Are You Building Your Personal Brand?

The buzzword for today is personal branding and how the brand you build today will be even more powerful in the future. Marshall Sponder says Personal Branding Pays Off – At Least, It Will In 5 or 10 Years, while John Battelle is talking about The Rise of Independent Media Brands Online. This whole personal branding thing also ties into birthday boy Andy Beal’s (happy birthday, Andy and Jordan!) post on I Believe Children Are Our (Social Media) Future and how they’re building their own brands and equity via social networks.

• Identify your strengths
• Help others
• Get other people to sing your praises
• Be visible
• Be yourself and take a stance
• FAQ: How can I effectively build my personal brand?

Building a personal brand means different things to different people. In SEO, personal branding is a significant progress checkpoint: people know you more, they will recognize you more at conferences, and you don’t have to feel like the only person who does not have recognition in the industry. Kyle Roof built his personal brand on experimentation. Michael King built his personal brand as an industry thought leader. Crystal Carter built her personal brand that is almost synonymous with Wix itself.

The importance of personal branding really is nothing new, but it’s something marketers should be more concerned with thanks to the rise of social media and our need to constantly monitor our online reputations.

Simply put, your personal brand is you. It’s who you are. It’s your skills, the way you carry yourself, your individuality, your traits, your persona. It’s what you can do and what void you fill that no one else can. You can’t fake it. Personal brands are built on being genuine and letting people see you as you really are.

The risks to exposing yourself to your customers and community (figuratively speaking, of course) aren’t nearly as severe as you may think; and the rewards are huge. By creating a powerful personal brand you’ll be differentiating yourself from others in your organization and industry, it will encourage more interesting job opportunities, you’ll be compensated more by an employer afraid to lose you, you’ll increase your visibility, and in time you’ll be able to understand yourself better and will be more confident.

How do you go about creating a personal brand?

• Identify Your Strengths and Capitalize: What are you better at than anyone else in your industry? If you’re a blogger, perhaps you can write a rant post like no one else (holla!). If you’re an SEO, maybe you understand patents like Bill Slawski. If you’re a search reporter, maybe you have a clone and, therefore can be up 27 hours a day covering the news. Or maybe you hate Google a bit harsher than everyone else, are the CEO who can make hires like nobody’s business, or you look good in a color no one else will touch. Whatever it is, there’s something that you do that no one else can compete with. Figure out what it is and squeeze every bit of equity out of it.
• Help Others: Now that you’ve got all that figured out, stop thinking about yourself and give back. There’s an old saying that “givers gain” and I stand by that. Use your strengths to give back to the community and help those who have helped you. Whether it be volunteering your time or speaking at conferences, looking beyond yourself is a good way to increase the value of your personal brand and also grow your network. If we’re looking at giving back from a less than altruistic angle, it’s also a good way to get people to talk about you…
• Get Other People To Sing Your Praises: You’re not going to build your brand by talking about yourself. You walking up to me in a bar and launching into a pitch about how you’re the greatest SEO that has ever lived isn’t going to help you build your brand with me. It’s going to make me roll my eyes at you and start eyeing the room for someone who will buy me another drink. However, if someone I trust comes up to me and tells me that you are by far the greatest SEO on the planet, well…then I’m going to buy YOU a drink. See the difference. Your personal brand isn’t dependent on what you’re saying about yourself, it’s the combination of what everyone else is saying about you.
• Be Visible: You’re not going to get people talking about you if you’re in a corner. (Well, at least not talking about you in a positive light.) Be blogging, mark your territory be active on social networks like Facebook and X.com, and be a top contributor on sites that are your industry’s equivalent to Search Engine Land or Search Engine Journal. And when you create accounts on these sites, use the same username and upload your photo or company logo to keep your brand in users’ minds. This way, when your boss catches you Xeeting all afternoon, you can explain that you’re not goofing off. You’re helping to brand yourself and his company as dominant industry forces. Exactly.
• Be Yourself & Take a Stance: Your brand is strengthened every time you speak out and let your opinions be known. Those who don’t stand up for themselves will allow others to walk all over them. People are attracted to others who are confident, intelligent, and charismatic. Take a stance on issues that are important to you and show people what you’re really about. Do you think paid links are the greatest thing since link bait? Fine. Speak out on it, regardless of whether John Muelleris in the room or not. Politics aside, people would much rather associate themselves and work with people that they like and trust to be honest with them than someone who follows the herd. Personal brands are rooted in your ability to be authentic. In order to build your brand, you have to be you.

Remember: A personal brand is what you are, not how you act. Start building it today and watch the benefits accumulate over time.

Ready to elevate your personal brand? Contact us.

FAQ: How Can I Effectively Build My Personal Brand?

Building a solid personal brand has become increasingly important. Personal branding is crucial to professional success. Here, we explore key strategies and insights that can help build it.

1. Define Your Brand Identity

Begin by defining your brand identity. Think carefully about your unique traits, strengths, values, and qualities; your brand should reflect who you are. By clearly understanding your identity, you can convey it consistently in your online presence and offline interactions.

2. Create a Strong Online Presence

Your digital footprint is essential in today’s globalized society and helps define your personal brand. Create a professional LinkedIn profile that stays up-to-date and makes an impressionful first impression. Share your expertise and insights through regular posts and articles. Maintaining a positive, authentic, consistent presence on other social media platforms.

3. Content Is King

Share valuable content related to your field of expertise. This could be in the form of blog posts, videos, podcasts, or social media updates. Content showcases your knowledge and helps establish you as an authority in your niche.

4. Network Strategically

Building relationships is key to personal branding. Attend industry events, join professional organizations, and connect with like-minded individuals. Collaborate with others in your field to expand your reach and credibility.

5. Consistency Matters

Consistency is key when building and managing your personal brand. Be consistent in terms of style, messaging, and values across both online and offline interactions. People should easily recognize your brand identity.

6. Monitor Your Online Reputation

Regularly Google yourself to see what information appears about you. Address any negative or misleading information promptly. Online reputation management is crucial in maintaining a positive personal brand.

7. Be an Expert in Your Field

Become a subject matter expert by continually learning and staying updated with industry trends. Share your knowledge by giving talks, webinars, or workshops. Contributing to your field will enhance your reputation.

8. Tell Your Story

People relate to stories. Share your personal and professional journey. Be open about your successes and failures and how they have shaped you. This vulnerability can make you more relatable and authentic.

9. Seek Feedback and Improve

Don’t shy away from feedback. Constructive criticism can help you refine your personal brand. Listen to what others have to say and adapt when necessary.

10. Stay True to Your Values

Your personal brand should reflect the values and principles you hold dear, even if this means turning down opportunities that don’t align with them.

Your brand reflects your expertise, values, and unique qualities. Establish your personal brand by clearly defining it, developing an online presence with solid content-sharing habits, networking strategically, and remaining true to your core values. Doing this will allow you to stand out in your industry while remaining genuine and authentic – these steps will help make a statement about yourself and show others why your expertise should be trusted. Developing your personal brand requires dedication and authenticity from you.

Step-by-Step Procedure for Building Your Personal Brand

1. Define your brand identity, including your values, strengths, and uniqueness.
2. Develop a professional and up-to-date LinkedIn profile.
3. Share valuable content related to your expertise on various platforms.
4. Network strategically with industry professionals.
5. Maintain consistency in your messaging, style, and values.
6. Regularly monitor your online reputation and address any negative information.
7. Become an expert by staying informed and contributing to your industry.
8. Share your personal and professional journey to make your brand more relatable.
9. Seek feedback and use it to improve your brand.
10. Stay true to your values, even when making career decisions.

This article was updated on December 5, 2023. 

Lisa Barone is a writer, content marketer & VP of strategy at Overit Media. She's also a very active Twitterer, much to the dismay of the rest of the world.

See Lisa's author page for links to connect on social media.