebody is struggling with. Have a clear set learning objective with a time line, the medium of learning and resources that you will refer to. During this process stay away from "Shiny Objects".

In my case, I do my best to educate myself on the subject; through books or online courses, which helps me not only work on my profile, but also to learn and be able to help others who need it.

Make time in every work week to learn something new. Commit to an hour where you will switch the phone to silent, knock off all social media tabs and dial in to a topic that you can grow from. Fridays are a great day to do this as you are already in a positive mindset pre-weekend.

Leverage storytelling & Golden Circle to unlock your WHY (purpose)! Share your journey: what sparked your passion for connecting brands with customers online? Use emotional anecdotes to show how digital strategies create impact. Showcase your "HOW" with actionable tips & relatable examples. Specialise in a niche (social media, content?) or offer a fresh perspective. Identify a quick-win to earn your credibility and substantiate the value you can bring to others. Network, be consistent (blogs, social media!), and watch your brand flourish!

Authenticity and consistency are the twin pillars supporting the integrity of a personal brand. I ensured that my communications, whether online or in-person, were true to my values and reflective of my genuine interest in digital strategy. Consistency in messaging, visual identity, and content quality helped in building trust and recognition among my audience.

Talking from personal experience, consistency pays in the long run. So if you do not see results immediately, it is only because.... It takes time. Content creation and growing your personal brand requires the same amount of effort as building any other brand, the only difference is that here, "YOU" are the brand.. Make it shine.