The Power of a Personal Brand
What is a personal brand? A personal brand is defined as the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility.
And you may be asking yourself, how does this apply to me? I know in my head I’m thinking, I am not a notable social person so why is having a strong personal brand important? I know that I always want to put my best foot forward regardless of the situation. Having a strong personal brand is an offshoot of this concept, at least this is how I think of it.
Your personal brand says a lot about who you are. Think of it as a way for someone on the internet to know you by knowing absolutely knowing nothing about you. Everyone is prejudice in certain situations and presenting yourself in your best light is what a strong personal brand can do for you.
Now, how can we create a strong brand for ourselves on the internet?
Is your information up to date? My biggest piece of advice is making sure all of the social media platforms that you are registered to, whether that be Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. are all up to date and contain the same information respectively. Obviously, some platforms require a more serious tone however having a current picture and information is key to creating a recognizable and strong presence that you can identify with. You don’t want to have people question if your content is up to date, they should be able to tell!
What is the why to your content? Is your Instagram account being used to showcase your talent, your business, or to showcase your life? Oftentimes, it is crucial to have your account dedicated to the specific part of your life that you are trying to showcase. If you are attempting to get yourself out there as an artist have your profile solely dedicated to your artist content. People should not have to question the intention or motive of your profile/content.
Are you being YOU? Is the content that you’re putting out there coming from your voice. People following you are wanting the authentic you. Imagine meeting someone you have looked up to for a long time and finding out it was all fake! Authenticity is the best policy always. Why would you want people following you who don’t even care for your content? Quality of quantity am I, right? Just be YOU and your friends and followers will thank you for that.
Are you connecting with those around you? We often think of social media as who wants to friend me or who wants to follow me but, who do YOU want to follow and who do YOU want to be more like. You should not underestimate the power of connecting with others.
While it takes time to implement many of the steps above, having the intention to get around to all of these steps will make a world of difference when it comes to creating a strong personal brand. Try it out for yourself. You will probably find you are already on your way there!
