Let’s start with the obvious: what even is personal branding?
Put simply, personal branding is how people see you, how you show up, what you talk about, and what they remember you for. In the world of social media, everyone’s chasing it, frothing at the mouth to be the best and scrambling to get ‘personal brand’ content out every single day.
But despite what your LinkedIn feed might suggest, personal branding doesn’t mean need to mean being pushy, overly salesy, or shouting about your product/service in every post. Your social media presence should mean more than that.
I know marketers love to sell a ‘personal branding strategy’ but it doesn’t even need to be that complicated! You can excel at this yourself with a few pointers to guide you in the right direction of course, which leads us onto our next point…
Why does a personal brand matter?
Think about it. How many people do you follow online whose content you actually like? Not loads, but probably a handful, right?
You watch their posts, maybe even learn from them, and over time, you start to trust what they put out there. Then one day, you need a service and boom “Wait a minute, John on LinkedIn does that… I like him, I like what he’s about, and he clearly knows what he’s talking about.”
That’s how it starts.
A strong personal brand puts you front of mind. You don’t need to shout the loudest, all you need to do is be consistent, relatable, and actually helpful. It also gives buyers a chance to get a feel for you. Your LinkedIn content should show who you are. After all, people buy from people.
If your posts come across arrogant or out of touch, it’ll put people off (unless they like that vibe 🤷♀️). If they feel authentic, trustworthy, and aligned with your values, however, you’re one step closer to inbound leads, easier sales convos, more opportunities, and stronger client relationships. You don’t need to fake a ‘best version’ of yourself, people connect with authenticity.
Ultimately, you are a reflection of your company’s brand. Whether it’s you or someone else posting on your pages for everyone to see, the content shared will reflect the core values of the business. If the person posting is aligned with those values (which, ideally, they should be), it will naturally show in the content they put out, further enhancing the company’s brand image. It doesn’t need to strictly follow your brand voice guidelines, but make sure it doesn’t stray too far.
How to build a strong personal brand
What should I post on social media?
Post about your experiences as a business owner or a specific challenge you overcame, or sometimes just anything you want to! The way you come across, your tone, your approach, your authenticity, is a selling point in itself.
Some people even talk about their personal life, which is totally fine too as it helps you show your authentic self.
If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, think about the challenges that your ideal clients are facing and use personal examples of how you’ve overcome a similar challenge. These types of posts will resonate with your ideal clients and will get you on their radar.
You should also be posting about the latest in your industry but try to do it differently to how others are doing it. Add your opinions, thoughts and expertise. Don’t be scared to have a different perspective (unless it’s completely outrageous and does more harm on your digital footprint than good, but you don’t need us to tell you that!)
Create a content plan
People only tend to do this for their business pages across social media channels but who says you can’t do it for your personal one? It’s such a beneficial task (which will only take you around 30 minutes) to make sure you’re posting consistently across the month about a range of topics.
Think about what social media platforms are right for you, usually it’s LinkedIn for B2B but depending on your target audience and what you’re offering, Facebook might be the one, or maybe event Instagram.
Engagement is key!
Also, don’t be scared to make your presence known by interacting with others. It takes less than 5 mins to add a comment on a post and if you can’t bring yourself to do that, then start with adding emojis or one-word comments. Adding a sentence is even more beneficial because in a world of AI generated comments flooding the comments section, yours will stand out and show that you actually read the post, helping you strengthen and build relationships with people.
Final thoughts
At the end of the day, personal branding isn’t about being perfect. Show up, share your take, and let people get to know the real you. That’s what builds trust and trust is what can drive business success and opens doors to new opportunities. So, if you’ve been sitting on the sidelines thinking “I’ve got nothing to say” or “No one’s going to care what I post,” now’s the time to shift that mindset.
Start small. Show up consistently. And remember: your personality is your best asset.
Now go make some noise.
