Everybody has a personal brand. It's the word for everything that comes to mind when someone hears your name; it’s your values, message, tone of voice, and online content.
The best personal brands are those that are genuine and authentic. Think about the content creators or social media influencers you follow online. What makes them unique? Why do you follow them? What aspects of their life do you feel connected to?
You likely enjoy following these people because they share the same values as you or create engaging content. It might also be because you love their personality.
The concept of having a personal brand has become more and more popular in the past few years, likely due to the rise in digital marketing and social media usage.
In this article, you’ll learn how to establish your personal brand to achieve success.
Why is Establishing a Personal Brand So Important?
In the digital world of the 21st century, everybody is online. Whether they’re browsing through an online store, scrolling on social media, or researching for their school work.
That’s why building a personal brand that encapsulates your personality and skills can help you connect to your target audience, especially if you eventually want to sell products or services.
It also provides the perfect way for you to connect with brands, other content creators, and your followers. And more connections mean more opportunities!
As your brand grows, others will likely start reaching out to you to offer new opportunities. They may propose collaborations, many of which come along with a paycheck and lead to long-term projects.
Your brand can also help you to stand out to potential employers. If you’re applying to various companies to earn an extra stream of income alongside your freelance work, your potential employers are likely to check your online content.
Having a strategic plan for your brand helps you stand out above a sea of other candidates and maybe why you get hired for your dream job.
How to Grow Your Personal Brand Online
So, now you know why establishing a personal brand is so important, you’re going to want to know how to grow one for yourself.
Here are some key steps to grow a unique personal brand.
Find Your Passions
The first step to establishing a personal brand is figuring out who you are. Ask yourself the following questions.
- What do I enjoy?
- What am I the most passionate about?
- What am I good at?
- What social media platforms do I love using?
- What impact do I want to make?
- What story do I want to tell?
- Where do I want to be in 5-10 years?
It’s okay if you don’t yet know the answers to every one of these questions or if you just only have vague answers; this is only the very beginning stages of building your personal brand, so there are a lot of potential avenues you can go down.
Try to answer these questions in the most truthful way possible. You want your personal brand to reflect who you are and what values you hold accurately. This way, you can come across as genuine and authentic to others and build stronger connections.
Make sure it’s centered around your interests and expertise. You will immerse yourself in your personal brand for years to come, so it needs to be perfect for you!
Create a Link-in-bio using Link Space
Remember, you can use Link Space, an all-in-one bio link tool, to help your followers discover your other pages.
Link Space helps users generate more revenue and make their links more discoverable. Link Space connects audiences to a user’s entire online portfolio by turning their bio into a landing page for their most important links. It comes with an integrated tipping feature to boost revenue and allows audiences to tip directly on the page.
Start Posting Consistently On Social Media
Growing a personal brand requires a lot of hard work and drive. You must post consistently on your social media channels to build a strong presence.
Most people looking to grow a personal brand begin on Instagram, where they will post daily content and engage with their audience. An Instagram personal brand enables you to establish yourself with a specific niche while showing your authentic self.
The best way to show off your passions and personality is by posting as much content as you can. When you’re consistent about your posting schedule, your audience gets to know you. Your followers and other brands can learn more about who you are and what you stand for.
Remember that the more you post, the more likely you will reach new people and grow your brand!
Have a Content Strategy
Staying consistent often requires you to create a content strategy. It becomes much easier to build a consistent personal brand that resonates with your target audience by laying out the direction of your upcoming online content.
You should also plan out how you will use your brand. Are you working with brands in long-term partnerships, or will you prefer to head in another direction and sell your own products? Your answer to this question will depend on who you reach out to and who you need to connect with.
Consider the platforms you’re going to use to share your story, engage your audience, and connect with others. There are several types of content you can create on your website or social media channels, such as
- Blogs
- Podcasts
- Infographics
- Photos
- Videos
- Audio clips
- Slideshows
- Online courses
- eBooks
- Guides
- Webinars or live sessions
To maximize your reach and establish yourself as a credible and trustworthy brand, aim to consistently post on various platforms and post the type of content that you’re best at.
When coming up with your content strategy, think about the audience you’re trying to reach. If you want to grow your brand to new heights in the future, it’s best to target a specific niche instead of trying to appeal to everybody. You can always expand in the future if you have multiple interests.
Picking a small niche means there is less competition. By focusing on a minor part of the market, you compete against fewer people and are more likely to stand out. It also means you can target your expertise to a specific aspect of the industry, meaning you can appear more knowledgeable in your field.
Focus On Storytelling
One of the essential things about establishing a personal brand is having a story.
People love seeing your human side! They love to know that other people have struggles just like they do. They want to hear about your story and your journey, so don’t be afraid to share it with others.
Share how you have reached a certain point in your career. Have you had any difficulties or taken a unique path to get there? How has your journey made you stronger, and what have you learned along the way?
Nobody has a story like yours, and this is what sets you apart from all of the other personal brands out there.
Make sure to add lots of personality to your storytelling. Show your audience who you truly are and allow your passion to shine through your narrative.
It might be scary telling your own story to the world, but it’s a lot of depth to your personal brand.
Final Thoughts
Your brand should encapsulate everything you love. It’s up to you to take it in any direction you want, and it’s the brand you are building to secure yourself in the future.
Try not to compare your journey to other people’s journeys. Remember that your story is unique, and it’s what gives you an edge over other people.
Focus on yourself, be patient, and have fun! Don't forget to Follow Link Space on Twitter and Facebook.