What is a personal brand and how do I build one?

Reading time: 7 Minutes

As a marketer, I've been immersed in the world of branding from the very beginning of my career. Surprisingly, though, the concept and significance of a personal brand have only recently become an important focus for me. Perhaps it was my belief that my personal brand would naturally form as I authentically lived my values and stayed true to my principles. While authenticity is undoubtedly crucial, I've come to realise that crafting and nurturing a personal brand is a deliberate and ongoing process. Like the brand of a popular and trusted product or service, your unique identity needs to be crafted and maintained over time. 

In today's competitive job market, the ability to identify and cultivate your personal brand is essential. It's the key that sets you apart from your peers, highlighting your unique strengths and the distinct value you offer. Personal branding isn't solely reserved for those aspiring to become renowned thought leaders in their fields; it's relevant to anyone looking to propel their career forward.

In this blog post, I'll share some approaches and tips to help you navigate the journey of building and refining your personal brand.

Define your desired personal brand

The first step is to determine and clarify your desired personal brand. Consider asking yourself the following questions:

• What do you want to be known for?

• Who do you admire and why? This could be someone in your professional realm or a high-profile figure whose personal brand you identify with. 

• What are you passionate about? What excites you to get out of bed in the morning? 

• What energises you? 

• What do you want to achieve personally and professionally? 

• How do you want to be perceived by others?

Take a moment to think about what your personal brand is communicating currently and consider the areas that you'd like to prioritise to bring it closer to your desired vision. Ask yourself what kind of feedback you’re currently receiving, and compare it to the image of your ideal brand that you've envisioned. How do these two perspectives differ?

Take care to incorporate your values into your personal brand

Your values are the guiding principles that shape your beliefs, behaviours, and decision-making processes. Incorporating your values into your personal brand ensures that you’re building a public identity that’s true to yourself. It helps you stay focused on what really matters to you and enables a personal brand rooted in authenticity. In my perspective, while all elements of your personal brand are important, it's your values that truly set you apart, crafting a meaningful and distinctive brand identity. Until recent years, I had not placed significant emphasis on defining or cultivating my personal brand. However, I discovered that my values had silently established the foundation of my personal brand as I consistently lived by them. Recognising the importance of actively nurturing my personal brand made the process considerably smoother, given that this solid foundation had been established, even without my conscious awareness. If you're currently struggling to pinpoint your personal values, take a moment to consider whether any of the following resonate with you:

• Authenticity

• Integrity

• Mutual respect 

• Compassion

• Empathy

• Kindness

• Accountability

• Courage

• Perseverance 

• Fairness

• Collaboration

• Learning

• Community

Identify what sets you apart

Similar to a traditional product or service, a successful personal brand needs a unique selling proposition, the very core that distinguishes it from the rest. So, what defines your unique selling proposition? What superpower do you possess? I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on what my unique selling proposition is. I've come to realise that this lies in my knack for fostering and nurturing relationships, which has been enabled by my core value of authenticity as well as my approach, which is built on respect for each individual and steeped in empathy.

Questions you can ask yourself to identify what sets you apart:

• What do you do effortlessly that others find challenging?

• What activities make you feel as if you were born to do them?

• What skills or talents do people often compliment you on?

• What do people often come to you for advice or help with?

Build credibility and enhanced visibility

Cultivating and nurturing a strong network serves as a cornerstone for enhancing your credibility and increasing your visibility, both of which are essential in building a personal brand. Conversely, your personal brand plays an equally pivotal role in shaping and sustaining your network. A positively crafted personal brand will naturally draw people towards you, while a poor personal brand will constrain your capacity to construct and uphold a solid network.

#Confidence

As I’ve navigated the world of personal branding, I've come to an important realisation: confidence is a key element of a personal brand. You might possess absolute clarity regarding your desired personal brand, have meticulously articulated your values, and firmly established your differentiators. However, without the presence of confidence, all these efforts could falter. Confidence plays such a key role in how you show up and present yourself to the world. If you sense that your self-confidence could benefit from improvement, consider starting your journey with some of the tips outlined below:

• Challenge negative self-talk and replace it with positive encouragement

• Acknowledge and celebrate your successes

• Identify your strengths and development areas and put plans in place to address areas of improvement

• Surround yourself with a good support network that can encourage and uplift you

• Ongoing learning in areas where you’d like to upskill can help you feel more capable and confident

• Work with a mentor or a coach to help you navigate through the situations where you feel the least confident // Read our article on how mentorship can help you achieve career success

• Step out of your comfort zone and expose yourself to situations or tasks that feel daunting to you. Over time these situations will feel more comfortable and will help build your confidence.

Ensure the basics are in place

In my earlier years of exploring personal branding, I held the belief that it primarily revolved around crafting an external image, managing one's online presence, and investing in professional photography. However, as time has passed, I realised that my understanding of what encompasses a personal brand was limited. I've come to realise that these elements serve as the foundation – the prerequisites of personal branding. Much like confidence, they are pivotal, and without them, your ability to effectively establish your desired personal brand will be constrained. It is essential to ensure that you have these foundational elements firmly established:

• Craft your online brand. Have you ever Googled yourself? If not, take a moment, pause this blog post and do so now. Make sure that what comes up is aligned to your desired personal brand. Similarly, if you have public social media accounts, carefully curate the content to avoid any elements that might detract from the brand you’re trying to build. 

• LinkedIn holds a unique position in the professional world. It's the primary platform where potential employers, clients, and professional contacts will explore your profile. Keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date, align your posts with your personal brand, and ensure your profile picture is recent and exudes professionalism.

• Take care of how you show up in meetings and professional engagements. Whether making a first impression or participating in professional interactions, your presentation matters and can significantly impact your personal brand. Ensure a professional virtual background, well-lit surroundings, and a noise-free environment for virtual meetings. Pay attention to body language during both virtual and in-person encounters. 

• Polishing your CV. Your CV is a crucial component of your personal brand. Choose the right format, make sure that you proofread it for spelling and grammar errors, and ensure it presents you in the best light possible. // Read our article here on crafting your CV

• Punctuality matters. Consistently being punctual is crucial for maintaining a positive personal brand. Whether it's a meeting or a project deadline, being on time demonstrates reliability and professionalism. The converse will have a negative impact on your personal brand.

• Dress the part. This is a reality that I have resisted for the longest time, perhaps because I felt that it was superficial and contrary to my values. However, I've come to realise the importance of how we present ourselves. It's not about conforming to external standards; it's about cultivating and expressing YOUR unique personal brand. Your presentation matters, as it shapes how you're perceived and how you can authentically communicate your identity.

Building and nurturing your personal brand is not a once-off effort; it's an ongoing journey that requires maintenance and consistency. Embrace the idea that your personal brand may need to evolve over time as you grow and change. Embrace your uniqueness, and don't be afraid to authentically express what makes you, you. In the grand scheme of things, it's these genuine qualities that will truly set your personal brand apart from the rest and leave a lasting impression.