Cracking the code of Personal Branding: It's Not Just for Selfie Queens and Hashtag Heroes!

Welcome digital trailblazers!

Let's talk about personal branding - or what I like to call "stepping out of the shadows and into the Limelight."

Before you switch off reading the term personal branding, hold your horses! Let's dive into the less travelled backstreets of this wild online universe.

Sure, everyone's slapping on filters (don't tell me you haven't given yourself a little filter tweakment once or twice), curating feeds, and posing like life's a perpetual photoshoot, but there's a secret pot of personal branding gold that's waiting to be discovered.

Before you balk at the idea of nurturing your personal brand - take a read as to why you should.

Brand yourself before others do.

The case for stepping into the Limelight

1. The "Copy & Paste" Conundrum

Can we talk about how personal branding is starting to sound like a broken record? A whopping 80% of what's out there is just a remix of the same old tune. Boring!

Instead of hiding your eccentricities, buck the trend and amp it up. Shake your nerdy, eccentric, unique tail feathers – that's what'll make heads turn!

2. Spilling the Beans (and Failures)

Picture this:

The cinema of personal branding where everyone's the hero. Yawn!

But wait! Sharing your glorious bloopers, faceplants and "Oops, I did it again" moments is where the real magic is.

It's a no brainer way to attract people with your human-ness – 63% of us prefer someone who's not afraid to be human - showing themselves warts and all.

3. It's Not Just Eye Candy

Listen up, Picasso – branding's not just a visual game. Only a measly 20% of people are playing around with sounds, tastes and smells. Imagine engaging all the senses! Bet you didn't know that a sprinkle of that extra spice could make your brand unforgettable. Next time you're drafting that post, think of ways you can weave in feelings and atmosphere - if you can transport someone to the setting of your post, you're onto a winner!

4. Values are the cherry on top

Hold up you "Keep it Professional Brigade"!

Your CV might be a work of art, but what about your origin story, what makes you tick, your values? It's like weaving a story through time - what route has brought you to where you are today?

Can you believe that a whopping 75% of personal branding leaves out this juicy detail? Don't make the same mistake by regurgitating your CV achievements without adding a bit of personality and back story.

5. Size Doesn't Matter, But Getting Personal Does

Personalisation isn't just for your TikTok feed. It's like your secret weapon! However only a mere 10% of people are using it for branding. It's like tailoring your content for your squad – and who doesn't want a tight knit community?

Remember - try to please everyone and you'll end up pleasing no-one.

You can't make everyone happy... You're not pizza!

6. Cut the Fluff, Keep it Snappy

Info overload alert! We're drowning in content - scrolling through the equivalent height of Big Ben each day in content, so keep it snappy. Studies show that being brief can boost engagement by a big fat 40%. And guess what? Only a miniscule 15% of peeps are nailing this game!

Cut out the waffle and be part of the top 15%!

7. Tune in to Audio Branding

Visual's great, but audio's like that unexplored desert island on the map. A tiny 5% are tapping into this treasure trove.

So whether that's sharing what you've got to say via video to allow your audience to hear your voice "in the flesh" or guesting on a podcast - don't miss this extra opportunity to make yourself and what you have to say memorable.

Quick tip: sounds stick – so why not let your audience groove to your tune?

In a land of TikTok Toni's, Insta India's, and LinkedIn Lee's, it's not about the same old song on repeat.

It's about being your quirky self, spilling those "Oops" bloopers, using all five senses, and personalising like you're pen pals with your followers.

The masses might follow the herd, but it's the bold ones, the ones who step off the beaten path, that'll be painting the town their shade of AWESOME in the world of personal branding!

Next time that Imposter taps you on the shoulder and whispers in your ear "You're not good enough - Stay in the shadows", tell it to BOG OFF and step into the Limelight... come on in, the water is lovely!

Who am I?

I'm Liz Hamlet - an internationally known strategist, speaker, author and coach.

I help trailblazers and leaders step into the limelight to maximise their impact, growth and revenue.

If you've been hiding in the shadows for too long, hit the bell at the top of my profile for more on this topic.