I have always wanted to create a personal brand, even before I knew what a personal brand was. When I was five-years-old, I remember just wanting to talk and talk and talk. I remember thinking how I just want to share my story and be open. And I’m still the same way at 27 – wanting to use my voice to make an impact and a difference in the world.
You’re probably thinking everyone has a personal brand, and you’re probably wondering if there’s space for you or if it’s too late to start. There is room for you because there are people out there who need you, your voice, your story.
So here we are, with me talking about how to build a personal brand and why it’s so important.
Create a safe space.
I want people to be able to express their thoughts and feelings and emotions. It’s okay. You have permission. I give myself permission to express my own thoughts and my own emotions, not only the ups but also the downs.
Hopefully, by me showing up, it will show you that you can show up. You can build a profitable personal brand; you can make money online by just being yourself.
You can be yourself and build your personal brand the way you want to.
At the end of the day, that is what’s going to set you apart. At the end of the day, the things that you think that you should hide, are really what needs to come out because those things are going to help you attract your ideal clients, customers and audience members to you.
For me, I know that I want to create a place – a community – where people feel like they can be themselves. That is why I’m encouraging you to share your story and to use your voice. Show this world because you have something amazing to offer.
Personal branding sets you up for life – financially.
It does take work in the beginning, upfront.
As we look at all of the big names in the industry, like Gary Vee, Marie Forleo, Tony Robbins and Dave Ramsey, and so on, they have created a name for themselves. They can create anything they want, and people love them. Anyone can do that, even you – even if you don’t have an audience yet, even if you don’t have an offer yet, even if you have no idea what you’re doing. We all have to start somewhere so why not just start today?
So, let’s talk about what branding is.
Branding isn’t just a logo or just some fonts. Branding is how people perceive you AND your brand. The thoughts, emotions, feelings they have when they land on your website or on your Instagram, the assumptions they make about you and your brand – it all has to do with branding.
There are different aspects of branding. There’s your visual branding – your logo, your brand colors, your fonts and colors. There’s your brand’s messaging – the words you use, the way you communicate, how you talk. There are so many ways to communicate who you are, as a business and as a person like through your personality, your values or your philosophy.
Here is an example. When I think about my own brand, I want my brand to be approachable, down-to-earth, real, organic and honest. I want it to feel like that friend you’re having coffee with who you can just be real with but also who you know is going to drop some good nuggets and really support and empower you. I want it to feel like that friend you can stay up with until 4AM to have free, open, honest conversations about life, business, dating, friendships – all of it.
If there’s anything that I’ve learned, it’s that the only way to be sustainable in this industry is If you show up as yourself. Don’t try to pretend to be someone you’re not. Don’t try to mold yourself into this person that you think people wanted you to be. That is not sustainable. If it’s not in alignment, and it doesn’t feel good, then it’s not going to take you very far.
Get crystal clear on who you are serving and why.
#1 Who’s that person you want to land on your Instagram page or your website?
How do you want to make them feel? So for me, I want you to feel inspired and empower you with the tools and resources to actually make it happen.
#2 What attracts your people to you?
These can be things like your personality, your energy, your vibe. At the end of the day, like attracts like.
#3 Write down what your values and beliefs are – both professionally and personally.
Those things should tie together. My values and my beliefs are the same, professionally and personally. I believe in being empathetic; I believe in being understanding; I believe in being down-to-earth and being approachable – in business and in life.
#4 What makes you different from everyone else in your industry?
These could be things like your personality, your viewpoint or your perspective on your industry. For me personally, some things that come to mind is that I didn’t go to college. I went to community college, but I never got a bachelor’s degree. For a long time that held me back, but at the same time, I can still connect with people who did go to college because we all experience things like comparison and imposter syndrome.
#5 The number of followers you have does matter.
Audience size does matter, especially if you want to sell lower ticket items.
Double down on one to two platforms.
Here is the thing about showing up, you do not have to be everywhere. In fact, when you’re just starting out, I do not recommend you to be everywhere. Let’s play this out.
You’re excited, and you see all of these different platforms that everyone is on. You start thinking, “I want to be in all of the places all at once.” So, now you’re on six platforms, but you’re giving a smaller amount of your energy to each platform and not giving your full time and energy to one platform.
If you stick with two platforms, you will have more time, energy and attention to give to those two platforms. It’s just like spending time with someone. Your friend is trying to have a conversation with you, but you keep looking at your phone or you look at every person that passes by. Your friend ends up feeling like they don’t have your full attention.
So if you are trying to be on every platform, you’re not going to get very far because you’re not being present. It really comes down to the 80/20 rule – 80% of the outcome comes from 20% of your effort.
So what platform should you be on – Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Clubhouse, podcasting? Here are a few things to consider
#1 Target Market
Who is your demographic that you want to reach? Where do they hang out and consume content? Really think about who and where your demographic is.
#2 What do you like to do?
This is just as equally important. What do you like to do? Do you like to write? Do you like to talk? Do you like to be on camera?
