3 Ways To Build A Strong Personal Brand Online
If you take a look at any successful blogger, influencer, Youtuber, or entrepreneur, you will quickly notice one thing they all have in common – a strong personal brand.
However, you don’t have to be big, successful, and famous to have one. In fact, we all have a personal brand already.
It is the way you are being perceived by the public, your reputation, and the story that’s told when you are not in the room. The truth is that if you don’t start building your personal brand and telling your story yourself, others will do it for you. This is why it is important to work on your personal branding intentionally and tell your story the way you want it to be told.
Developing a strong personal brand is an essential step towards your entrepreneurial success – and here are 3 ways to do it.
Position Yourself
If you want to establish a strong personal brand, you have to be clear about what you want to be known for.
In other words, you have to pick your area of expertise and position yourself as an expert in it. Establishing a unique niche will attract a specific audience, who will understand what you are talking about and find your personal brand relevant.
The best way to position yourself as an expert in your field is to build your credibility by sharing your knowledge. Showcase your expertise – create content, give advice, have an opinion, and, most importantly, BE CONFIDENT.
If you are afraid that you are not enough (which you totally are), just remember that things which may be obvious to you may be completely new and life-changing to others.
Moreover, if you don’t feel like an ‘expert’ yet, share your journey to becoming one. This will not only help your followers to relate to you more and build a trusting relationship with your brand but will also allow them to learn with you along the way.
Provide Value
Creating value is THE golden rule of any successful business. The same goes for personal branding.
If you want to create a strong brand, you have to deliver value. The secret here is this – think about your audience. Yes, sharing things you like and are passionate about is important, but even more important is to create content that is actually useful and helpful for your audience.
Delivering value is exactly what makes others trust you and come back to your blog/website/Instagram for a reliable source of information. Think about it – it is no coincidence that some of the most successful personal brands like Marie Forleo and Gary Vaynerchuck share impressive amounts of free content online.
There are so many ways you can share your knowledge and educate your audience online. Free e-books, newsletters, IGTV videos, Facebook lives – just to name a few – are all perfect ways to provide value to your audience.
My tip:
I will not be the first one to say it – creating content and adding consistent value is hard. Sometimes it can take a lot of time, energy, some intense head-scratching and it is completely ok. If you cannot find inspiration and feel stuck, just use content that has been already created! There are so many useful articles, videos, and other beneficial resources provided by other content creators out there – don’t be afraid to use it to fill in the gaps between your own posts. Just, of course, don't forget to credit the original author.
Be Consistent
As always, consistency is THE key. Talking about personal branding, there are two things to be consistent with – style and content.
Consistent Brand Style
If you want to create a strong personal brand and really stand out, make sure your brand style is on! Or should I say – on brand?
A consistent brand style is way more than a curated Instagram feed. If you really want to differentiate your personal brand, you have to set some standards – think colors, fonts, templates, presets, even filters you use and every other visual aspect across all of your social media platforms.
Having a consistent visual style not only makes your personal brand look more put together but also makes it recognizable and memorable for your audience.
Confused about where to begin?
Don't worry – a detailed guide on how to create a consistent brand style is coming your way shortly, just make sure to follow updated about my new blog posts ;)
Consistent Content
A strong brand is a consistent brand. That means being active on your social media platforms and updating your content regularly, not just when you feel like it.
Showing up consistently allows you to build a relationship with your audience as well as gives them a chance to engage, stay loyal and be excited about your next post.
Let your audience take a sneak peek into your personal life, too - sharing simple life moments will get them to know you better and truly feel like they know, like and trust you.
Content strategies will vary greatly depending on your niche, target audience and social media platforms you are creating around. However, there is one universal rule which can always be applied – quality over quantity.
Being consistent does not mean posting everyday on all content mediums you can imagine. But don't expect your audience to wait for you if you disappear for weeks - most likely, your engagement will drop significantly when you start posting again.
Final Thoughts
Building a personal brand can feel a bit overwhelming, especially when you are just starting out. However, there are some another universal rules you should remember here – be as clear as possible, care about your audience and post content for them, not for yourself and stay consistent with your visual image and content.
I promise, if you follow these simple rules, you will quickly build a supportive tribe of people who are engaged and excited about what you got to say.
Want more?
Then grab my free Personal Brand Guide - I created this amazing resource with you in mind and I know you will love it ;)