How to Build Your Personal Brand
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Photo by Hannah Foster Photography
For me, building a personal brand was undoubtedly the cornerstone of building the career of my dreams. Before I intentionally worked on building a personal brand, people in my community didn’t exactly know what I did. (It’s perfectly fair. I did A LOT of random gigs.) So when I decided I was going to press the gas on a writing, content marketing, and personal development career, I knew I needed to share that information with the world. Because here’s the crazy thing:
If you don’t tell people how you can help them, they won’t know you can help them.
🤯
Because of the way I shared my work with the world, I’ve spent every day doing work I LOVE and I haven’t had to worry about making ends meet in a decade. That’s the truth. So today I want to share with you some lessons I’ve learned on personal brand as I’ve hacked away at it for ten years.
The thing is, for better or worse, today’s workers now have a digital footprint that goes back at least a decade, if not more. We live in a world in which anyone can find out just about anything about anybody else. Case in point: a couple of years ago I was Googling a potential client and I found out he was a state champion video gamer as a pre-teen. There was photographic proof. Our accomplishments, our embarrassments, and our history have a way of following us around online for years. So let’s be intentional about what we want to put out into the world so we can attract the opportunities we really want.
What is a Personal Brand?
Personal brand is a combination of what content exists out there in the world about you and what people think of when they think of you. Think of some of your favorite celebrities. Let’s go with John Krazinski and Rainn Wilson, for example. Both were actors on “The Office” but you might associate John with being a nice everyman who is relatable, and Rainn with being bold and quirky. That’s a personal brand. What are some of the first words that come to mind when people think of you? Remember, everyone has a personal brand. And if you want to have a say in what yours is, you CAN!
Why is having a personal brand so important?
For a lot of people, personal brand is important because it plays a role in your career. 85% of recruiters and HR professionals say an employee’s online reputation influences hiring decisions. So what do you want those Google search results to be if someone searches for your name?
What are the benefits of building a personal brand?
It’s an opportunity to cultivate a career with intention.
It’s an opportunity to take ownership of how others experience you in public (online and IRL).
It gives you leverage to get into the rooms, on the stages, and into the positions that you want to be in--not just where you’ve been but where you want to go.
It gives others the opportunity to let you be a help to them. Without personal brand, people don’t know what you do, what problems you can help solve, and what needs you can meet.
I created a list of 31 practical ways you can build your personal brand in 31 days. Get it here.
10 Tips to Build Your Personal Brand
So now that we know why a personal brand is important, let’s get clear on the key elements you need to focus on as you develop a personal brand.
Get clear on your goals. What is the point of all this? What are your long-term career goals? Short-term? What do you want to accomplish?
Articulate what you do. You’ve got to get clear on what work you want to be known for when establishing your personal brand. If it’s more than one thing, that’s ok! That sets you apart from other people who only do one thing. So, what do you want to be known for?
Articulate who you serve. Whether it’s clients, customers, or the type of company you'd like to work for, get clear on this so the content that people find online about you really resonates with those people. For example, in my work I love working with people who live at the intersection of creativity and corporate, so I want to make sure the way I present myself online appeals to those creative-types, entrepreneurs, and marketing professionals.
Flesh out what you want to be known for. What do you want to be associated with? How do you want to be experienced? That's really the crux of the whole personal brand. I've had a lot of aspiring freelancers say to me, “Hilary, I want to freelance full time, but I'm really not a self-promoter.” And the truth is, by sharing what you do with the world and who you serve, you're not self-promoting, you’re raising your hand and telling your community, your network, “hey, I’ve got a solution to someone's problem.” If you need a freelance writer, or designer, or consultant, or a speaker for an event, or a fantastic childcare provider, I can be the solution to your problem! So instead of just posting pictures of your cat on Instagram, consider a creative way to showcase how you are a solution to someone’s problem.
Determine how you will “show your work.” There are a plethora of ways to do this, like a blog, posting videos, starting a podcast, and putting a portfolio online. You have a fantastic opportunity to establish credibility by creating content. If you’re job hunting, produce content that contributes to your field. Maybe it’s a quick how-to video you share via your Instagram story, an article on your blog, or an infographic you create using Canva. Those pieces of content will differentiate you from the crowd. Look, you’re establishing your credibility as a professional already!
Use your social media presence to show that you are multi-faceted. You may be wondering “So, are you saying I have to delete all my cat photos?” No! Your social profiles don’t need to be all business. Show the best facets of your personality, even if they are not work-related. People want to work with interesting people, so, yes, it’s OK to post that photo of you riding a camel, or a link to a GoFundMe cause you are passionate about. Conveying that you are well-rounded and have interests outside of work is a good thing, as long as those interests are positive and healthy.
Get familiar with your privacy settings. Do you know offhand if your Instagram account is public or private? Who can see your posts on Facebook right now? Do you know what your social media profiles look like to people you don’t know? Do you know which photos and posts potential employers can find without making a request to connect with you? Is the information about your current employment, skills, education all up to date and accurate? Are there any photos that indicate anything other than professionalism and an emotionally healthy human being that others would want to work with every day? If you think a photo, tweet, or a status update could be viewed as questionable, go ahead and lock it down or delete altogether.
Contribute to the conversation in your industry. Share thought-provoking articles. Take part in Twitter chats. Join Facebook groups. Connect with people in your field on LinkedIn. And of course, if you get involved with events in your industry in person, post content during and after the event. These are subtle ways to establish your presence in your field. This does not have to become overwhelming. Start with a commitment to spending five minutes a day sharing content and/or interacting with others in your field online. (If you want more actionable tips like these, download the 31-Day Personal Brand Challenge.)
Provide value to your audience. It’s not enough to just constantly share all the great things you are doing. How are you serving your audience? Are you being generous with your expertise? What are your readers’ or followers’ goals? How can you help them reach them?
Check your online content for narcissism, negativity, and typos. While your closest friends and family may find your selfies endearing (or not, TBH), people who don’t know you as well will likely experience them in a different, more negative way. Speaking of “negative”—even though we live in the age of online rage, unless you pair it with inspiration or a way to take action (think: the difference between a rant and an actionable request) it’s best to avoid these posts. And typos—be ye warned. People intrinsically judge the intellect of the authors of posts that are filled with grammatical crimes. Avoid this trifecta if you want to attract your dream employer.
We’re living in wild and crazy times that feel oh so out of our control. Lucky for us, personal brand is something you can be intentional about and influence to help you have a flourishing career and life.
There is a way to convey authenticity online while also being intentional about showing your passion for your work, your expertise and skill, and that “je ne sais quoi” that makes people want to work with you.
Ready to get some practical, nitty gritty action items to kick your personal brand into high gear? Download the 31-Day Personal Brand Challenge! It’s a free downloadable PDF that gives you 31 actionable steps to take to improve your personal brand one day at a time in a handy calendar format.