The SMB Guide to Personal Branding 2024
Building a personal brand takes time and effort, but the following steps can get you started:
Step 1: Define your brand and develop a purpose
Start with introspection to define your brand.
Ask yourself:
- Who am I?
- What do I stand for?
- What do I want to be known for?
- What is my vision?
- What are my values?
- What are my goals?
- What are my strengths?
From there, start outlining who YOU are and what you want to be known for.
Step 2: Create your online presence
Having an online presence is crucial for personal branding.
This includes:
- Creating up-to-date social profiles
- A personal website
- A well written blog
Get started by updating your current social profiles.
Make sure your social media profiles:
- Maintain a consistent visual brand, including the same background image, headshot, biography, etc.
- Highlight your achievements and projects
- Talk to your audience (whom you want to help).
From there, you can build a streamlined website and drive traffic through your social posts.
Step 3: Produce valuable content
Creating valuable content is a cornerstone of personal branding.
Share your insights, stories, experiences and customer success stories.
Focus on delivering quality content that provides solutions and value to your followers.
- Write blog posts or articles relevant to your niche.
- Share insights on social media
- Participate in podcast interviews (or start one yourself).
- Create videos or webinars to inform and engage.
Content is a powerful tool for showcasing your expertise and building a loyal audience.
Pro tip: You can never give away too much value. Don’t hold back.
Step 4: Communicate with your community
Building a brand isn’t just about broadcasting; it’s about interaction.
Here are some ways you can interact with the community you’re building:
- Reply to every comment on your social posts
- Interact with other posts on all social platforms
- Attend live networking events and chat with your colleagues
- Offer help and support where you can
- Join or create online groups that align with your brand
By engaging with your community, you can build meaningful relationships and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Step 5: Continuous learning and adapting
The digital landscape and digital industries are constantly evolving.
Stay relevant by:
- Stay informed about trends in your industry.
- Adopt new tools and platforms where necessary.
- Upgrade your skills with courses or certifications.
- Request feedback and make necessary adjustments.
- After this field guide (woohoo)!
A commitment to learning and adaptation shows your audience that you are a progressive leader in your field.
Example: I recently learned that LinkedIn “cheat sheets” perform better. Guess? I’m posting cheat sheets now and keeping an eye on the data.
Keep your ear to the ground.
