People like Elon Musk and Gary Vaynerchuk have proven that their personal brands are extremely valuable, and have exceeded their businesses in many ways. Why? Because they have been able to build a following of people who trust them, and are interested in what they have to say.
When you have a personal brand that is strong and respected, you can open up a lot of doors for yourself – opportunities for business deals, speaking engagements, or simply to network with other like-minded individuals.
Why should you create your personal brand on social media?
Building Trust
Social Media has been a powerful tool to create, build and boost personal brands. It has enabled a level of connection and authenticity that was not possible before. 92% of people trust recommendations from individuals rather than brands compared to 33% that trust messages from a company.
This is because it is easier to listen to, relate, connect with, and ultimately trust people who we can see on our social media platforms. This allows us to be more receptive to and accommodating of brands when we know the people connected to them or are recommending them (82% of people are likely to trust a company when their senior executives are active on social media).
Establishing authority and credibility:
When you post on social media, you are essentially vouching for the credibility of your content. If you share quality content that is valuable and relevant to your audience, they will begin to see you as an authoritative voice in your industry. Think about it – if you’re trying to decide between two brands and one has an influencer you follow and trust recommending it, you’re more likely to go with that one, right?
Higher recall rates
When your audience sees you as an authority, they are more likely to remember what you say. In fact, a study showed that when people see an influencer as credible, their recall rate of the message shared by the influencer was up to 69%! Think about it – if you only had a 10% chance of your message being remembered by your target audience, would you still bother? I know I wouldn’t. But with social media, that number skyrockets to almost 70%.
Building relationships
Through shares, comments, retweets, DMs, and other interactions, you can get to know your audience better and vice versa. The more you interact with them, the more they will remember you and think of you as a valuable source of information or entertainment.
Of course, this takes time and effort to build up – but it is well worth it in the long run. Not only will your audience appreciate your content more, but you will also find it easier to sell products or services, as your personal brand will be much stronger.
Creating and sharing content
One of the most important aspects of social media is creating and sharing content. This content can be in the form of blog posts, infographics, videos, or anything else that is shareable and interesting. There are so many types of content that you can share through social media that allows you to establish authority in your personal brand and build an audience.
Stepwise guide on how you build your personal brand
When you are building your personal brand, it can be helpful to have some sort of strategy or guide to follow. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you are taking the necessary steps to build a strong personal brand.
Identifying yourself
Creating your personal brand begins with understanding who you are. This allows you to identify what you can offer. So, the first step to creating a personal brand is asking yourself why you want to create the personal brand. Articulating and establishing your purpose allows you to streamline so much of the content you put out. Your purpose is your “why” and should be at the heart of everything you do.
Some questions to get you started in thinking about who you are:
- Who am I?
- What do I want to be known for?
- What are my strengths?
- How can I use my strengths to further my career/business goals?
- Who are my role models and why?
- What makes me unique?
- What is my story?
Once you have answered these questions, your answers will help you narrow down what you want to be perceived as. This is where brand archetypes come in. People are better able to understand complex concepts if they can relate it to something they already know. There are 12 brand archetypes that most people identify with. These archetypes can help you identify your brand voice, tone, messaging, and positioning. Lets just briefly have a look at each of them
- The Lover: The lover is all about connection, intimacy, and passion. The brands that identify with this archetype are focused on creating an emotional connection with their customers.
- The Hero: The hero is all about courage, strength, determination, and inspiration. It is the nature of the Hero to never give in and always keep trying till achieve mastery over your goals and to inspire others to do the same.
- The Outlaw: The outlaw is all about being disruptive, non-conforming, and edgy. The rebel is all about being removed from the masses and to be a frontrunner even if you have no following. But in being so independent, you inevitably inspire a following.
- The Caregiver: The caregiver is all about nurturing, caring, encouraging, and protecting. It is in the nature of the caregiver to want to help others and make sure they are okay. You often have caregivers being a strong support system and inspiring support.
- The Explorer: The explorer is all about adventure, independence, and discovery. Curiosity, fearlessness, and a pioneering spirit are what drive the explorer. They are always seeking out new things and experiences.
- The Creator: The creator is all about imagination, innovation, and artistry. The creator is all about the next venture and is always looking for new ways to express themselves. They live for their art and are constantly driven to create something new.
- The Jester: The jester is all about fun, playfulness, and lightheartedness. The jester makes light of even the most serious situations, and is always up for a good time. They live in the moment and enjoy every minute.
- The Sage: The sage is all about knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. All they seek to do is to acquire and disburse knowledge to the best of their ability. You often find sages being neutral even in the face of controversial situations, seeking only to acquire all the facts.
- The Innocent: The innocent is all about purity, naivete, and hope. The innocent believes in the best of people. It seeks to see the silver lining in situations and aims to celebrate the best in every situation.
- The Magician: The magician is all about power, transformation, and creation. The magician believes in believing in dreams and seeking to bring them to reality. The magician dares achieve the impossible.
- The Ruler: The ruler is all about authority, control, and order. The ruler aims to be confident and aims to be confident, responsible, and organized.
- The Regular Guy or Gal: The regular guy or gal is all about being down to earth, relatable, and approachable. The regular guy or gal is about being a normal person who just happens to have an interesting story or perspective.
The archetypes are like reference points that you can relate to or model yourself around. The best part about personal brands is that you do not have to conform yourself to any one type rigidly. You can identify with a primary archetype, but also blend in other qualities from the others.
For example, you can be primarily a regular guy and be completely relatable to people but still seek to be a bit rebellious at times and talk about controversial topics and have an opinion about them. Brand archetypes give you a reference point around which to combine the kind of content you want to create with the way you want to come across to your audience.
When you understand what your goal is with social media and personal branding, you can start to look at which archetype or archetypal you most identify with.
What kind of content do you want to create?
The kind of content you create conforms to the values you have and should revolve around certain content pillars. So, when thinking about how to be influential on social media, you should consider what values you want to portray and the topics or areas you want to focus on.
Education
One of the most widespread brands of content on social media is educational content. Anything from how to be a content creator to discussing fitness regimes and diet plans are informative and meant to impart knowledge and skills to the audience. This brand of content is often created by experts or those who have a lot of experience in their field and want to share what they know with others.
Most personal brands that impart educational content can come under either the Hero archetype or the Sage archetype or even the Explorer archetype. These are just a few examples of how you can be influential on social media and manage your own personal brand.
Entertainment:
If you want to build a personal brand that is entertaining, you need to focus on creating content that is funny, interesting or both. This type of content is designed to make people laugh or think, and it can be a great way to get people engaged with your brand.
However, you need to be careful with humor, as it can sometimes backfire if it is not used correctly. Interesting content could be reaction videos on YouTube, memes and reels on Instagram, or even just really controversial posts on your Twitter feed.
Again as far as archetypes are concerned, you could be the Jester, the Outlaw, the Magician, or even the regular guy just talking about everyday stuff. Most influencers tend to be a mix of all these archetypes.
Inspirational:
These could be stories about overcoming adversity, feel-good news stories, or even just posts about things that make you happy. You want to avoid coming across as too “salesy” with your content, as this will turn people off. Instead, focus on creating content that will make people stop and think, “Hey, this is really cool!”
Fitness content creators often create content that is a good mix of educational and inspirational. They may post workout tips and tricks, healthy recipes, or even before-and-after photos to show their progress. And while they are certainly trying to sell their products and services, they also want to inspire their followers to live a healthier lifestyle.
Archetypes like the Creator and the Innocent are often good at this, as they are typically optimistic and have a sunny disposition. If you can tap into this positive energy, then you will be able to inspire others with your content.
Showcase:
Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Behance are best known for creators and artists to showcase their skills and be seen. You can use hashtags to reach a wider audience, or even collaborate with other creatives in your field. If you’re more business-minded, LinkedIn is a great platform to show off your industry knowledge. This will allow you to be noticed by professionals in your field, including industry leaders.
Recruiters now use social media to find talent – 90% of recruiters said they conducted online research on potential candidates. So, your online presence on these platforms and the kind of content you create and post will help you position yourself as an expert in your field. You can use social media to create a personal brand that will make you more attractive to potential employers.
What platform do you choose:
Identifying your audience and market:
Think about where your target audience hangs out online and what kind of content they would be interested in. If you’re not sure, you can always do a little research by checking out the competition or using social media analytics tools to see which platforms have the most engagement for your industry.
For example, if you are a motivational speaker, you may want to focus on YouTube and Instagram, as these platforms are known for being more visual in nature. If you are a business consultant, you may want to focus on LinkedIn, as this platform is known for its professional user base.
Identifying your content distribution channels:
Identifying what kind of content you have and where you can best distribute this content is crucial to narrowing down what platforms work best for you. If you have a lot of written content, such as blog posts or articles, then platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn may be better suited for you. If you have more visual content, such as videos or infographics, then YouTube and Instagram may be better suited for you.
Creating content is only half the battle – you also need to make sure that your content is formatted correctly for the platform that you’re using. For example, if you’re using Twitter, then you need to make sure that your content is short and concise, as tweets have a character limit. On LinkedIn, on the other hand, you can be a little bit more detailed and in-depth with your content, as LinkedIn posts don’t have any character limit.
Identifying your expertise:
In order to be influential on social media, you need to identify your area of expertise. Once you’ve done that, you can start creating content that is relevant to your niche. Showcasing your expertise on the wrong platform might end up being a wasted effort.
It is also important to understand the niche you are in. If you are in the branding or web design field, you are not going to garner as much a following as say international entertainer or sportsperson. However, that doesn’t mean your numbers are not significant for the niche you are in.
For example, Gary Vaynerchuk is a social media and branding expert. He has over 1 million followers on Twitter and 3 million on Facebook. But if you were to compare his numbers to someone like Justin Bieber, who has over 100 million followers on each platform, Gary’s numbers seem small in comparison.
But if we take a look at the engagement Gary gets on his posts, we see that he has a much higher engagement rate than Justin Bieber. Gary’s tweets get retweeted and favorited thousands of times, while Justin Bieber’s tweets get a few hundred retweets and favorites. So even though Gary Vaynerchuk doesn’t have as many followers as Justin Bieber, he is much more influential on social media.
You can take a lesser known content creator like Vanessa Lau, who has over 600k followers on YouTube and 267k followers on Instagram; small compared to Gary Vee, right?. However, Vanessa still has a multi-million dollar business because of the influence she has on social media.
The key to being influential on social media is to be authentic and true to yourself. Be consistent with your message and content, and always be helpful and engaging with your audience.
Popular Social Media Platforms:
When it comes to social media platforms, there are a few that stand out more than the others. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are some of the most popular social media platforms today. However, there are others that are specialized for other audiences.
Facebook:
Facebook is great for staying in touch with friends and family, sharing news and experiences, and connecting with like-minded people. It is also great for building and being a part of a community.
However, it is not useful if you are trying to build a professional network or establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Twitter:
Twitter is known for its quick updates and real-time conversations. It is perfect for sharing news, thoughts, and experiences in short bursts and for connecting with people in your industry and building a personal brand. Trends are also a big part of Twitter, so it is a great platform for staying up-to-date with what is happening in the world.
However, the character limit can be a bit restricting, and it can be easy to get lost in the noise of all the tweets.
LinkedIn:
LinkedIn is perfect for connecting with other professionals in your industry, building a personal brand, and sharing your experience and expertise with others. It is also a fantastic platform for job seekers as it allows you to connect with potential employers and recruiters. LinkedIn has over 460 million members, which makes it the largest professional network. The site is great for sharing articles, insights, and job postings. You can also use LinkedIn to connect with potential customers and clients.
However, LinkedIn can be a bit of a dry platform compared to other social media sites. It is important to keep your posts and updates professional, as this is not the place to share personal updates or photos. Additionally, LinkedIn can be quite slow paced, so it is important not to bombard your connections with too many posts or updates. Slow and steady wins the race on LinkedIn!
Instagram:
Instagram is perfect for sharing engaging and eye-catching content. It is also a great platform for promoting your products or services. Instagram stories and IGTV are also great ways to share behind-the-scenes content, personal updates, or product promotions. And, of course, don’t forget to use hashtags!
However, there are a few things to keep in mind when using Instagram for business. First, it is important to post high-quality photos and videos. Second, you need to use hashtags wisely in order to reach your target audience. Lastly, you should take advantage of Instagram Stories and live video features in order to connect with your followers in a more personal way.
YouTube:
Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, you can benefit from creating and sharing videos on YouTube. For long and short-form content, YouTube has grown to be one of the best platforms. It’s estimated that YouTube now has over a billion users, which is around one-third of all people on the Internet. The platform also allows you to link back to your website or blog in the description under each video, which can help drive traffic to your site. And with new features like live streaming and 360-degree videos, YouTube is only going to become more popular.
However, YouTube only posts video-format content. So, if you want to share other types of content, like blog posts or infographics, you’ll need to post them on other social media platforms or on your website.
TikTok:
TikTok is extremely popular, especially among Gen Z users, as a short-form video app where users can share videos of themselves lip-syncing or dancing to popular songs, but is not limited to only that. People like Gary Vaynerchuk have found success on the platform by sharing helpful business tips in an engaging way.
It’s great for showing off your personality and connecting with other users in a fun and light-hearted way. Additionally, if you’re trying to reach a younger audience, TikTok is the perfect platform for you. However, it’s important to note that TikTok is known for its light-hearted and fun content. So, if you’re looking to share more serious content, TikTok might not be the best platform for you.
Pinterest is useful if you’re in the creative industry, as it allows you to share your work with a wide audience. Additionally, Pinterest is a great way to drive traffic to your website or blog.
However, it is vital that you have an established portfolio before you start using Pinterest to build your personal brand. This is because people will be visiting your profile to see your work, and if you don’t have anything to show, they’ll be less likely to take you seriously.
Tips to establish your personal brand on social media
Curating content and adding it your content:
Although posting original content is ideal, you can also curate content that is related to your niche. When curating content, make sure to provide value to your audience and add your own commentary to the post. This will help you establish yourself as an expert on the subject matter.
For example, repurposing blog content into an infographic or Twitter thread is a great way to get more eyes on your work. You can also share other people’s content as long as you add your own commentary or spin to it. This helps show that you are not just regurgitating content, but that you are actually engaging with it and providing value to your audience.
Establish Content Pillars
To be truly successful with content marketing, you need to have a clear strategy in place. Content pillars are the topics or themes that you will focus on in your content. These should be topics in your niche that you want zero in on. Once you have established your content pillars, create content that sticks to and revolves around these pillars. This way you stay focused and become more skilled at these specific topics of content.
Consistently align your brand values with your content pillars:
In every piece of content, apart from sticking to your content pillars, make sure you are also aligning your content with your brand values. This way you make a stronger connection with your audience and leave a lasting impression.
Start with one platform and consolidate your audience
Although you might be tempted to try and be everywhere at once, it’s important to focus your efforts on one or two platforms so you can really build a strong following. Once you have a solid base, you can start branching out to other platforms.
Stick to your niche and do not diversify:
When you first start out, it can be tempting to try and be everything to everyone. As humans, we might have varied interests or even have complex opinions on a wide range of topics. However, when it comes to your personal brand, you need to focus on one thing and be the go-to person for that particular thing.
It’s better to be known for one thing and be an expert in that field, than to try and be a Jack (or Jill) of all. It is vital to focus on a niche so you can build a strong following of people who are interested in what you have to say.
Be consistent with your content:
To be a personal brand and inspire trust and a following, you need to be consistent with your content. This means, if you blog, you need to blog on a regular basis and not just when the mood takes you. The same goes for social media posts, tweets, articles etc. Consistency inspires trust, which is essential if you want to build a successful personal brand.
Conclusion
Personal brands will quickly surpass traditional brands in the near future. It might be a bit crazy to say this, but Kylie Jenner’s personal brand is currently worth more than McDonalds. MrBeast’s burgers are more popular than Burger King. But it makes sense when you think about it. People trust people, not faceless corporations. When you have a personal brand, you are the face of your business
If you want to be ahead of the curve, start thinking about your personal brand and how you can make it work for you. With a little effort, you could soon be rivalling the biggest brands out there.
