How To Build a Personal Brand on Social Media in 4 Steps
As the world begins to heal and recover, catalysed by the global pandemic, having a strong personal brand and a presence online is more important than ever. But it can be hard to know how to build a personal brand on social media
Whether we like it or not, everyone has a personal brand.
it’s likely that you have a profile on at least two or more social media platforms and even have your own website where you show your work and offer your services.
And there you have it, your personal brand.
In a world where we are all living online, having a strong personal brand is becoming more and more vital if you are to succeed in the online space
Take a good look at some of the most popular TikTok, YouTube and Instagram influencers, they have demonstrated the incredible speed at which a personal brand can be built and have impact within a community.
But as we navigate our way through the rest of what has been a rollercoaster 2020, I’m noticing a shift towards consumers’ desire for authenticity and honesty.
People are desperate for change; they aren’t interested in the filtered, edited version of you or are they interested in the vanity metrics of followers and likes.
They want the real, open and honest you.
So, here’s my five tips on how to build a strong personal brand in 2020:
Start With a Purpose
My first tip on how to build a personal brand on social media in 2020 is to start with a purpose
You need to have absolute clarity as to what your mission, vision, and goals are.
It takes some time and a hell of a lot of thinking but it’s crucial to your success.
People follow those who inspire them, the people who are just like them, who share the same worldview, values and beliefs.
Because of this digital world we live in that’s constantly shifting and changing, it’s very important that you understand and communicate exactly who you are, who you serve, and what you offer.
Don’t start your personal brand without a purpose. Brands that do that don’t resonate with anyone.
A personal brand that doesn’t share their vulnerabilities or their truth rarely creates a real bond with those who follow them.
It’s important to have a clear understanding of what moves you and what moves your followers.
It all starts with purpose
Find Your Niche
Think of your niche as your introduction when meeting new people
By having a clearly defined niche, you are guaranteed to be able to communicate effectively who you are, who you serve, and what you do.
But finding your niche for your personal brand can be tricky
So how exactly do you identify your niche? I’ve broken it down into 5 simple points:
- What you love
- What you’re best at
- What makes you unique
- Your experience and qualifications
- You one thing
I’m just outlining the points to give you a better idea which i’m sure you can pick up on.
I’ll break down these 5 points in greater detail in another blog
Create to Serve
This is where a lot of people make mistakes when it comes to how to build a personal brand on social media.
If you ask yourself now who your ideal customer is… would you be able to describe him or her to yourself with absolute precision and clarity?
Could you answer these questions?
- What’s her/his name?
- What’s their job?
- Which part of town do they live?
What do they do during their free time?
Building a personal brand in 2020 requires you to focus a lot of attention on who your target audience is.
Once you know who your target audience is it allows you to serve them better, because then you’ll know what their specific needs and pain points are.
Then you can create a product or service to serve them, to solve a problem they have or help them achieve their goal.
You need to understand that all your personal branding efforts should be about the people who need your services, your products and your expertise.
Where many personal brands fail is by focusing on themselves. Their Facebook, Instagram and TikTok feeds are about what they love and what makes them happy.
But that doesn’t help your audience solve their problem or achieve their goal
Turn your focus toward your audience and away from yourself and watch what happens.
Communicate Clearly
My next tip on how to build a personal brand on social media in 2020 is to communicate clearly
How long do you think the human attention span is online?
Just eight seconds?
To put that into perspective, Goldfish have an attention span of nine seconds. It’s quite concerning that we can’t focus our attention for longer than a goldfish
What does that mean for your personal brand? Well it means that you have less than seven seconds to put your hook out there, grab someone’s attention and get across as much as you can about what you do and who you serve as quickly and as clearly as possible.
DON’T PANIC!
Remember you now know and understand your ideal customer, who they are and what their pains are and therefore you can now communicate with them effectively.
This enables you to attract your ideal customer and filter out the ones you don’t want in under seven seconds.
Create Authentic Content
My fifth and final tip on how to build a personal brand on social media in 2020 is to create authentic content.
One of the biggest personal branding trends in 2020 is authenticity, honesty and openness.
With the online platforms being swarmed with millions of pieces of content daily there is a wealth of information available as well as a lot of filters and fakeness
It’s lacking authenticity and is replaced with fake influencer talk.
So much of the content we see is overly curated and seemingly ‘perfect’
There’s so many apps we can use to edit our content and disguise our true selves behind filters, photoshop and posing for hours to get the right photo.
People are over it, they are tired of the comparison game and want change, they are desperate for authentic content and realness, people who they can truly resonate with.
Authenticity is all about being vulnerable, having values, beliefs and being true to them in everything you share on social media
You can leverage your authenticity to build trust with your target audience and become known as an expert in your niche as the real, authentic you.
So stop faking and just be you
In The End
I hope you’ve found these tips on how to build a personal brand on social media in 2020 helpful and that I’ve motivated and inspired you to build your personal brand so you can help those you want to serve.
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