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What’s Personal Branding?

Personal branding refers to the creation of a brand that is centered on a person and not a business entity. Personal branding helps people position themselves as experts in their industry. A person can build a personal brand to increase their social media following, help them get a better job, promote their business and open up new opportunities. It is not easy to build a personal brand. It can take a lot of planning and months to see the results. Sometimes you will need to make improvements to your personal brand after getting feedback. This type of branding is also known as self-branding. Both terms will be used in this article interchangeably to refer to the same thing.

A personal brand statement is a way to build your personal brand. Your personal brand statement identifies who you are and what you expect from your audience. It also explains why people should follow your USP. This 1-2 sentence statement will help you to stay true to your personal brand while you build it.

Why Personal Branding is Important

Personal branding is essential because it gives a person credibility. It is now more difficult to get a job or a paycheck. You need to be visible to make your personal brand stand out with more people creating it. If you have a blog, personal branding can help recruiters locate experts like you quickly. You can show key data, such as how many followers you have, traffic to your website, and other metrics that can help you stand out from other candidates, if you are trying to get a better job at a company. It’s almost like an online portfolio of yourself. Your brand allows people to better understand you and your value.

You can also use it to land business deals and marketing partnerships you didn’t have before, especially if your influence is strong. By building trust in yourself and your expertise, companies can know that they will benefit from partnering with you. Your personal brand is a great way to stand out from the rest and build your own identity. This will be discussed more later.

How To Improve Your Personal Brand

You can improve your personal branding by getting feedback and making sure your self-brand aligns with your personal brand statement. Although personal branding has proven to be extremely successful for many people, it is difficult to see when your efforts have been successful without a personal branding statement. To improve your personal branding, it is important to understand what progress looks like.

These steps will help you improve your personal brand.

Create your personal brand statement by researching your target audience and evaluating any competitors.
Create a personal branding strategy. Plan how you will engage with your target audience. Define what success looks like in two, nine, or two years.
Track your personal brand engagement. Encourage positive participation and create a plan for dealing with negative remarks
Your personal brand is what you should be building: Use social media, outreach, outreach, and speaking opportunities to promote your brand. You might consider podcasting, vBlogging, and Podcasts as ways to promote your personal brand so that your audience can consume it quickly.
Create a communication plan. Controlling your online presence can be difficult. This plan will reduce negative backlash and make it easier to share information with potential partners.
Track your success regularly . Set some KPIs to measure personal brand success and ensure you’re on the right track. To keep motivated, celebrate even the smallest wins.

How do you determine if your personal brand has been built successfully? Here are some valuable KPIs:

A sale is converted through your blog
If you are asked to speak on an event or podcast
Referring someone to you
A publication invites you to blog
When people mention you online, via social media, their blogs, or other important media

Personal branding has not been successful

It is difficult to brand yourself. It can be time-consuming, slow, and sometimes difficult to swallow. Negative feedback can be very damaging, even if your communication plan is well-crafted. Sometimes you just don’t want to be the brand you’ve built. So that you can quickly improve your self-brand, we highlight some things to think about.

Don’t Be Afraid of Other Influencersspan styling=”font-weight 400 ;”>: There are other people in your industry who are building their own brand. Make sure you do your research and make sure that what you want to achieve is not already been achieved. You can list your competitors and keep track of their activities to see what is happening. You can identify potential partners and get advice from them so that you don’t waste your time on useless ventures.
Don’t Follow Your Followersspan styling=”font-weight 400 ;”>: After you have built a following, listen to what they have to say. If they don’t like a product you are promoting, learn why and decide if it is a good product to partner with. To get an idea of the interests of your followers, read the comments to your posts on social media. You can also use a search engine online to search for your name. You may discover something new about yourself.
Generating Poor Contentspan styling=”font-weight 400 ;”>: Slowing down is not a good idea, especially if you want to create a brand around your expertise in the subject. If you’re not an expert in your field, you can choose to use a different media to market yourself or hire a freelancer.
How to Brand Yourself Wrongspan type=”font-weight 400 ;”>: Without doing the proper research, you could end up with a personal brand that no one wants to follow. You can bring new life to an old industry by researching if it will accept you. Before you start branding yourself in a negative way, go out and do some research. Important to note that your personal brand should reflect your authentic self, not something you make. It is easier to be consistent over time if you are more natural.
Not Being Consistentspan styling=”font-weight 400 ;”>: Consistency is the most important element of self-branding. It is impossible to trust people who change their beliefs at will. Followers want trust. People who share the same thought patterns as them are followed by followers. These beliefs are the foundation of your brand. Followers will no longer trust you if they change.
Forgetting the Longer Term. It is important to understand your brand’s long-term goals for a personal brand. Do you intend to offer how-to videos on makeup for beginners and young people who are interested in improving their makeup skills? Or will you prefer to keep the videos at the same level while still providing tutorials for beginners? You should consider these things early in your planning process to ensure you are moving in the right direction.

Personal Branding: 10 Tips

Be authentic: Personal branding tips

Being authentic is key when it comes to branding. What does this actually mean? This means to be you. Everybody has their own uniqueness. You might spontaneously sing in the middle of conversation. Maybe you have a completely different style of dressing. You are unique because of something about yourself. If you are serious about branding yourself, it’s time to accept your eccentricities. It is that unique trait that will make you stand out among 7 billion others on this planet. Let your uniqueness shine through and celebrate your differences.

Personal brand examples: Gary Vaynerchuk

When you think about individual branding, who is the most authentic? Gary Vaynerchuk is the answer. He’s as authentic as you can get. I first met him at the Traffic and Conversion Conference held in the lobby of the hotel. His most striking characteristic is his inability to censor himself. He is more likely to decline a speaking gig asking him to tone down his swearing than to actually tone it down. We love that about him. He speaks to you in the same way as your friends. He won’t show up in an expensive suit to remind you that he is more successful than your. He is. He is a very down-to-earth guy. I once messaged him via Instagram, and he replied within 10 minutes. I don’t know who does that. Nobody.

Gary Vaynerchuk started his personal branding journey on YouTube while he promoted his online store Wine Library span style=”font weight: 400 ;”>. Did you see the videos? Here is his first video. It looked almost like a home video from 2006, even though it was from 2006. He just sat down in front of the camera and drank wine. This is why I am mentioning it. Gary Vaynerchuk was able to build a personal brand using a very low budget approach. You can, too.
Personal branding tips

Many influential people use blogging to promote their personal brand. It works. Today, you may be an unknown person with no voice. If you consistently create content in your niche for at most one to two years you will eventually build an audience. You have two options when it comes to blogging for personal branding. You can create your own blog. This personal branding strategy is the most time-consuming but the most rewarding. You can also write guest posts for top blogs in your niche. You can build an audience quicker, but you don’t have any virtual properties.

Personal brand examples: Rachel Parcell

Rachel Parcell began building her personal brand through her blog pink peoniesspan styling=”font-weight 400 ;”>. She writes about fashion, beauty, and lifestyle on her blog. She has been a fashion blogger for many years and has earned a good reputation as an influencer. She has over 973,000 Instagram followers. Rachel Parcell created an online store to help her blog monetize. What do you sell? Fashion. She also models her own clothing line. She has been successful in her self-branding. How can you achieve a similar result? You have a blog section in your online store. Make use of it. Blogs for personal branding are a great way of building an audience and monetizing it through sales.
Personal Branding Tips

It is common for people to say “provide value” when they mean fluff. Let’s say you sell makeup products. Either you could be the only brand that runs ads. You could also build your own brand and create tutorial videos on makeup, answer common questions about makeup, or host a stream with makeup inspiration for different seasons. A customer may buy from a brand that only runs ads but they will be more inclined to buy from an advertisement run by an influencer . Why? Because the influencer taught them something before they bought. This brand is top of mind.

Personal brand examples: Mimi Ikonn

Mimi Ikonn is all about value in her personal branding strategy. Her YouTube channel, Luxy Hair, helped her rise to fame. She created hair tutorials that anyone could follow in her videos. Her videos show her hair extensions subtly, without making them the main focus. She would occasionally make videos about hair extensions, but the content was always value-based such as how to choose the right color or how to clip them in. So it’s not surprising that she has a following of over 3.1 million subscribers. This is how to build a personal brand.
Get out of the spotlight with these Personal Branding Tips

It may seem counterintuitive, but it can be very draining to constantly be in the limelight. Sometimes people need to see you for a while to appreciate how important you are in their lives. Taylor Swift is a good example. She hadn’t posted on social media in nearly a year before her new album Reputation was released. As she began to recognize the negative side of fame, she completely left the spotlight. You’ll soon realize the dangers of too much attention when building your personal brand. To build your self-esteem, it’s okay to take a step back from the spotlight occasionally.

Personal brand examples: Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner, being part of the Kardashian clan, is always going to be a public person. She is always in the limelight, whether it’s on her family’s reality TV show, the cover of a tabloid, or the success of Kylie Cosmetics. She surprised everyone by keeping her pregnancy secret. She kept her pregnancy secret and avoided public appearances. She chose to focus on a very important event in her life, and she kept it private until she was ready. After her daughter was born she shared with her fans the reasons she kept it secret.
Be consistent. Personal branding tips

The secret ingredient to winning personal brands is consistency. It’s not about posting every day on social media. It’s about unifying your brand’s look and messaging. Are all your social media posts different or the same? While some will argue that variety is important, the truth is that consistency is key to growing a following. You would probably stop listening to the jazz music of your favorite pop star if they suddenly released a jazz album. The same goes for personal branding. The way you present your content will make your audience fall in love. They’ll leave if you change your tunes.

Personal brand examples: Manny Gutierrez

Manny Gutierrez is a consistent brand. His YouTube channel features makeup tutorials and he is a beauty influencer. You’ll notice that many of his Instagram photos are close-up makeup shots. You can see that most of his makeup looks are more dramatic, with bright colors that add an extra punch. If you are interested in a dramatic makeup look, then follow his Instagram and subscribe to his YouTube channel. Manny Mua is his online shop, which allows him to more effectively monetize YouTube. A few t-shirts have vulgar language on them, as does a pop socket. It’s possible that he swears on YouTube, which keeps his communication consistent across all his products.
Personal Branding Tips

If you don’t put yourself out there, it can be difficult to build a brand. Get a blog started, attend a Meetup, meet people at conferences, have shaky coffee with strangers, and post every day on social media. Your network will grow the more you interact with others. Although it may be tempting to keep your network focused on a particular niche, it is best to branch out into other areas. It’s possible to meet someone with a different perspective, or who has expertise in an area you will need.

Personal brand examples: Doug the Pug

It can seem strange to include a pug on this list. But, when you have 6.1million fans on Facebook and Instagram of 3.2million, it’s safe to say that you are the King of Personal Branding, or, as Doug the Pug would put it, King of Pop Culture. Doug the Pug is the most connected dog in the world. He will attend dog events, media interviews and concerts, among other things. His social media posts often feature photos of him with other influential people, even if they don’t show him eating pizza. This is why it works. This is because these influencers tag him on social media and share his picture. By increasing his followers, he can also sell more products at his Doug the Pug Store. If you are able to meet other influencers, snap a quick picture and share it on social media. This could help strengthen your personal brand.
Be a creator: Personal branding tips

Being controversial can help you build your personal brand. Sometimes, this can backfire and lead to negative publicity. It is safer to be a creator than to build a personal brand. You can’t undervalue the importance of creation, whether you are creating your own website, unique products, or content. Creators and doers are the best influencers. Start an online store, start a YouTube channel, and commit to writing guest articles or posting every week on popular blogs. Self branding is not about hiding behind your computer or spending weekends on Netflix.

Personal brand examples: Carli Bybel

Carli Bybel’s YouTube channel was the first place she started her personal branding journey. Her channel is full of beautiful makeup looks. She also designed a makeup kit to help her monetize her YouTube channel. Although she doesn’t own a beauty shop, she sells her product on the popular BH Cosmetics site. Customers are limited to ordering four units of the product because it is so popular. Showing the value of a personal brand can drive sales growth. She has also made YouTube videos and created her own beauty products. In addition, she started her own blog, where she covers fashion, beauty, and hair. She will post photos of her modeling different looks and some written content.
Be an expert: Personal branding tips

It can be difficult to brand yourself if you don’t have a specific area of expertise. Each influencer is an expert in a specific niche. You might consider a niche for your online shop selling tools, such as furniture design, carpentry or furniture design. You should increase your knowledge in car parts to be able to offer value. You can also build a brand that focuses on your area of expertise. If you have been working in a hair salon for five-years, you may be able to build a personal brand that shares your knowledge and sells hair products.

Personal Brand Examples: Michelle Phan

Michelle Phan was an artist major before she started YouTube self-branding. She used her makeup artistry degree to quickly build a following on YouTube, where she hosted makeup tutorials. She stopped making YouTube videos and shifted her focus to her brands. She cofounded and founded two brands: EM Cosmetics and Ipsy. Her experience in makeup tutorials made it easy for her to move into the creation of makeup brands. Her personal brand was a major asset to her business, which was valued at $500,000,000 in 2015.
Enhance Yourself: Personal Branding Tips

We discussed authenticity earlier in this article. The second step is to amplify yourself. It can be difficult to make a difference in a crowded environment. You can amplify yourself by embracing the essence of your personality and letting it run wild. Let’s say that you are a risk-taker. You might make content that shows you taking risks. This will help you build your personal brand. It’s similar to how Felix Baumgartner fell from the edge of space or Nik Wallenda tightroped over Niagara Falls. Although you might not be able to do extreme things, you will do extreme activities that aren’t possible for the average person.

Personal brand examples: Simeon Pan

Simeon Panda has built a brand around his physical appearance. It’s difficult to be considered a fitness expert if your body isn’t in good shape. His impressive physique has been featured on the covers of several magazines. He’s not only in good shape; his muscles are larger than the average person. To stand out in the fitness market, he enhanced his physical appearance. Simeon Panda is an online retailer that sells training materials and equipment. His online training videos would not be as appealing if he hadn’t improved his physical appearance. But, those who want to build muscles and have stronger bodies might choose to purchase products he makes to do so.
Personal branding tips

Without human interaction, personal brands are impossible to build. Many influencers reach a point in their careers where they are less involved with their followers. If you are just beginning your self-branding, it is important to respond to followers’ messages. It’s good for your business. Make sure you take the time to engage with your social media followers each day. Have you been tagged in a post by someone? It is important to respond. Did you share one of your articles on social media? Thanks. Do you have any questions about your product? Answer their questions. People expect quick responses. It is important to personalize your brand.

Personal brand examples: Eric Bandholz

Eric Bandholz is the founder of Beard Brandspan styling=”font-weight 400 ;”>, and he interacts with his followers via social media. Despite having more than 26k followers, he responds to comments on Instagram. His YouTube channel occasionally hosts messages.

Conclusion

Your business can be elevated by creating a personal brand. You can increase your chances for success by following the personal branding tips, such as being consistent, authentic and social. Although it is scary to be out there, the rewards are far greater than the risks. You have the ability to make a difference in the world. Your legacy lies in your hands.

Do you think about building your personal brand? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments

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Table of Contents

What’s Personal Branding?

Why Personal Branding is Important

How To Improve Your Personal Brand

Personal branding has not been successful

Personal Branding: 10 Tips

Be authentic: Personal branding tips

Personal brand examples: Gary Vaynerchuk

Personal branding tips

Personal brand examples: Rachel Parcell

Personal Branding Tips

Personal brand examples: Mimi Ikonn

Get out of the spotlight with these Personal Branding Tips

Personal brand examples: Kylie Jenner

Be consistent. Personal branding tips

Personal brand examples: Manny Gutierrez

Personal Branding Tips

Personal brand examples: Doug the Pug

Be a creator: Personal branding tips

Personal brand examples: Carli Bybel

Be an expert: Personal branding tips

Personal Brand Examples: Michelle Phan

Enhance Yourself: Personal Branding Tips

Personal brand examples: Simeon Pan

Personal branding tips

Personal brand examples: Eric Bandholz

Conclusion

Want To Learn More?

Author: Nicole Martins Ferreira

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