Getting Personal- A Report on Personal Branding

 Personal Branding 

OVERVIEW

What is personal branding? According to Wikipedia “Personal branding is the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a larger impact.”- Wikipedia (May 2022). In this report I will be outlining the importance of personal branding, how it can be achieved through social media and give examples of personal branding on social media.  

The Importance of Personal Branding 

Personal branding is important to both individuals and businesses as it builds connections and shapes impressions of the person and their business. This is invaluable for influencing and engaging with an audience, establishing authority in a field and ultimately creating opportunities for the individual and business. 

Personal branding is an effective tool as “people don’t do business with companies, they do business with people they like” (Michael Stelzner, 2019). A successful personal brand allows leverage with these personal connections to ultimately monetize the messages conveyed. 

Personal branding is also important as it establishes the individual in the marketplace, highlighting uniqueness,  passions, the problems they solve, area of expertise, experiences and credentials, the business or industry they are involved with and how all these factors come together to create their product or service offerings. 

How to use Social Media for Personal Branding 

With so much of our lives and personal information now online, it is important for people to make sure they are communicating what they want to within the online world. Social media is a great place to start as it’s an effective platform to use for personal branding. 

There are a number of social media platforms to choose from such as; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, each with its own strengths regarding the type of content that can be published, thus attracting different audiences. 

LinkedIn is a particularly effective platform for personal branding as it acts as a professional networking tool. It acts as an online CV/Portfolio where users can interact with potential clients, highlight testimonials from previous employers, thus building credibility. 

By posting regular high-quality content on relevant social media platforms, populating them with information, people can build an online persona that connects and interacts directly with their chosen audience. Engaging in trending topics or joining specific groups will enable users to champion how their specific skill sets can solve audiences/customers problems or serve their needs. Social media platforms also drive audiences to other online destinations such as a website or portfolio where they can find out more about the personal brand and what they offer. 

Examples of using Social Media for Personal Branding 

John Mayer is a great example of using social media for personal branding, his Instagram and TikTok accounts are populated with high quality, authentic content that reflects his personality and highlights his professional skills. He has established authority in his area of expertise; recording artist, expert guitar player and designer. 

Simon Sinek is another example of successful use of social media for personal branding. His Instagram, for example, is populated with educational content that establishes him as a thought leader. This influences audiences who view him as a credible source who helps solve problems in the areas of leadership. 

References 

Wikipedia.org (May 2022) “Personal Branding” (Online) Available at- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_branding. Last accessed 20/05/2022

(Michael Stelzner, 2019) “Personal Branding: How to Successfully Build Your Brand” (Online) Available at- https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/personal-branding-how-to-successfully-build-brand-rory-vaden/?tstamp=ec772b9ea1ec9a088b4518830a12726cf22acf7d. Last accessed 20/05/2022