Here is a fantastic blog covering 6 dos and don’ts of personal branding for founders. The advantages of personal brand are manifold. It opens doors to new opportunities, helps attract investors, attract quality talent and above all build a loyal customer base. But it’s easier said than done. Navigating personal branding comes has its own set of challenges.
In today’s world, personal branding is no longer a luxury. It is a must for everyone. Even for a professional who is just starting out. Branding is not just to promote a business or company. It is very important for promoting yourself as a credible and trustworthy expert in your industry.
Dos of Personal Branding
Always be authentic
Nothing can beat authenticity. Especially when you want to build your personal brand, authenticity is the backbone. Being authentic helps build rapport and trust. Authenticity helps forge bonds as people believe you to be relatable.
Example: Elon Musk, always shares candid updates on x.com. Be it his projects, challenges he faced and overcame, or his quirks. He has built a loyal fan following because of his authenticity.
Tell Your Story
Everyone loves stories. Especially, how has your journey been, the challenges that you overcame and the achievements. When you narrate your story, highlight your passion and commitment towards your work and personal life, which makes it easier for people to connect with you and understand your mission, thereby creating a loyal fan base.
Example: Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Meta, often shares his journey of starting from Harvard dorm room to living an American dream which resonates deeply with aspiring entrepreneurs.
Leverage Social Media
With people spending half the time on social media, sharing your story on social media by way of insights, updates and engaging with the audience is the best way to remain visible. The most popular social media platforms for building and maintaining your personal brand are LinkedIn, X, and Instagram.
You can provide value by sharing industry news related to your area of expertise and participating in relevant discussions.
Provide Value
Do: This point can’t be emphasized enough. People will love you for the value that you provide. It can be in any format. Either blogs, videos, podcasts, or speaker opportunities. You can provide value in multiple ways. By making your content educational, inspirational or entertaining. The greater the value, higher will be your credibility.
Example: Sanjay Shenoy consistently shares actionable SEO tips through his blog, and social posts, providing immense value to his audience.
Network and Collaborate
Do: No one can do it alone. It pays to connect and maintain relationships in your industry. You can do this by various means – Attending conferences, joining professional groups, and collaborating with other influencers and entrepreneurs. Networking is a sure shot way to find new opportunities and help build a strong support system.
Consistency is Key
Do: This sounds very cliched but being consistent in your messaging and actions is what helps you build a credible brand overtime. Being consistent will help you in building a trustworthy and recognizable brand.
Example: Richard Branson, a successful British businessman is consistent in projecting his innovative and adventurous spirit both on the personal and professional front.
The Don’ts of Personal Branding
Don’t Be Inauthentic
Don’t: Never ever say what you are not. Work hard on building an image and then talk about it. Do not project a fake persona or exaggerate your achievements to gain short-term advantage. While it may fetch results in the short run, in the long run it may do a permanent damage and erode trust. And it doesn’t take any time for people to sense when someone is not genuine.
Don’t Overshare
Don’t: In simple words STOP spamming. While your audience values transparency, oversharing every single personal detail or business information can backfire in the long run. The key is to strike the right balance between being open and protecting preserving your privacy and not overstepping professional boundaries.
Example: Think multiple times before you click the share option on social media. Do not post content that projects you as unprofessional or irrelevant to your area of expertise.
Don’t Ignore Feedback
Don’t: While people enjoy positive feedback, ignoring negative, can hinder your growth in the long run. Always make it a point to engage with your audience genuinely, listen to their point of view, and make improvements/changes accordingly. When someone provides constructive criticism, it helps you grow both personally and professionally.
Example: When you respond to customer reviews, which are both positive and negative in nature, it shows that you take your audience’s opinion seriously and are working towards making make changes. This way you continue to build trust overtime.
Don’t Neglect Your Online Presence
Don’t: Do not give an excuse of lack of time to stay away from social media. Make sure your social profiles are updated regularly to reflect your current experience and achievements.
Example: On the professional front, ensure that your LinkedIn profile is optimized, and updated, which highlights your latest experience, projects and accomplishments.
Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin
Don’t: Do NOT try to be all over the place on every available social platform. Being everywhere every time is a sure shot recipe for burnout and at times leading to inconsistent messaging. Maintain your focus on just a few key social platforms where your audience is highly active and then make it a point to engage meaningfully.
Example: Identify the platforms which will fetch you the most. For example, if you are working in an IT industry, then it would do good for you to have a strong presence on LinkedIn and X as these are the platforms where your audience engages most, rather than being present on Instagram and Pinterest which are less relevant to your area of expertise.
Don’t Be Afraid to Be Vulnerable
Don’t: Do not always try to act courageous. When you are vulnerable, it shows your human side, endearing you to your audience and this in turn can have a positive impact on your personal brand. Be open about sharing the challenges you have faced and the failures and the lessons learnt. Being super perfect doesn’t’ always cut ice. Showing your human side makes you more relatable and authentic.
Conclusion
Building a personal brand is not a one-off activity. It requires consistency as it’s a journey and not a final destination. And on this journey, you have to be authentic and engage strategically. By following the dos and don’ts in this blog, you can carve out a strong personal brand that helps you grow your business as well as projects you as a credible and trustworthy authority in your field.
When you share your values and connect with your audience at a deeper level, and enjoy the journey of brand building, it will propel you to new heights.
You can read more posts from the same author about personal branding:
The What, The Why & The How of Personal Branding
10 Amazing tips for branding on LinkedIn
8 Powerful Strategies to Monetize Your Personal Brand
Personal Branding For Women
Personal Branding For Introverts – A Practical Guide