Personal Brands Are All The Rage. Should You Have One?

So many people have personal brands now-a-days. Should you?

I've always been active online, enjoying the process of building in public and interacting with a diverse range of people. This has been my approach for years.

When I started, did I think I was developing a personal brand? Absolutely not! I was simply being myself.

I’ve always liked to create and be creative. I’ve been podcasting since 2010, writing online for even longer. Having been a professional journalist, I had to get used to people reading my stuff and even sometimes recognizing me. (That was always weird when someone said, “Hey! You’re Seth from [blank]”.

As time’s gone on I’ve gotten more used to being recognized as I’ve grown my network on LinkedIn and social media in general. But through the whole adventure, I’ve never consciously aimed to build a personal brand. But I have.

Recently I was at a networking event and someone came up to me and said, “Hey, you’re Seth from LinkedIn! I follow your stuff.” Again it was weird to get that attention but also felt great to know people actually liked the stuff I put out.

So Should You Work On A Personal Brand?

You don't need to go all out with glitz and glamour like the Kardashians, but being active on social media platforms that you enjoy certainly makes sense.

When you produce quality content and contribute to others' work, it positions you as someone worth following and engaging with.

Not only can a personal brand position you as a thought leader, it can help you find a job… or even become a job.

So Where To Start?

Here’s some tips:

1. Define Your Brand: Identify what you stand for, your unique value proposition, and what sets you apart from others in your field. This includes understanding your strengths, passions, and the target audience you want to appeal to.
2. Create a Personal Brand Statement: Develop a concise statement that encapsulates who you are, what you do, and what value you bring. This will guide your online presence and messaging. This doesn’t mean that you can’t “go off-script” from time to time, but staying consistent helps people know what you’re all about.
3. Choose Your Platforms: Depending on your industry and audience, select the most appropriate social media platforms to focus on. LinkedIn is great for professional networking, Instagram and TikTok are ideal for visual and creative content. But remember go where you’re going to have fun engaging as well as creating.
4. Build a Professional Online Presence: Create a professional website or blog where you can showcase your work, achievements, and thoughts. Ensure your social media profiles are up to date, professional, and reflective of your brand. Many people forget that putting all their content on social media is just giving it all away. You don’t own the platform. This is why having everything start and end with your website and blog is KEY!
5. Consistent Content Creation: Regularly produce and share content that aligns with your brand. This could be blog posts, videos, podcasts, social media updates, or articles. Quality and consistency are key. But remember it’s better to take an extra day to get the content quality top notch than rush it and put out crap.
6. Engage with Your Audience: Actively engage with your followers, peers, and industry leaders. Respond to comments, participate in discussions, and be present in relevant online communities. I can’t stress enough how important it is to not post and ghost.
7. Network and Collaborate: Build relationships with other professionals and influencers in your field. Collaborations can expand your reach and add credibility to your brand. Have fun and do your best to not let imposter syndrome set in. Everyone is trying stuff out. No one is perfect. Just go with the flow.
8. Personal Brand SEO: Optimize your content and profiles for search engines to increase your visibility online. Use relevant keywords and regularly update your content. But also don’t over do it and make your content just relevant to search, because then your content doesn’t get found and doesn’t resonate.
9. Monitor Your Brand: Keep track of how your brand is perceived online. Use tools to monitor mentions of your name and brand, and be responsive to feedback. Remember to do this, but don’t obsess over it.
10. Be Authentic and True to Yourself: Authenticity resonates with audiences. Stay true to yourself and your values, and let your personality shine through your online presence. This is the most important part.

Always remember, building a personal brand is a continuous process. Stay adaptable and open to learning and evolving as you grow your brand online.

What do you think? Hit reply or post a thought in the comments and let me know how you’re doing with your personal brand.

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