Imagine: You’re at a networking event. Someone asks, “So what do you do?” You answer… and halfway through your sentence, you realize you sound generic. Forgettable. Replaceable.
That’s where a personal brand comes in. A personal brand isn’t about how you market yourself. It’s about how people experience you. It’s your reputation, your values, and the consistent signals that you send.
A personal brand isn’t self-promotion, perfection, or being on all the time. Your personal brand shouldn’t feel like a performance that you have to put on. It is authentic to you. The truth is that you already have a personal brand; it’s all about shaping it to your advantage.
Start With Self-Awareness
Before creating your personal brand, identify your strengths and values. You should also identify what unique perspective you bring to the table. To help guide your reflection, you can ask yourself the following questions:
- What do people already come to me for?
- What problems do I enjoy solving?
- What do I want to be known for in 3-5 years?
As you answer these prompts to develop your personal brand, keep in mind your long-term goals. Your personal brand should be a tool in your toolbox for helping you achieve those goals. If you can, ask your colleagues or a mentor for feedback on your skillset and strengths to help you uncover any blind spots.
Craft a Clear Brand Message
Crafting your personal brand starts with your “one-liner.” The easiest way to create this is to answer the questions “who do you help” and “why does it matter.” While finding the answer to your who and why, find a way to infuse your personality into your one-liner. While your personal brand should maintain professionalism, that doesn’t mean boring. Clarity is key, and a vague personal statement won’t do you any favors.
Once you have a clear message, the next step is to be consistent with where it shows up – online or in person. Whether it’s your personal statement on your resume, your professional website, or social media, consistency is key.
For example, let’s say you are a marketing professional. An example of a vague personal statement might be “I help businesses grow and improve performance.” An example of a clearer statement could be, “I help early-stage SaaS founders build scalable sales systems so they can grow from $0 to $1M ARR without burning out their team.” The clearer statement specifies who, what outcome, and how you reached that outcome.
Show Up Where It Counts
Having a clear and consistent personal brand is the beginning of using your brand to your advantage. Choosing the platforms where your personal brand shows up is key. While you may think that getting your personal brand out there in front of as many people as possible would be wise, we’d suggest being more selective about where your brand shows up.
Also consider how you choose to use your personal brand where you do show up. For example, on social media, content ideas include sharing your insights, stories, lessons learned, and your opinions. Focus on creating value with your personal brand, not visibility. Remember that the consistency of how your personal brand shows up is more important than how frequently it shows up.
Build Relationships, Not Just an Audience
Beyond building an audience through your personal brand, try to build connections. The easiest way to do this is by engaging genuinely. Responding to comments or participating in collaborations are easy ways to build connections. Most importantly, give your time or expertise before asking for favors. Opportunities often come from people – not algorithms.
Personal branding is a long game. It’s not something to expect instant gratification from. Engaging in small, intentional steps over time will build your brand consistently. Taking time to reflect or take one action today will set the foundation for a personal brand that empowers you and opens you to possibilities.