There was a time - not so long ago - when personal branding was mostly associated with celebrities, influencers and public figures. Consider Oprah Winfrey, MrBeast, Kim Kardashian, even Brangelina back in the day…
And thanks to social media, AI and mobile tech, personal branding today is everybody’s business. Founders, CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs and professionals are now realizing that people don’t just connect with and follow companies. They follow people.
In a world flooded with AI-generated content, that distinction is becoming even more important. As I've said before, we can create more content, faster than ever humanly possible. We can automate marketing and generate a seemingly endless stream of perfectly polished posts.
What we can't automate is trust. And we can’t humanize the brand without a human connection, which makes a strong personal brand more valuable than ever.
Your Personal Brand Already Exists
One of the biggest misconceptions about personal branding is that you have to create one from scratch. Yes, there’s work to be done. But the good news is you already have the most important ingredient: you are you.
Your experiences, expertise, personality, values, perspective ... your personal brand is ultimately what people believe about you when you’re not in the room. Some questions to ask could be, what are you known for? What expertise do people associate with your name? What do you stand for? And perhaps most importantly: do people trust you?
The goal isn’t to manufacture an image. It’s to intentionally shape and amplify the reputation you’re already building.
Why Personal Brands Matter More Now
Technology is making it easier than ever to communicate and harder than ever to know what’s real. That creates an enormous opportunity for people willing to show up authentically.
We (as a society) haven’t talked about Taylor Swift for a couple of weeks so I’ll include her as an example. Her brand isn’t simply her music. Fans connect with her stories, evolution, values and the different ‘eras’ of her life. Not only has she built an audience but she has also created a community that feels personally connected to her.
We can also see this with Sara Blakely. She built Spanx into a billion-dollar business while building a personal brand around humor, vulnerability and the very real ups and downs of entrepreneurship. People connected with her products and they connected with her.
My co-host Katy and I recently sat down with Ripley Rader on The Real Shift Show, and when we asked what propelled her business into high growth, her answer was simple: “Me getting in front of the camera.”
It was Ripley herself - showing up, creating content and sharing the vision behind the brand - that helped customers connect not just with the clothes, but with the person who created them. That’s the power of a personal brand. People connect with people first, and that connection can become a powerful growth engine for the business behind them.
Different industries but the lesson remains the same - people connect with people.
I’ve spent the latter part of my career in PR and communications helping companies tell their stories. Increasingly, I believe the most powerful communications strategies connect the corporate brand with the humans behind it.
A strong personal brand can create credibility before you ever walk into a room. It can attract customers, employees, investors, media opportunities, speaking engagements and partnerships. So how do you build one that matters?
7 Ways to Build a Personal Brand That Actually Matters
1. Decide what you want to be known for.
If you talk about everything, people may remember nothing. Choose a few areas where your expertise, experience and curiosity intersect. A good question to ask yourself is, What conversations do I want my name associated with three years from now?
2. Develop a unique point of view.
Information is everywhere. We can't open up our devices without being bombarded by information. Perspective becomes increasingly valuable. Don’t just repeat what everyone else is saying. Share what you’ve learned from actually doing the work.
3. Tell stories, not just lessons.
Advice can be useful. Stories are memorable. Share the mistake, the breakthrough, the failure or the moment that changed how you think. Your lived experiences are something AI can’t replicate.
4. Create consistently, not constantly.
I know there's so much talk about quantity of content. It can be overwhelming. The reality is, you don’t need to be online all day every day - nor can you be. That said, you do need to show up consistently enough that people understand who you are and what you stand for. And think ecosystem: one great idea can become an article, video, podcast, media pitch, keynote and multiple social posts.
5. Don’t outsource your voice.
Get marketing help, leverage tech, build a content team, etc. But make sure the thinking is still yours. AI should amplify your voice, not replace it. If your content could have been written by any executive in your industry, you’ve lost your greatest differentiator: YOU.
6. Build credibility beyond social media.
Followers aren’t the same as authority. It's easy to get bogged down with social numbers, yet activities like earned media, podcasts, speaking engagements, articles, books and industry involvement also create valuable third-party validation. And that's often 10 times more impactful.
7. Play the long game.
Personal branding isn’t a 30-day content strategy. I wish! :) It’s reputation building. The post you write today may lead to a customer six months from now or a speaking opportunity two years from now. The goal isn’t to go viral, despite of what Instagram and TikTok may tell us. The goal is to become known, trusted and remembered.
The Future Is Human
As AI transforms how we communicate, I don’t believe the answer is to become more polished, more automated or simply produce more. I think the opportunity is the opposite - to become more human. Share the experiences that shaped you ... have a point of view, let people understand not only what you do, but how you think and what you believe.
We all know that companies will evolve, platforms will change, algorithms will change and careers will shift. But the reputation you build around your name travels with you through all of it. And in the emerging trust economy, your personal brand may just be one of the most valuable assets you own.
Related: Most Brands Aren’t Losing Customers. They’re Losing Relevance