I Found My Voice Through Carousels

Want to hear something embarrassing? I’ve been creating content on social media for 4 years now. When I was first starting out, I used to spend hours trying to create the perfect image and learning to take photos with my smartphone (me + flat lays are not friends).

What's worse?

I was so focused on growing a massive following with tons of likes and stuff instead of focusing on what really mattered: getting clients.

In those early years, I learned to create carousels (Thank you, Chris Do and The Futur Academy). My carousels objectively sucked at first. But, I got DMs asking me about my services?? because:

1. I knew who my audience was, and

2. I shared valuable content by teaching what I know – how to write content.

Whenever I strayed from that, there were crickets. Luckily, I learned my lesson, and these days, my business goals come first, and LinkedIn is there to support those goals. LinkedIn is one part of my marketing strategy, not the entire strategy.

It can be extraordinarily helpful if you know:

1. Who you serve,
2. What their problem is, and
3. How your offer helps them reach their goals.

Once you've got clarity on that, creating content becomes easier.

Using Colour, Content, and Carousels to Express Your Voice

Over the years, I've built a personal brand of sorts that has allowed me to stand out in my field. I am known for being creative, informative, practical, motivational, and openhearted.

So, let's dive in and learn how you can use colour, content, and carousels to explore your voice

Colour

How it Started

The first thing I did was choose a colour scheme that would represent my brand. I went with a black, white, and hot pink palette because it was bright, bold, and different. I used this colour combo on my social media accounts, website, and even in my email signature.

Back then, a lot of my followers and potential clients told me they remembered me because of the vivid colours and eclectic carousel designs.

Looking back, I also had an obsession with writing in full caps for some reason. TEXT IN ALL CAPS ARE DIFFICULT TO READ. It was a learning process, and I soon realized that using softer colours and mixing them with bold fonts made my content more readable and appealing.

How it Evolved

As my confidence grew, the colours went from bold to muted rose-gold adjacent tones. I also moved away from Montserrat to League Gothic and Poppins in my font choices. It was a slow and gradual process, but the transformation of my content was evident.

I played with images and layouts, experimenting with different sizes and placements to see what caught people's attention. And as I continued to refine my content, I saw a significant increase in engagement and connections on LinkedIn.

But it wasn't just about the visuals. I was still focused on creating valuable and relatable content that resonated with my audience. Sharing personal stories, insights, and advice helped me connect with others on a deeper level.

I learned that consistency is key when it comes to building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn. Posting regularly and engaging with other users' content helped me stay visible and build meaningful relationships.

The soft, sophisticated colours helped me attract a more professional audience that appreciates the effortless subtlety of my brand.

How It's Going

Today, I'm back to experimenting, this time with AI-generated art. With apps like Midjourney, Jasper, and even Canva, creating captivating and scroll-stopping visuals.

I suppose there's a pattern here, when I experiment, I use bold colours, and as I hone in on a style, I become more subtle and sophisticated. It's all about finding what works best for your personal brand and constantly evolving it.

Content

The second thing I did to create my personal brand from scratch was to focus on the content I was putting out. I made sure that all my blog posts, social media updates, and even the way I talked about myself online were aligned with the message I wanted to put out there.

For example, if I wanted to be known as the go-to expert for B2B LinkedIn ghostwriting, I would make sure that most of my content was about writing tips. I wrote about lists, headlines, copywriting, and anything that would help my audience get better at writing.

Now, my content is a bit more diversified because I want to attract a wider range of clients. But no matter what, I always make sure that my content is helpful, informative, and interesting.

I also wanted my content to be valuable, so I spent a lot of time creating blog posts, graphics, and even carousels that my audience would find useful.

Carousels

The last thing I did to create my personal brand was to use carousels on my social media accounts. Back then, the carousel boom was just starting, and it helped me create eye-catching content without photos. As an educational writer at heart, carousels were the sweet spot where my skill for writing, passion for teaching, and creativity overlapped.

I would write out my posts as a carousel and include multiple illustrations, bullet lists, and white space to help break up the text. I found that this was an engaging way to format my content, and it helped me stand out from the sea of posts that were all text-based.

Likewise, I learned basic typography and design to make my carousels look professional and on-brand. And I kept my colour palette consistent across all my platforms.

7 Graphic Design Tips to Make Your Carousels Stand Out:

1. Use two to three colours in your carousel design.
2. Keep the background colour light, so your text is easy to read.
3. Start with one font and one point size for all your text.
4. Write one sentence or thought per slide.
5. Use simple illustrations to accentuate your text, or simply let the text stand on its own.
6. Add shapes to help break up the text and provide visual interest.
7. Be consistent with your carousel design across all your social media platforms.

Now, I still use carousels in my personal branding, but I've also diversified the content I put out. I use a mix of blog posts, text only posts, graphics, and even videos to keep my audience engaged.

But no matter what content I'm putting out, I always make sure it's helpful, informative, and on-brand.

These are just some of the things I did to create my personal brand from scratch. If you're starting out, I suggest you focus on these three things: colour, content, and carousels.

With a little effort and consistency, you'll be well on your way to creating a personal brand that stands out from the rest.

Discover Your Personal Branding Strategy

Now that you know the three things I did to create my personal brand, it's time to think about your own branding strategy.

Here are a few questions to get you started:

1. What colours will you use for your personal brand?
2. What kind of content will you create?
3. How will you use carousels, photos, or video in your personal branding?
4. What other elements will you use to make your personal brand stand out?

Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to these questions. It's all about figuring out what works for you and your business.

If you're not sure where to start, I suggest checking out my zero-cost LinkedIn Clarity Call.

It's a great chance for you to ask me all your burning questions and get personalized advice on how to build your personal brand.

I can’t wait to share with you my passion for impact-driven, customer-focused content marketing during your Clarity Call.

Click here to register , then comment below with an emoji to show how excited you are!