Personal Branding 101: How To Build A Strong Personal Brand

Branding yourself is important, it develops and maintains your credibility, trustworthiness, and value – all of which are important assets to personal and professional success. Not only is it important to understand what a strong personal brand is, but why it’s so valuable, and also how to build one. In this blog post, I will go into detail about why you should be investing time into your own personal brand and provide actionable steps you can take to begin this process.

You may be thinking that personal branding is only relevant to business people or entrepreneurs. But the fact is that individuals who do not have their own business as well as students and professionals looking for a job or professionals in a role are also relevant to personal branding.

Personal branding is important to everyone who wants to improve their chances of getting an internship, job, or promotion, or change jobs for the better. This includes those who are already in work but want to progress in their professional and educational careers, as well as those looking for their first job.

 

 

What Is Personal Branding?

Your personal brand is the key to defining who you are and what you do in the world. It’s the reason why people will hire you or buy from you – because they want to work with someone they believe in, trust and like.

So if you’re building your business around what you’re selling, then personal branding is all about creating an identity that people want to buy into. It’s about being more than just a face or a name: it’s about creating something that makes people take notice of you and want to be part of what you’re doing.

The gist

A personal brand is not just a logo, it’s not just a tagline, and it’s not just who you are. It’s everything about your business and yourself as a person.

 

Why Should You Care About Personal Branding?

Whether you are intentionally developing your own brand or not, it is crucial for creating relationships. When people meet someone new and don’t know anything about them yet, they often form impressions based on their appearance. When we talk about personal branding, we’re referring to how others perceive us as individuals. The image that we present about ourselves can make all the difference between success and failure in both our professional and personal lives. I think it’s important to remember that there are a lot of ways to be authentic. The key is to find ways to highlight what makes you unique, or what makes you stand out from the crowd.

In the end, if you want to grow your personal brand or business and be successful in the long run, then you should care about personal branding. Here’s why:

1. It gives you an edge over the competition

2. It helps position yourself as an expert in your field

3. It makes it easy for people to find you and connect with you on social media platforms

4. It helps establish your credibility with potential clients and customers

 

The gist

The biggest challenge for most small businesses isn’t finding customers — it’s standing out from the crowd. That’s where personal branding comes in: It gives businesses an edge over their competitors by helping them establish themselves as experts in their fields.

 

So How Do You Start?

You’ve probably heard the saying, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” This is especially true when building your personal brand.

When approaching your personal branding journey, it’s important to remember that the process isn’t just about you — it’s about making an impression on others. Strategy should be your beginning point, just like when you’re trying to brand a company. Here are some tips to get started:

 

1. Be clear about your why

The first step to a great personal brand is having a clear vision of who you are and what your purpose is in life. I’m not talking about some vague mission statement or life goals — those things will change over time. Instead, I’m talking about your ikigai, which means ‘a reason for being’. It’s the one thing that brings meaning to everything else in your life.

Once you figure out what your Ikigai is, building the rest of your personal brand becomes much easier because it all comes back to this one thing: your why.

 

2. Refine your message

The next step to personal branding is to establish your message. This is the most important part of your branding because it is what people will associate with you in their minds. A good message is focused on one thing, and it should be something you want to be known for or want to be associated with.

For example, if you are a business owner, you might want to be known as a leader or innovator in your industry. If you are an artist, maybe you want to be known for your unique style or technique.

Here are some questions to help you decide on your message:

• What am I all about? What makes me special? What sets me apart from everyone else?
• Why should someone hire or work with me? Why should someone buy from me? What value do I provide?
• How can I help solve problems for people or businesses? How can I make their lives easier or better in some way?

 

3. Define your brand’s voice

Brand voice is the distinct personality a brand takes on in its communications.

Ask yourself what values you want to convey and how you want your personality to appear. Think about the things that make up your brand. What words would be associated with you? What values do you want to convey? This can be done by writing down some of the words that describe yourself and then finding ways to incorporate them into your life and career.

 

The gist

A brand is a promise. It’s the sum total of everything you do, say and stand for as an individual. When approaching your personal branding journey, it’s important to remember that the process isn’t just about you — it’s about making an impression on others. Strategy should be your beginning point, just like when you’re trying to brand a company.

 

Make That First Impression Count! 

Each visual element of your brand needs to be consistent and aligned with each other. This includes everything from the logo and color scheme to the fonts used and even the content you share on social media. It is super important to build a strong visual identity for yourself. First impressions matter! This means that you need to come up with consistent brand photography, colors, logos and fonts that represent your company well so that people can easily recognize them when they see them in print or online.

When it comes to photography, it’s important to be smart and strategic about how you present yourself online. This can include everything from photos on social media to images on your website or blog. Knowing what kind of image you want to project. Is it professional? Casual? Funny? Serious? Think about what values you want to convey and how those might be communicated through photographs on your website or blog. You might also consider creating a specific look or feel for each platform you use (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.) so that the public has an idea of who they’re connecting with when they see your name or photo online.

Once you’ve decided what kind of image you want to project, it’s time to find a photographer who can help bring that vision to life! Start by searching local listings for photographers who specialize in headshots, portraits and other types of photography that can help showcase your personal brand online. I collaborate with Lea, a fantastic photographer for personal branding. Check her out if you’re in the Miami, Florida, area.

The logo is the main element of your visual identity. It should be simple and memorable, so it can be easily recognized by others. The best logos are simple in form, but complex in meaning. With personal branding, a logo should be considered for professionals who base their business on their personal skills and expertise (think coaches, therapists, realtors, designers, any freelance professional…) but are not mandatory for individuals in a current role or when looking for a job.

A color palette that matches your brand personality and mood are also really important. Your choice of colors should reflect how you want people to feel when they see them. For example, bright colors might make people feel happy while darker shades may evoke feelings of elegance or sophistication. Choose two or three colors that work well together and complement each other nicely.

The gist

It is important to build a strong visual identity for yourself. First impressions matter! This means that your presence requires photography, colors, logos and fonts that represent your personal brand well so that people can easily recognize them when they see them in print or online.

Your Personal Brand’s Photography, Message and Voice Must Align

When building your personal brand, it’s important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Each person has their own unique story, experiences, challenges and opportunities. The more authentically you can share yours, the more people will connect with you on an emotional level — which means they’ll be more likely to buy from you or work with you.

It’s important when building a personal brand that the photography, message and voice all be aligned and cohesive. That means using images that reflect your personality or career goals, as well as writing blog posts, tweets or status updates that showcase your personality traits. Your visual brand needs to match your written brand. If they don’t match then there is no consistency in your message and customers may get confused about who you really are.

The gist

Your visual brand needs to match your written brand. If they don’t match then there is no consistency in your message and customers may get confused about who you really are.

Whether you’re a student, professional, freelancer, small business owner, or entrepreneur, the key takeaway should be that there are a lot of benefits to having a powerful personal brand. Putting the time and energy into building one can have a huge payoff. If you think you might need help with this process, don’t be afraid to use some of the resources at hand— or reach out. We would love to help! And finally, carefully consider how your online reputation is being perceived by others on the web. After all, it’s just as much a part of your brand as everything else.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for stopping by and reading our blog! If you want to continue learning about how to build an authentic brand and learn more about how to market your business, check out Market It! the podcast that inspires and guides authentic entrepreneurs to build the soulful brand of their dreams and lead a purpose-driven business.

 

 

 

At AHBC Group, we are passionate about helping entrepreneurs launch and grow a brand that is authentic to them, their purpose, and their audience. We enjoy working with entrepreneurs who have a strong purpose, a clear vision and who are animated by ethical, eco-conscious, and inclusive values, who like to challenge the status quo, and are not afraid to build a truly unique brand. If that sounds like you and you would like to discuss your project with us, apply here!