How to make your personal brand stand out in 2023
WRITTEN BY LANNA HILL
New year, new goals. Most people are back at the desk for the new year and using the opportunity to get into new habits professionally and personally, which is a great thing! But where to start when it comes to setting your voice apart from the rest? One of the questions we get asked the most around personal brand is how do professionals and business owners leverage (see what we did there) social media to amplify their personal brands in 2023?
Know your message
One of the most important parts of personal branding is being really clear on what you stand for, and the message you’re looking to portray to your audience - and when we say audience, we don’t just mean current clients or contacts. Social media platforms should be used to grow your influence and reach - so make sure your content is valuable and engaging to a broad audience.
One of our favourite tools to use is a brand map or content map. We use this tool for organisations as well as for individuals, and it’s particularly useful to use as a framework for social media content. Nail down the 4-6 pillars of your brand from a content perspective and make sure you’re reinforcing these at every opportunity. Why? Because your audience needs to be clear on what you stand for, so your brand is top of mind instead of the person next to you.
Consistency & repetition is key
Now it might seem obvious, but it’s one of the most commonly missed opportunities we see in terms of building and amplifying a personal brand. Have you ever heard that an important piece of information in a movie will be repeated three times? The reason for this is, quite simply that our adult attention spans are short and we won’t take notice (or action) the first time we see something. If you want people to pay attention, you need to say it more than once - and keep reinforcing that message. Want people to know you’re a great speaker? Want people to see the media feature you had? Want people to know about the award you just won? Put it in front of their noses, and do it more than once.
Choose your weapons
There’s obviously a significant array of social media platforms out there for us to utilise in the distribution and amplification of our messages. Our best advice would be to identify your primary platform and commit to a consistent schedule on that first, before adding more to your plate. Different platforms can also play different roles in your overall brand strategy too - but be clear on what those roles are, and prioritise where you need to. Again, knowing your message and being consistent with those messages is key - don’t simply add to the noise. For example, my favourite platform from a business perspective is LinkedIn - it’s almost exclusively where clients find me and can also verify my - and my team’s - credentials. We know from a lead generation perspective it’s where we get the biggest return on investment. However, we utilise Instagram for its ability to engage and entertain, and of course for the emphasis the platform has on the visual. It’s a little more fun, a little less business on Instagram for us, and that’s how we like to utilise it.
As always, strategy is key - getting clear and intentional about the ‘how’ of your personal brand, whether you’re a business owner or employee, is your fastest pathway to success.
Want more help with elevating your - or your team’s - personal brand this year? We’d love to chat. Email us at info@leveragemedia.com.au.