Five tips for building a better personal brand
I think it’s fair to say that many of us feel that we could be doing more to build a better professional profile. The rise of digital and social media means that everyone can, in theory, have a visible share of voice if there’s a good plan in place. However, I feel that there’s a notable lack of high-profile individuals cutting through the noise. Is it just because there are so many personalities clambering to be heard? Or could we be doing more to ensure that our personal brands translate into messaging that’s more compelling and memorable?
For me, one exception in the agency sphere is Social Chain founder, Steven Bartlett. When Steven catapulted onto the scene, he transcended the pages of the industry trade press, appeared in mainstream media and fast attracted over 2 million followers online (not to mention taking his company public) — all by the age of 27. To help me understand what we can learn from this example, I’m joined by the brilliant Ash Jones, part of the founding team at Social Chain and founder of Great Influence.
Great Influence has helped to build personal brands for some of the UK’s most visible CEOs and Founders, including Steven Bartlett and Katy Leeson from Social Chain, Chris Donnelly from Verb Brands and Carrie Rose from Rise At Seven. A self-proclaimed introvert, Ash joined me for the last episode in our mini-series, Raising your Profile, which has explored different techniques and resources to help agency leaders to raise the profile of their agencies and themselves. It was fascinating to talk to Ash about the observations he’s made along his journey and the advice he has to share. Here’s a summary of some of the key points that anyone wishing to elevate their profile will find useful…
1. Great business + an individual with a story to tell
Fundamentally, the foundation of a good personal brand is made of just these two ingredients. There are many people out there who make a lot of noise, but there must be substance and credibility fuelling that noise. You can’t hope to impart knowledge and insight without having a proof point (or a solid business story) to substantiate it. Likewise, a great business needs a vocal, ardent individual to communicate its story. Ash stresses that you don’t need to be an extrovert to be that individual, but the motivation to put your voice ‘out there’ must be strong. It may not feel natural at first, but if you have something credible and authentic to say, and you’re excited about the opportunities that being heard could manifest, you should have confidence in your personal brand’s potential.
2. How to get over yourself
Ash talked about the one common hurdle that most of his clients must jump before crafting their personal brands: themselves. Imposter syndrome can affect us ALL. Many people find they have an internal narrative that’s questioning why anyone would be interested in what they have to say. When opportunities come up and you feel fear about participating in them — or even accepting them — you really need to remind yourself that we are all predisposed to think about the negatives and worry about the worst-case scenario. Take comfort in the fact that this fear is completely normal, and everyone goes through it. Imposter syndrome is a fact of life that you need to learn to live with. Try to see opportunities that make you feel anxious as opportunities for personal and professional growth. Each opportunity you engage with will feel easier.
3. Find the thing that fits you best
Play to your strengths. Standing on a stage in front of hundreds of people may fill you with terror, but participating in panel discussions, moderating Clubhouse conversations, running a podcast or sharing your opinion in written form may be less of a stretch from your comfort zone — to begin with, at least. There are so many different tools and channels that facilitate opinion-sharing; investigate your options to identify a good, realistic fit for your personality and content.
4. Capitalise on the Zoom era
As a result of lockdown, we may all be more prepared for communicating publicly than we think. An increase in face-to-face meetings, group meetings and seeing our interactions reflected on our screens has allowed many of us to practise speaking openly, articulately, and regularly. If you’ve dismissed the idea of building your personal brand in the past, revisit that decision to see if you feel better equipped now.
5. Be focused and consistent
It’s important to focus on identifying the two-to-four things you know you could talk about forever. This isn’t only about finding a point of difference, but also about narrowing your field of context. If you decide that you will develop your personal brand around ‘marketing’, you’ll struggle — because it’s too wide a subject area and you’ll be overwhelmed by choice. Rather, consider what your unique angle is in relation to a particular aspect of marketing. Consistency is also crucial, and successes generated by personal branding will compound over time. Think in terms of marginal gains and mindfully note how your performance comfort, audience size, and level of positive feedback and engagement increases over time.
It was a tonic to speak to Ash, particularly about the subject of imposter syndrome. Our conversation should illustrate that prosperous personal branding is within reach of anyone who wants it. And, because most people don’t manage to combat their insecurities, speaking-up and standing out represents an arbitrage opportunity for those who do. To listen to my conversation with Ash in full, tune into the Small Spark Theory Podcast, EP51.
Visit www.smallsparktheory.com to learn more about our remote mentoring programmes and online new business & marketing courses for agency leaders.
