What's the best way for you to define and share your personal brand?

Yes, defining goals before building a personal brand is important but you shouldn't fake your perspectives and approach because your audience will like it. People usually sense these things. Audience on Linkedin is smart! Instead, do a mix of these 2 things : 1. Content that add values to your target audience and solutions to their problem. This will help you build trust with them as you are one of the people who is making them aware of best industry practices. 2. Content that is about you, answer questions like what are you doing what you are doing, why are you in this domain, what keeps you motivated to solve for the problem, what common challenges are your clients facing and how are you helping them solve it and so on.

Since your Personal Brand is a collection of your values, goals, experiences, and learnings, it's likely that your audience includes groups of people that you are also a part of. For example, if you work as a leader in the coal mining industry, your audience could be other leaders in general, other leaders in the coal mining industry, and those who aspire to be leaders/leaders in coal mining. While you don't have to serve the same audience you're in, it helps, because you will be relatable, and have shared experiences. The more you can get specific (coal mining industry leaders vs leaders in general), the more impact you'll be able to make, because you can speak to people directly, and become known.

It's important to spend some time in self-reflection in order to define, communicate, and share your Personal Brand / Personal Brand Statement accurately and effectively. 1. Identify Your Values: What do you believe in? What drives your decisions? 2. Assess Your Strengths: What are your natural abilities and learned skills? What topics do people seek your guidance/advice on regularly? 3. Identify Your Passions: What do you love doing? Your personal passions may be just as important in your Personal Branding process as business ones. 4. Craft a Personal Brand Statement: A good framework to use -> I am (Professional Identity), who helps (My Audience), do or understand (Unique Solution), so that (Transformation/Benefit).

Creating a visually appealing profile has a very high recall in the subconscious memory of your audience. A user on Linkedin looks at 100s of profile weekly and it is very difficult to ensure that they remember you since the attention span is reducing drastically. Hence to make a standout profile page, you should have all the designs and creative of these sections in the same pattern : 1. Profile Picture 2. Banner Image with an element or CTA on right corner. 3. Company Profile Picture 4. Featured Section with an image that talks about the value proposition you or your company provides. 5. Attachments in your experience section. Add media mentions, images, presentations that will help the user get more engaged.

Your visual brand isn't just aesthetics—it's your silent ambassador. Choose a color palette reflecting your brand's emotion. Fonts? They convey personality—pick wisely. Use high-quality images aligned with your message. Ensure your digital touchpoints—website, social media—are mobile-responsive and updated. Business cards? They should echo your online style. Regularly update visuals as your brand evolves. Every detail counts in leaving an impactful impression.

Visual assets can certainly add to/create impact for someone's Personal Brand, but don't get hung up on those aspects before doing the work of defining your Personal Brand, and ensuring that it resonates with those that you want to impact and reach. One thing that you can do is to use the same profile image in all places you can be found online, or that you're sharing with others - i.e. LinkedIn profile, soial media profiles, website, speaker bio, etc. Also, use the same name for all of your social media handles if possible, and the same tag line (Personal Brand Statement.) Consistency is important, so people will recognize you/follow you, and know what they'll be getting by doing so.

The cool thing about your personal brand is that it's yours. Only you can have YOUR personal brand, right? People relate to stories that they can see themselves being in. There are a few ways to do this: -Share how you started -Share problems you faced -How did you overcome those? -What did you learn -What would you do differently? -What helped you?

It's important to be authentic and relatable when sharing your Personal Brand. How you got started in your career, or interested in the areas your passionate about can be important for helping newer folks to relate. Also sharing challenges you have faced, how you overcame (or are overcoming) them, and the results you've achieved can be inspiring and also help you to connect with others who may be experiencing similar challenges. Regularly update your story to reflect growth, achievements, and your evolution. Always remember that offering tangible insights and value to your audience establishes trust and can highlight your unique position in your field.

Talk to your community like you'd talk to a friend. Be relatable, easy going, and use humor when possible. Use people's first names when commenting or responding to comments.

Building a brand isn't just about self-promotion—it thrives on engagement. Foster authentic conversations, not just broadcasts. Ask your audience about their challenges; their insights can refine your offerings. Share your expertise generously; it builds credibility. Collaboration? It's a win-win for learning and visibility. Regularly gauge engagement metrics to refine your strategy. Remember, genuine interactions breed trust and long-term loyalty. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

To build your Personal Brand, it's important for you to understand and connect with the audience that you're serving. What are the challenges that they're facing? What are opportunities that they could be taking advantage of? What problems do they need to solve? By engaging in discussions with your community on platforms they frequent (like LinkedIn), and offering insights or solutions based on your expertise adds value, and also builds relationships. Responding quickly and being consistent with your presence can also foster trust and build rapport. By consistently delivering valuable content - posts, articles, videos, etc. and sharing your personal experiences you'll be able to learn from others, as well as strengthen your Personal Brand.

One of the other things to be mindful of is how your brand may change over time based on professional roles or personal experiences. Did you move into a higher leadership role? Did you become a parent? Did you complete a major milestone goal? Did you find a new passion that is shaping who you are? Look for the consistent elements of your brand throughout your life to create the core of your brand and value prop, then you can update the supporting elements as you grow. Looking back over the last 30 years my two core drivers are my love of helping people and love of learning. My core brand centers on these and I have been working my professional brand areas over the last few years. A brand should never be static!