A few years ago I never even knew what the term ‘Personal Brand’ really meant. I thought anything to do with branding was done in some marketing and PR department within a business.
It’s only within the last few years that I realised how powerful a personal brand could be and how successful people were using it as leverage to excel in their chosen field.
What is a personal brand?
We’re used to seeing big brands such as Apple, Nike or other huge companies use branding to their advantage. What we don’t realise is that we as individuals can craft our own personal brand.
You’re already crafting a personal brand for yourself and you don’t even realise it.
Have a social media account? Then you have a personal brand.
Do you know and interact with other people? (I really hope so) Then you also have a personal brand.
A personal brand is a way you can associate yourself with certain topics or interests allowing you to be seen as a leader or expert in that field. People associate others with certain qualities and interests without even realising, that’s why everyone has their own personal brand.
You don’t necessarily have to know a topic inside out and have a PHD regarding a certain field. As long as you can produce good content and attract the right people then you’re on your way to crafting a good personal brand for yourself.
Why a personal brand matters
These are the two biggest questions I used to ask myself when I thought about starting a personal brand. And I can tell you from first hand experience that they simply aren’t true.
- But why would I want to go through the hassle of doing that, it won’t benefit me?
- I don’t have anything to even talk about, so people won’t come and listen to me?
I’ll start with the first question.
First of all, even if you don’t want to start a business or aren’t even that motivated to build something of your own, a personal brand can allow other opportunities to come your way.
Think about it.
If there is a certain topic you’re interested in and you keep putting good consistent content out then you’re going to attract a certain audience.
That audience is going to give you some traction and before you know it you have established yourself within your niche. This is were the opportunity lies.
Now other companies who are associated with your niche are asking you to endorse some products which your audience might find useful.
Here’s an example.
Lets say you’re a football fanatic and you start your own podcast. You get yourself and your mates involved and all you do is talk about football for an hour each week (something you love to do every day regardless).
Once your podcast has gained some momentum after hours of content being put out there, one of the top betting companies has approached you and offered you a promotional deal for your audience to take advantage of.
They provide you with a special web link meaning for every person that signs up using it, you can get a percentage of the fee involved.
So now your hobby of talking about football has turned into something profitable. Seeing as you’re the face of the podcast you are also now associated with a successful project and even more opportunities present themselves to you e.g. speaking engagements, workshops, merchandise etc.
You could use the basic principles in this example and use it in your own unique way.
Now for the second question.
This was something I really struggled with for a long time.
Its easy to see why you might think you have absolutely nothing to speak about, and no content to put out there. And even if you do, it wouldn’t be of any interest anyway.
On the surface this might seem true, but the truth is that just being you gives you all the content you need.
People are interested in other people’s lives.
Just being yourself and portraying your interests, your thoughts and your personality is enough. Look at any reality TV star. They have huge followings and loyal fans purely because they are just themselves.
The same can be said for the thousands of bloggers/vloggers out there who have built successful personal brands by showcasing their lives and general lifestyle.
If you have a specific topic you’re interested in e.g. fashion or fitness, then that just helps you resonate with a more specific audience, which can be beneficial in achieving success, but it is definitely not essential.
Just be yourself and enjoy what content you put out there and the rest will follow.
Taking the plunge
If after reading this invaluable piece of content you still haven’t decided on starting a personal brand, then go back and read it again until you do.
If I’ve got the fires burning then it’s time for the next step.
There really isn’t a right or wrong way to start. All you need to do is just start.
Easier said than done, I know.
But you aren’t short of options. You could start a website like I did which will cost you money but isn’t totally necessary.
Or you could create a free social media channel and start pumping out content straight away.
Are you comfortable in front of the camera? Maybe give YouTube a go (my channel).
Prefer to be off camera and connect through written content? Then Facebook or LinkedIn might be your avenue.
Whichever medium you choose it doesn’t really matter too much, the key is to have great content being pumped out on a consistent basis.
Seeing as I haven’t covered everything in depth and if you really want to learn more about personal branding, then I’ll leave some useful resources below.
These have really helped me and are a great way to get a deeper understanding of what it really takes to build a personal brand.