A personal brand is a combination of skills, expertise, and personality and how you present them on different platforms is important. For entrepreneurs, a personal brand is everything, but how do you know if you’re doing enough?
Here are a few ways that you can boost your personal brand.
1. Get Specific
To really make your personal brand stand out, you need to define it. Jot down what you’re passionate about, what you are known for and what your areas of expertise are. Be as specific as possible. For example, saying that you’re good at baking is too general. Having a niche focus will ensure that people truly believe that you know what you’re talking about.
2. Keep Your Profiles Consistent
If you are present on several different online platforms, it’s important to make sure that your profiles are consistent. Use the same photo, bio, and graphics across all of your profiles so that people will instantly recognize you. If you have made a point of creating profiles on social media, be active on a consistent basis as this will show that you’re trustworthy and reliable. Did you know you can automate your posts on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms too? You can plan your content weeks in advance if you want (and you should) so you don’t have to struggle each day to figure out what to write and what photo to post. Your photo struggles are over once you hire a brand photographer (wink).
3. Share Your Knowledge
Seek out opportunities to write and share your expertise. Finding industry related websites and newsletters that you can contribute to will not only spread the word about what you have to offer but showcase your knowledge on a particular topic too. If you don’t already, it may also be a good idea to create your own blog that you can write for on a weekly basis.
4. Engage with Your Audience
Networking is a crucial part of growing your personal brand, which is why engaging with people both online and offline on a regular basis is a must. Whether you participate in discussions on forums or attend networking events, you will be showing people that you are out there, interested, and engaged. The more you connect with people in an authentic way, the more quickly they will recommend you to others.
5. Speak at Events
If you feel confident enough to speak in front of an audience, keep an eye out for speaking engagements in your area. Speaking at events will help you build rapport with your audience and give you the opportunity to network afterward too. Just be sure that you have a professional headshot and branded photos to send with your bio and that your website is looking good before you start sending traffic there.
Now you know the basic rules of engagement, make sure you are able to build that engaging content and are putting yourself out there online and in person. If you need help with personal brand photography, or just want a few more ideas about creating a strong visual brand, drop me a line and say hello.
