What visual elements should you include in your personal branding portfolio?

A logo, in my opinion, is a nice to have, not a must-have. A strong personal brand is based on you as a person. You want your audience to remember your name and your expertise your logo comes after. It's also easier to remember a name and a face vs a logo. When do you decide to use a logo, have a clear goal with the logo and let it reflect your personal brand.

You Logo should be representing your person your brand. It is not so important since the branding is about you but at the same time it can be Symbol of your personality and it can fit nicely in case you have a firm behind your services which you will have eventually after making sales of you don't have one already in first place.

We can utilize colours and take examples from other industries. People in fashion leverage the power of color a lot. Designer Michael Kors always dresses in black; this color is usual for him both on and off the runway. Alexander Wang also loves this color, although his style is very different. Image is at the center of the fashion business, making the personal style that remains unchanged for years the best proof of power and achievements. Speaking of social media celebrities, Goldie Chan – who is popular on “LinkedIn” – is certainly worth mentioning. Her green hair attracts almost as much attention as her interesting content. The hair creates a playful image, while Goldie’s achievements are just as impressive.

Color is a power which directly influences the soul. - Wassily Kandinsky Color is a powerful tool that impacts the essence of the brand, influencing the audience. The chosen colors serve as a visual reflection of the creator's personality, set the mood, and convey the core values. They possess the remarkable ability to shape audience's perception and emotions. It is paramount to carefully choose colors that resonate with the brand identity and objectives and maintain this consistent color scheme across portfolio and all marketing materials. Additionally, delve into the realm of color psychology to gain insights into the emotional and associative qualities that different colors can evoke.

For me, any brand needs to associate itself with some specific color or group of colors because colors convey a deeper meaning, adding more layers to your brand and that added bit of ethos. Colors have a psychological effect on people and directly influence how your personal brand will be perceived by others. Depending on how you want to define your brand, the colors you decide to associate it with will either elevate the brand or stifle it, so research is required to understand the psychology behind colors before making a final decision. Once you get a color that resonates with the brand identity then it must be consistent throughout your portfolio.

Colors are really important to convey your message and brand! It is important to choose the right colors which suit your logo and the genre you are trying to penetrate! Have always in mind that colors are unconscious message to the user and be sure you have made your research on that topic before choosing the palette.

Colors are essential in Branding and in our ways of unconscious perception. So use wisely your branding colors. For example all corporations use the Light Blue colors for their logos ( Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, etc). So pick the color that mostly represents you as a person and go from there use it on your page consistently and match it with your posts, marketing materials logo etc.

Everything about your brand should be so unique, so that people know it's you before they know it's you. Fonts carry a lot of personality so make sure you chose something that conveys the essence of you and your brand.

Images are super useful when you build your personal brand. People will remember your face and it builds trust. I always recommend my clients, when they are comfortable sharing themselves on social media, to work with a photographer. This helps to make a professional impression. When you have a set of good images you can use these across all creatives and add these to your social posts.

Building a personal brand is just that - personal. A strong personal brand includes photos of YOU that are professional, premium and show off your personality in all its glory!

Images are essential if you want to build trust and showcase your skills or personality. They have to be high quality and should be presented as part of your personal brand! It would be nice if you can manage to make professional images to stand out from the crowd!

A high-quality, professional headshot is essential. It's the first impression people will have of you. Dress appropriately and choose a background that reflects your personal brand or industry. Infographics can help you present complex information or statistics in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format. Use them to showcase your expertise or achievements. Screenshots or images of your social media profiles, banners, and posts can be added to show your online presence and consistency with your personal brand.

People buy into people and getting on video is THE best way to convey your personality and energy. People get a feel for you on a deeper, more personal level and get a taste of what it would be like to work with you too.

Think of your videos as the movie trailers of your personal brand. A well-crafted trailer leaves an audience eager for the full feature, right? Likewise, your videos should give viewers a tantalizing taste of who you are and what you bring to the table. Don't just throw in visuals; make them tell a story. Live sessions? They're your unscripted, authentic moments. Whether it's a tutorial, an insight, or a behind-the-scenes glimpse, ensure every second is worth the viewer's time. After all, if a picture's worth a thousand words, imagine the narratives your videos could weave!

Nowadays videos are the most watched thing on the planet so you have to be using them in order to get others attention. Also on the video you can really shine in al of your glory and show your personality so people can have a better feeling who is standing behind that pretty profile of yours.

Incorporate video clips or multimedia presentations to demonstrate your speaking abilities, explain projects, or provide a personal introduction. Use visuals to tell a compelling story about your journey, challenges, and successes. Visual storytelling can captivate your audience.

Videos are really essential nowadays to show your real persona and give your audience a feel of who you really are. Use videos to showcase your skills and expertise. Try to make them as short as you can! It is not bad idea to include subtitles since not many people listen to Linkedin

Key visual elements: a professional headshot exuding confidence, a distinctive logo or personal mark, a consistent colour palette reflecting your brand's personality, carefully chosen fonts, relevant high-resolution imagery, graphics like infographics, an organized layout, samples of your work, testimonials or recommendations, screenshots of your social media presence, and a strong visual consistency throughout to establish a coherent and memorable personal brand.

The layout should be straight forward! All things must connect in a profile in order to be easy for the user to understand what value you actually provide and how they can access it! It has to be customized according to you brand and your personalization!

An authentic personal brand crafted using 5Cs (I call them 5CXOs of You Inc) can get a perfect boost with visual branding collaterals such as- Pictures, Colors, Logo, Font etc. Certain colors have established universal appeals such as Blue for reliability and safety, Green for Life and Vivacity, Orange for vitality and ingenuity etc. Choose your logo and color wisely after some research and be consistent with their use. For example, my consulting gig WhaleDone! LEARNING has blue and pink as signature colors representing the basic values of making impact through alliance. What's yours?

Personal Branding should be about the Person so best you can do is be yourself! Your Brand is You after all. Don't overthink it with fonts, colors, videos. Do what you feel like doing and it all will come into place with time. Don't be impatient and learn from your mistakes that is all what it takes.

Visual evidence of your awesomeness is a must. If you're a designer, show your creations. A writer? Display your published works. Let your portfolio scream, "Look at what I can do!"

Remember that your personal branding portfolio should reflect your unique personality, skills, and values. It should be visually appealing, easy to navigate, and regularly updated to stay current and relevant. Tailor the elements you include to align with your personal brand and the message you want to convey to your target audience.

Include a 'brag' sheet. Identify your top 5 strengths. If you struggle with this, a tool like Clifton Strengthsfinder can be helpful or ask 5-10 people who know you well enough to answer that question. Create stories around how you used that strength in a situation with a measurable result. This document becomes a living example of your personal brand abilities and what you can offer. They also become good talking points in a pitch or job interview. A good reference book is Brag- The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It by Peggy Klaus.