There are over 10 million users following the personal branding hashtag. New posts are constantly being fed into it. It’s a hot topic, and rightfully so.
I took to Linkedin and asked my network if they’d share their thoughts on the subject.
So, without further ado, take a gander at what all these thought leaders are saying about this not so little thing called…yes…personal branding.
Thought Leaders’ Thoughts On Personal Branding
Selim Maalouf: Industry Marketing Strategist at Makingchips
Your personal brand is the idea that people have of you in their mind.
Everyone has a personal brand. You just have to reach out and actively shape that brand so that it aligns with your goals.
Nick Bennett: Director of Field Marketing @ Logz.io
Write consistently, daily if possible. Worry about value vs vanity metrics. Learn patience. You won’t build your audience overnight and there’s no hacks or shortcuts. Do it right and you’ll be amazed at how it pays off.
Nicholas Ayala: Empowering SaaS founders to eliminate operations chaos.
Be authentic by adding your personality and thoughts. Often people try to appeal to everyone, but in that, you take away what can make you genuine. It’s okay to have others post their points of view, those discussions are what makes connecting with others great by exploring those perspectives.
Joseph Yarrington ★: Digital Marketing Fanatic
This one may be unique:
Practice orally telling a friend/significant other your content.
If your hook and story aren’t interesting enough to keep someone captivated in real life, chances are, they won’t captivate people online.
Practicing orally helps me get my pacing down, determine which points are the most interesting, and get immediate feedback (typically from their eyes and whether or not they are glazed over with boredom or dazzling with anticipation).
Adam Knihtila: #CFOAdam | Healthcare CFO
If you make an impact on even one person it was worth it. Creating relationships takes time and effort. Be authentic. Share the highs, lows, and everything in between.
Lauren Maersch: Strategic & Candid Finance Leader
Go beyond your written profile. Show your authentic self through your personality and how you interact with others around you. Share your expertise and engage with others to learn from them.
You’d be surprised how much you can learn from your network – the more engagement you put in, the more you learn back.
Helene Cohn: Beauty Copywriter + Lifestyle Brand Storyteller
Be authentic and genuine. Don’t say what you think others want to hear. Don’t act how you think others want you to act. It’s PERSONAL branding for a reason; be your true and authentic self.
Showing your personable, conversational side along with pieces of personality (are you witty? Inspiring? Friendly? Etc) lets people know the real you. And they’re way more willing to want to work with you/buy from you when they feel they’ve made a personal connection with you.
Adam Justice: COO at Best Value Medical
1) Be a credible source of expertise
2) Focus on 2 or 3 Platforms you do well
3) Be consistent and put in the work
4) Good graphics and images are great, remember to mix in personal stories and iPhone pictures that are genuine
5) Quality tops quantity every day. Take your time.
Noelina Rissman 💌: Human Content Writer
Focus on just two or maybe three stories that you’ll share to represent your brand. By doing so, your message won’t be scattered. If it’s a story your target audience resonates with, even better.
Austin Holland: Creative Director at Adapt Studios
My words of wisdom are: Don’t be afraid to try.
Very often, people get so wrapped up in perfecting something before they start, causing them to never begin at all. Go for it, you’ll learn more and get a better result through trial and error than you ever would wasting all of your time at the start!
Frank Lazur 🚀: Digital Marketing Manager
Look at every mistake and failure as an opportunity to learn, instead of as an excuse to quit.
Matthew A. Wilson: Emmy Award Winner | TED Speaker
Personal branding is a tool to communicate your professional needs in a sustainable fashion to those in a position to meet them.
Kathy Svetina: Financial Puzzle Solver 🧩
If you’re doing this on LinkedIn, think of it as a giant room full of people having conversations about all sorts of things. You’re not posting, you’re communicating with other humans. Join in with your regular speaking voice.
Writing a post = starting your own conversation topic. You do it enough, people will eventually start to participate.
Writing a comment = joining a conversation. We all have different perspectives that we can learn from – add yours!
Liking posts = smiling or nodding in agreement.
Easy peasy 🙂
Helene Maughan: Helping Small Businesses Take Control of Their Brands
Think about what words you want associated with your personal brand. Then choose your colors & logo, design your website, write your content keeping those words in mind. Any time you post to social think, does this fit my brand words? Post them up next to your computer.
My other advice is to actually get personal. I’m not talking about fake personal because your audience will know if you’re faking it. People want to buy from YOU. Letting people know you on a personal level will give them a better connection and hopefully an emotional response to you and your brand.
Articulate your personal branding by crafting a compelling value proposition. Use online strategies consistently to spread this message in line with your goals… And watch magic happen.
Kavitha Vijeyavelan: Digital Story Teller | 📊 Content Marketing & Content Strategy Nerd
I would say personal branding is about showing the world an authentic side of you- but you have to decide carefully what side you want to show the world. We are all multidimensional and have many sides to us. So the side we want to show the world should be in line with meeting our goals.
Kaitlin Brennan: Content Creator + Comedian in Los Angeles
Here are my three improv mantras that also help me be a better person:
1. Talk less, listen more
2. Don’t be funny, be honest
3. Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness
Christina Strickland: Helping brand marketers
I agree with everyone that says “be authentic.” Related to that, I’d add “be original.” I’m seeing so many carbon copy coaches and experts lately that I can have a hard time telling one apart from the other. Same posting cadence, same video angle, same speech patterns, same clothes, etc. Breakaway from the sea of sameness!
Laura Fravel: Personal Brand Strategist & Coach
Get crystal clear on your brand story – who you are, your why, and your unique value. It’s the foundation of your entire brand.
In Conclusion
Consistency, patience, putting some of this advice into practice can help elevate your brand, and skyrocket you to success.