Personal branding is one of the most powerful marketing weapons today. It is well documented that customers buy from people they like and trust – which is why your personal brand can make all the difference in securing more business for your organisation.
We have seen the trend of personal branding and authentic narratives grow in recent years. And while we often hear from our clients that they don’t know if they qualify to build a personal profile (and they are often uncomfortable with the concept) – taking this step is extremely important.
Today, people are increasingly looking beyond the corporate brand and paying attention to the people behind it. In fact, research from Marketing LTB shows that 94% of customers recommend brands they have a emotional connection with. Your personal brand can therefore play an important role in how you and your organisation build trust, credibility and influence.
But personal branding is not about posting constantly on LinkedIn. It goes a lot deeper. It is about having a clear point of view, sharing valuable insights, and consistently demonstrating what you know and stand for. The opportunity is not necessarily to spend more time online, but to spend your time more strategically. Choose the conversations they want to shape and the ideas you want to be known for and actively participate in these conversationsBecause the goal of personal branding isn’t simply to be seen. It’s to be remembered, trusted, and influential in all areas of your life.
Where to start?
For many people, building a personal brand is thrown into the too-hard basket. Historically, the term has been largely associated with billionaire businesspeople or celebrities. But with our ever-present online world and the rising prevalence of social media, everyone has a brand. Anyone can look you up and immediately make judgements about your brand from your online presence alone.
The key today is for people to own their brand and think more intentionally about it while being authentic to yourself. But how, and where, do you start?
Here is a 3-point plan that you can follow, starting with first understanding your personal brand, then move to build your profile, living and breathing it in the most authentic way.
First, understand your personal brand
With the rapid rise of social media and endless communication channels on offer, everyone has a personal brand. You don’t need to be a global CEO or celebrity to have one; we all do. But to really know your personal brand and maximise it? That’s something else entirely. And it takes hard work.
The most effective way to build a strong, trusted personal profile is to understand your brand first and foremost. Then, have a comprehensive plan to build your own profile, platform, and reach more consciously and consistently.
Start by asking yourself some important questions. What is your personal ambition? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are 20 things that make you unique? What do you care most about in the world? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What do you stand for – your values and personality traits? What is your individual ‘why’ and your purpose? Identifying the answers to these questions will help you secure long‑term brand consistency, which can double profit gains compared to inconsistent brands.
Understanding more about yourself as a human being will help you get closer to your personal brand: the image that presents you as your true self, including your vulnerabilities. The aim is to identify the intersection between your expertise, experience, values, and overall interests.
These areas can then become the foundation of your personal brand and help you build a profile that feels authentic rather than manufactured. Download a personal brand tool from our sister brand, YoungGems, here to help guide you (and yes, we do teach Personal Branding as part of our entrepreneurship program, if you are interested).
Create a plan that supports your personal brand statement and goals
So much of building a standout personal brand is organic and happens over time. However, if you are only getting going and have lost time to make up for, spend some time creating an intentional personal profiling plan.
Industry research from The Borden Group reveals that 99% of buyers say thought leadership is critical in making purchasing decisions, and 73% of buyers trust it more than traditional marketing methods. It’s never been more crucial to uplift your thought leadership strategy and personal brand.
Your passions and what you believe in will support your personal brand model. Don’t go with AI-generated content; write the content from the heart. Start with your ideas and develop those ideas into different content types. The ideas you put out to the world should connect directly to your expertise, values, and the impact you want to have (think back to your personal brand model). You can get some help developing your brand voice but make sure it reflects the authentic you.
A great strategy for building a strong personal brand is to share reflections, anecdotes, narratives, articles, blogs, and more. This gives you the opportunity to voice your opinions across relevant topics as well as platforms, whether it’s LinkedIn, industry news and media outlets, or in-house publications.
These content pieces should be aligned with your interests and values, as well tie in to some degree with the broader business goals of your organisation, although it doesn’t have to be solely designed to support them. Instead of simply asking “What should I post?”, ask yourself: “What do I have to say that is worth hearing?”And remember, you don’t need to be everywhere at once or show every aspect of your life. The goal is to show up in the places that make sense to you and where your audience is already paying attention.And remember to be authentic and connect
Authenticity is critical to personal branding and there is no better example of this than the late Dolly Parton. Dolly was able to show people what it looks like to be comfortable in your own skin. She built her brand with intention, but also through her life experiences in a way that no one could be her -she was totally unique to herself.
You can be intentional when building your brand and don’t need to showcase everything to the world. You can select what you want to share, but be consistent. While Dolly didn’t share every aspect of her world with the public, she certainly made sure that what image she was putting out to the world was consistent and uniquely hers.
Consistency builds trust. Whether it is your messaging, values, communication style, appearance, or content strategy, people should know what to expect from you over time. But the occasional surprise is okay,too. Consistency does not mean saying the same thing repeatedly. Your core areas of expertise should remain recognisable while your ideas, experiences, and perspectives continue to evolve.
The bottom line: personal branding is about influence, not self-promotion
Personal branding is not about self-promotion for its own sake. It’s about clearly communicating who you are, what you stand for, and the value you bring. Think about how Dolly Parton, through her personal brand, was able to influence the careers of so many who came after her, such as modern-day stars like Taylor Swift.
Your personal brand is already being built, whether you like it or not. The question is: are you building it intentionally? If not, and if you are an executive within an organisation, don’t wait any longer. Start building your personal brand today.
