Personal Branding – How to Build Your Online Persona

Personal Branding – How to Build Your Online Persona

“You don’t need to be an expert at everything you do, but you should know the basics, and then you should seek out people who are experts in other areas. You should seek out the people who are good at something you want to get better at.” – Gary Vaynerchuk.

Whether you want to build a reputation as a thought leader or attract more clients, it all starts with a brand.

Your online persona is simply your online brand. It is your identity online, your face to the world. It is what people see when they search for you, visit your website, read your blog or social media posts, and view your images. 

You can have the best website in the world, but your site won’t do much good if no one knows about you. People aren’t looking for you; they are looking for someone they can trust. They are looking for experts, not amateurs. So how do you make sure they find you? The answer is simple. You build a brand.

The way we present ourselves online is more important than ever before. What we say, the products we promote, our style of communication, and the way we dress all contribute to building our personal brand.

Create A Compelling Story About Yourself

A compelling story about yourself can be a powerful tool for personal branding. Here, we’ll give you tips on how you can create a great story about yourself for personal branding.

You may ask: Why should I create a compelling story about myself?

The answer is straightforward. Identifying your strengths and weaknesses is challenging if you don’t know who you are.

When creating a compelling story about yourself, you must ensure that your story has a strong narrative structure.

Let’s look at how you can create a great story about yourself for personal branding.

Create a story outline

Start by creating a story outline for your story. Think about what your story will cover, and write it down. Don’t worry about whether it’s true or not. It doesn’t matter. What matters is how well you can tell the story.

It’s also important to know the following three points:

1. Who are you?
2. Where are you from?
3. Where do you want to go?

Once you know those three things, you can start writing your story. Your story will be about you. It won’t be about others. So, think about these three points before you start writing your story. Don’t forget to create a summary of your story. This summary can help you determine whether you’ve told your story well.

Write about your past and present

It’s essential to write about both your past and present. Whether you’re talking about your childhood or high school doesn’t matter. You can also talk about your life now. What you can’t forget is to create a transition between your past and present. Make sure you write a solid transition between the two parts of your story.

Think about your future as well

It’s also essential to think about your future. Think about what you plan to do in the future. What do you hope to accomplish in your future?

Your story should include your hopes and dreams. And it should also explain why you feel the way you feel right now. Think about what you’d like to say in your future. Think about how you’ll feel when you achieve the goal you’ve set for yourself.

Write a conclusion

Once you’re done writing your story, you need to write a conclusion. Write a sentence that sums up what you wrote.

In conclusion, you must have an outline for your story. Don’t be too rigid with your outline. You can add more details later if needed.

Now you know how to create a compelling story about yourself for personal branding.

Identify your Personal Branding Goals

Identifying your personal branding goals is one of the most critical steps in achieving them. You need to ensure that the goals are aligned with your professional objectives and will be helpful to you in reaching your professional goals.

The first step in identifying your personal branding goals is to define what your goals are. This is crucial to create a marketing plan and set realistic goals. You may wonder, “What do I want to achieve?”. Here, we will help you understand your personal branding goals better.

Personal branding is about building a unique brand that makes you stand out from the crowd and helps you achieve your personal goals. It’s about developing a set of actions and behaviors that help you reach your goals.

Your personal branding goals should be different from your career goals. Personal branding is about what makes you happy and fulfills you. It’s about defining the unique qualities that make you stand out from the crowd.

Your personal branding goals should include your strengths and your personality traits. Your personal branding goals should also include your goals and aspirations. Here are three types of personal branding goals.

Personal branding goal #1 – Achieving a specific skill

Let’s say you want to become a well-known speaker on the topic of leadership. In this case, your personal branding goals would include developing the ability to speak confidently in front of a large audience and using effective communication techniques.

Personal branding goal #2 – Achieving a particular title

Here, your personal branding goals could include becoming a company leader or a person of influence in your community. The goals might include leading a team of employees, organizing a successful event or building a social media following.

Personal branding goal #3 – Achieving a particular lifestyle

Personal branding goals can include changing your lifestyle to pursue your dreams. For example, you might want to work out more frequently or spend more time with your family.

You should align personal branding goals with your professional goals. Once you set your goals, you will need to define them in detail.

Here is a list of steps that you can follow to identify your personal branding goals.

Define what you want

When you identify your personal branding goals, you need to ensure that they are aligned with your objectives and will be helpful to you in reaching your professional goals.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What do I want to achieve?
• How will I know if I achieved my goals?
• What will I gain by achieving my goals?
• How will others benefit from my achievements?
• Is this something I want to do?
• Why do I want to do this?
• What will it look like when I achieve my goals?
• Is it something I’m passionate about?
• What will make me happy?

Determine What You Can Do to Make Them Happen

Personal branding is a process by which you build a unique brand image for yourself. In this process, you need to set a goal for yourself. This goal should be specific and measurable.

The goal should be achievable in a reasonable period. Once you have set your goal, you need to write down every step you need to do to achieve that goal. It is the goal that motivates you and keeps you going.

Here, we will discuss how you can make your personal branding goals happen.

To set the goal, there is no need to be creative. You can start by writing down your vision or mission. For instance, if you want to become a successful photographer, then your vision or mission could be:

“My vision/mission is to become a successful photographer.”

If you want to become a marketing expert, then your vision or mission could be:

“My vision/mission is to become a marketing expert.”

Once you have set your vision or mission, you need to write down every step you need to take to achieve that goal. It is essential to take the first step. The first step will motivate you to take the following steps.

You must create a plan for each step. A plan is an organized list of tasks you must complete to achieve your goal. You should write down each step in the plan with specific details.

It’s essential to write down the deadline for each step. If your goal is to become a marketing expert, then your deadline could be:

“In three months, I want to achieve this goal.”

It’s essential to set a deadline because it will keep you motivated. When you don’t have any deadline, then you tend to procrastinate.

Once you have written down every step in the plan, you need to write down every detail. These details include the name of the person who needs to be contacted, what needs to be done when it needs to be done and so on.

When you have written down every step in the plan and every detail, you need to write down every possible situation in which you might fail. For example, if you try to become a marketing expert, you might fail at this step.

There are many situations in that you could fail. For example, if you are going to travel and you don’t have a place to stay, then you will fail. If you don’t have the money, then you will fail.

These failures are inevitable. However, the number of failures shouldn’t be too high. The more you fail, the more opportunities you’ll have.

Create a Clear Vision For Who You Are

A clear vision is one of the first things a person should focus on while building their personal brand. Your branding needs to be something that you are proud of. Your brand is a reflection of what you believe in. So, it is essential that you can understand what you want to achieve clearly. This will help you focus on building your brand and making it successful.

There are many different ways to create a clear vision for your brand. You need to define your vision for your brand. You can write down your goals. You can ask yourself the following questions:

• What do I want to achieve?
• What do I want my audience to think about me?
• Who am I?
• What do I want my audience to remember me for?
• How do I want to be perceived by my audience?
• What do I want my audience to say about me?

These questions will help you to think through your branding process. The answers to these questions will help you to decide your brand’s direction. Once you have defined your vision for your brand, you can start thinking about your brand’s name.

Your brand name should be something that you are proud of. This is how people will identify you with your brand. You may have an excellent idea for your brand’s name, but if it doesn’t reflect who you are, it doesn’t work.

Here are a few things that you should consider when choosing your brand name:

• The name should be unique and catchy.
• It should be easy to pronounce and remember.
• It should be appropriate for the type of business that you have.
• The name should have a strong brand identity.
• It shouldn’t be too long.

Here are some tips to help you choose a good name for your brand:

• Start with your professional name.
• Choose a word that has multiple meanings.
• Use a keyword related to your business.
• Don’t use numbers.
• Avoid words that are too similar to another company’s name.

Once you have chosen a good name for your brand, you need to start thinking about your brand’s tagline. A tagline is a brief statement that describes your brand’s purpose. You should also make sure that your tagline is catchy.

Your tagline should be a short, memorable, clear statement that tells your customers why they should buy from you. For example, Nike’s tagline is “Just Do It”. This is how Nike wants its customers to feel – active and positive.

You can use your tagline to create a call to action. It should include a clear promise of what your brand can do for them. You can create a series of benefits that your customer can get out of your products or services.

Build a Brand Personality

As part of your personal brand, you must build a persona for yourself. A persona is a set of characteristics that make you who you are. This includes your values, goals, skills, interests and passions. These things make you unique. This makes your personal brand stand out from the crowd.

Branding is also about connecting with people and making them understand what you do and why they should hire you.

Let us discuss these points in detail.

What makes a brand personality?

First, you must identify the traits that make you who you are. Your identity is built on those traits. People often call it your brand. You are the total of all the traits that you hold dear. Your brand is your unique set of personality traits.

Second, the key is to convey those traits to others. In marketing lingo, it is called brand positioning. You want to position yourself as a brand with which people want to work. This is the most crucial aspect of your personal branding.

Now, how do you build your brand?

• Think about your values. What makes you happy? What makes you sad? What do you enjoy doing? What are you passionate about? What are you good at? What do you believe in?
• Think about your goals. What do you want to achieve? What do you want to give to the world? What do you want to be remembered for?
• Think about your skills and capabilities. What do you know? What makes you unique? What do you enjoy doing?
• Think about your interests and hobbies. What do you like to do? What kind of person are you?
• Think about your passions. What do you like to do? What are your talents?

How to create a brand personality?

The above exercise gives you insight into your core beliefs and values. When you think about your brand personality, it is easy to get carried away. However, it is essential to keep the conversation focused.

• Start by thinking about your values. What makes you happy? What makes you sad? What do you enjoy doing? What are you passionate about? What do you believe in?
• Next, think about your goals. What do you want to achieve? What do you want to give to the world? What do you want to be remembered for?
• Now, think about your skills and capabilities. What do you know? What makes you unique? What do you enjoy doing?
• Lastly, think about your interests and hobbies. What do you like to do? What kind of person are you?

Once you have completed this exercise, you will know your brand personality. The next step is to share it with the world.

Use Social Media to Tell Your Story

Social media is the new generation’s way of communicating. People use social media to express their opinions and get advice about daily life. Today, social media is the best way to create a brand for yourself.

Social media is a free platform that helps us share our life and career stories. Using these platforms to share our work and ideas is the way to improve our personal branding.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram are perfect for sharing our experiences, ideas and thoughts. We can build a good reputation online through social media. It is an excellent tool for networking and promotion.

To create your brand, you need to use the following tactics:

• Create a Brand Identity – To start building your brand, you need to know your audience. You need to create a unique identity to tell a story about yourself. This will help you to attract customers towards you.
• Brand Personality – Your personality is also essential. It would help if you built a unique and charismatic persona. People will connect with your brand if you have a positive attitude.
• Target Audience – If you are a freelancer or a small business owner, it is better to focus on a specific target audience. Make sure you target your audience correctly and select the right platform.
• Social Media Content – You must provide content on your social media profiles. Your followers will notice and stay engaged if you have something interesting to say.
• Engage with Audience – If you are active on social media, your followers will notice you. But you need to interact with them. You should answer questions, interact with them and give feedback. You need to understand that they are human beings, and they expect you to care about them.
• Be Active – If you are not active on social media, your brand will remain inactive. So you need to be active on social media platforms to keep your brand alive. You can use different strategies to increase your activity.

Use Email Marketing to Spread the Word

When you create your brand, you must ensure that you promote it. Email marketing is one of the most effective and affordable tools that you can use to spread the word about your brand and yourself. This section will explain how to use email marketing to build your personal brand and spread the word about your business.

You are building a relationship with your customers when you send a newsletter. It shows them that you care about them, and they feel like you’re one of their friends, which means you’re more likely to do business with them.

Email marketing is a proven and effective tool that allows you to engage with your clients. You can make it interactive by sending them short messages so they get to know you and your business better. If they like what they see, they might even be interested in doing business with you.

Let’s start by sending newsletters to a few of your current clients. You could use a service like Constant Contact, MailChimp, or AWeber. When you’re ready, send out a newsletter. You should include links to your site, your Facebook and Twitter pages, and your Instagram account. Don’t forget to include a discount code if you’re offering one or a coupon if you’re running a special event.

The goal is to let your customers know that you have great products, and you’re more than willing to offer them a discount or a freebie. Once they find out that you’re the real deal, they’re more likely to buy your product or service.

You may even consider adding a new product or service to your list. Maybe you just launched a new product, or you’re launching a new service soon. You can always send out a newsletter about the new product or service you will be offering to your existing clients.

Once you’ve sent out a few of these emails, you’ll notice a dramatic increase in your sales and commissions. Your brand is starting to grow, and people are noticing it.

If you want to start building your personal brand, you can start by making sure you’re using email marketing. You can also set up Google Alerts, and Twitter alerts to stay on top of your brand.

Choose a Blogging Platform to Share Your Story

Have you struggled to decide whether to use a blogging platform like WordPress, Joomla or something else? Here are a few pointers that will help you make the right decision.

If you’re serious about building a blog, you may consider choosing a blogging platform. The platform must fulfil your needs to keep things running smoothly. It needs to give you enough space to store your files while still being easy to manage. There are plenty of options when it comes to platforms. You could opt for a simple WordPress installation or a premium plan. Or maybe, you’d prefer a Joomla or Tumblr.

Here are some tips on choosing the right blogging platform to suit your needs.

1: Look for a free option

There are many free blogging platforms, but they don’t give you much. They come with the basics you need to start your blog, but after that, you’re on your own. Most of these platforms also have an annual subscription fee.

Free options are usually limited in storage, which can lead to frustration if you plan to host large images or large files. If you’re starting a personal blog, it’s okay to start with something free, but if you’re planning to build a business, you’ll need a more robust option.

2: Choose a platform that you’re familiar with

It’s imperative to understand the basics of a platform before you start using it. So, before you choose a platform, take the time to learn the basics of blogging. 

You’ll know how to edit your posts, upload media, create pages, organize your posts into categories, create custom links, etc. The more familiar you are with the platform, the easier it’ll be to get the most out of it.

3: Start small

You don’t need to use many features when you first start. Suppose you don’t have time to learn everything at once; start with the basic features you need. For example, if you don’t need a contact form, you don’t need to add that feature until you have a reason to do so. You can always add features later on.

4: Find a theme that’s suited to your needs

The theme is the skin of your blog. You should choose one that is intuitive to use. There are lots of WordPress themes out there, but not all themes are compatible with each other. There are themes available in the WordPress repository, which are specially designed to work well with WordPress.

5: Find a plugin that helps you with your blogging needs

A plugin is a third-party add-on for a WordPress blog. It can enhance the functionality of your blog by giving you extra tools to manage your content. For example, you could use a plugin to import RSS feeds or integrate Google Analytics into your site.

Conclusion

A great way to market yourself online is to build your personal brand. Once you’ve built your audience and credibility, it’s time to build stronger personal branding by adding your personality, values, and expertise to your online presence. This will ensure you stand out among your competitors and help you be remembered long after your business is gone. 

A personal brand can be tough to build online, but once you’ve started, it’s never too late to improve your online presence.

Become the kind of person that people want to follow on social media.