Why Branding Is Not Just for Companies and Celebrities in 2022

You’ve probably heard of people having a brand, but maybe you think it's a thing for celebrities and corporations.

That’s simply not true.

Everyone has a personal brand.

In fact, the question isn’t whether you have a personal brand. It’s whether you have a good and effective one.

So here's how to make your personal brand stand out.

What is personal branding and why is it important?

 Simply put, a personal brand is the skills and talents you are known for.

This could be through social media, a blog page, Linkedin, YouTube videos, Instagram reels, or just by being well-known in your local community.

A lot of people overlook personal branding, considering it a long shot to “become known” or that it’s not necessary or worthwhile.

While it is true that personal branding requires you to be consistent with your time and effort, the potential benefits of having a strong personal brand make the time spent well worth it.

From landing job interviews to standing out from the crowd, there are a lot of positive things that can come from personal branding.

So how do you get started?

Take an active role in your career management

 Most people go through their careers in the passenger seat.

They don’t care about taking charge. They just let themselves be driven…by their manager, their coworkers, or simply the trajectory their life happens to take. They stay in reactive mode.

But personal branding is something you need to take an active role in.

The first step is finding out what you are already known for.

Are you the office goofball or its hardest worker? Are you the go-to person for anything?

Ask around and find out what people think about you when they think of you. See if that matches up with how you want it to be thought of.

Don’t be afraid to share your expertise

Many of us are afraid of showing our success or expertise because we don’t want to seem like we’re bragging.

But it is possible to share your expertise in a way that helps other people, instead of just serving your own ego.

For example, one way that may come across as arrogant is by giving unsolicited advice. This is when you find someone who does not necessarily want your advice or expertise and didn’t ask for your help, but you decide to unload your expertise on them anyway.

What you want to do instead is find people who are needing and desiring help, and generously share your needed knowledge and experience with them in a way they can use to grow for their own benefit.

One way to do this might be to start an online community for those new to your field, or even just find the struggling office employee and ask politely if they would like your assistance with anything.

In other words, find ways to serve others with your knowledge or experience in a generous, humble, and helpful way, and you will start developing a reputation around that.

Make your brand your story

Your personal brand should read like a story.

No one wants to read about your brand on social media if you just randomly shout about it every now and then. Your audience should have something to relate to and something they can engage with and use on their own.

In other words, you should be providing value in an engaging way.

One of the best ways to do this is through making videos or writing posts.

Just take out your smartphone and record a video.

If you’re a writer, consider writing a blog post or post on a social media platform, like LinkedIn.

Or even just start out by writing thoughtful responses to other people’s posts until you have the courage to strike out on your own.

Choose a niche and stick within it

Choosing a niche is one of the first steps of your personal brand.

Know your audience and what is most relevant to them. Stick to that.

(Hint: Figure out what you have to offer and who could benefit from your knowledge.)

If you try to speak to everyone, you’ll end up reaching no one.

But if you speak to one person who needs what you have, then you will end up reaching a far wider audience of people who will engage with your specificity and authenticity in a unique way.

Sticking to your niche will also help you to become recognized for your expertise more quickly. People will prefer to follow and relate to you as a master in a single topic, rather than a “jane-of-all-trades, master of none.”

Be consistent and authentic

Consistency and authenticity are the most important parts of your personal brand.

Consistently, post something every single day if possible. Don’t overthink it. Some of your posts will be a bust, some will do really well. That’s just part of the process of figuring out what works.

Don’t let your insecurities force you into silence (or into clicking the delete button on a post that didn’t work as well as you hoped.) You never know who it may have helped or still help or who it might lead to your page.

One great way to find topics is to remember the struggles you had when you first started working in your niche.

What were the things you found difficult or intimidating? How did you need to be encouraged? What is something you wish someone told you way back then?

Another way is to think about the questions you get most often from others about your niche.

What is it people want to know? What are they wondering about when they first hear about your topic? Is there confusing lingo or technicalities that scare people away from engaging? How can you serve others with the information you have?

No matter what your topic is, be authentic and REAL. Remember, you’re trying to serve others with your knowledge, not just show off all the cool stuff you know.

Be open about your struggles and success. Share things of value. Engage with those who engage with you. Be thoughtful and considerate. Importantly, be consistent.

Don’t take shortcuts

You might see people out there telling you that there are shortcuts or “secret tips” you can follow to skyrocket your branding and profile.

As attractive as that may sound, that’s just not the case.

There are no shortcuts to success and absolutely no shortcuts to building a reputation for yourself.

For example, paying for social media followers to seem more popular will never do the trick. (If it were that easy, everybody would be doing it and everybody would be hugely successful as well.)

Fake, purchased followers will never be the same as organic followers.

And in the same way, fake, “secret” shortcuts to success will never be the same as taking the time and effort to work from the ground up.

Make a plan, stay focused on it, and adjust as necessary. You will start seeing results in no time. 

Your effort leads directly to your results

The difference between someone who successfully develops their personal brand and someone who fails is often simply the amount of consistent effort they put into it.

You might have to spend hours managing your personal brand, making new connections, and so on. If you do that, you’re probably on the right path.

Consistently provide value to your specific audience.

That is your “secret” to success.

When it comes to personal branding, you reap what you sow.

For example, if you set up your social media and LinkedIn accounts and think that the rest will take care of itself, you are up for a roller coaster ride that eventually goes in only one, disappointing direction: downward. (I guess that’s not a roller coaster but you get what I mean.)

But if you consistently put in the work (and keep your expectations small and realistic in the beginning), you will start seeing meaningful improvements in your audience after a while.

And if something doesn’t seem to be working, tweak your approach, and try again.

Personal branding takes some serious commitment before you even start seeing results. So put in the effort. Be patient. And keep working at it.

You will see the results in the long run if you do.

Let your uniqueness shine

We all appreciate someone who is willing to take the risk of being laughed at while staying authentic and standing out of the crowd.

We all appreciate it but are often not confident enough to do it ourselves.

Being unique is powerful when it comes to personal branding.

But here’s the paradoxical key to being unique: You shouldn’t focus on being unique.

Focus on being real, authentic, and saying the truth in the best way you know.

And being unique will come naturally from being yourself and sharing your personal value with the world.

Don’t try to copy someone else’s work. Be creative and original as you are. The sooner you come out of your shell, the faster your brand is going to establish.

Kate Erickson from Entrepreneur on Fire explains it like this: “Being unique gives us an edge. It helps us stand out above the noise instead of amongst it.”

People will always appreciate authenticity and value those who are brave enough to be themselves. If you want your personal brand to be appreciated and valued, you must be authentic with others (which will naturally be in a unique way), and that will make you stand out from the crowd.

•  Ask around and find out what other people think of your expertise or “personality”. If that matches up with how you want it to be thought of, great! If not, it’s time to readjust your personal branding.
•  Be consistent and keep putting in your time and effort. Nothing good happens in an hour or a day. All good things take time.
•  If you want a successful personal brand, you need to be willing to put in the hard work.    

Be unique and original. Don’t be afraid of putting your ideas out. It is the key to building a powerful and successful personal brand.

P.S. If you want my support with your career transition, here are two ways I can help:

1. Sign up to get the free Tyche Career Transition Roadmap and get weekly career tips and resources at tychecoaching.com
2. Schedule a 60-minute one-on-one coaching session for only $175 during which I will coach you through the specific topic of your choice.