Personal branding has undergone a radical rebranding. The way we showcase ourselves in the workplace and jobs market has been transformed by the tools at our disposal and societal shifts, such as the melding of work and life. Twenty-five years ago, you had a CV and, if you wanted a new job, you updated it and sent it to prospective employers. Your reputation may have enhanced your prospects but, when it came to job hunting, your qualifications and CV were pretty much the only showcase you had.
With the internet everything changed – and then changed again with social media and smartphones. Suddenly, you were visible to millions of people on a device they carried around in their pockets. Those same tools gave you the ability to step up from CVs to slickly presented websites and slide decks. And social media gave everyone a platform to build and manage their own personal brand in real time.
Today, we’re looking at another major change as ever more sophisticated tools enable anyone to create near-professional visual and video content on their smartphones. Meanwhile, platforms and social channels continue to proliferate and technologies such as artificial intelligence hold out once-unimaginable possibilities.
So, what are the rules for personal branding in our radically new world?
Do use new tools
A good personal brand takes the best parts of you and what you offer and packages them in a way that appeals to your audience, says personal branding expert Jennifer Holloway. “Using tools to enhance that packaging can really add impact, whether that’s creating your own website with polished images and a slick video, or posting engaging content to social media platforms, or producing cleverly designed marketing materials.”
We’ve all instinctively stepped up our visual skills thanks to the photo editing tools on our smartphones and the widespread use of images, memes and gifs on social media. Of course, this raises the playing field when it comes to packaging your personal brand: the better everyone becomes, the slicker you need to be to stand out from the crowd. Apps that allow you to create any content you want, such as Adobe Express can be a game-changer in this regard, helping you to create eye-catching designs easily, quickly and for free. They also allow you to easily embrace newer design features that use generative AI.
Do be natural – but also true
“The best personal brands don’t feel overly curated, they effortlessly capture someone’s personality and the parts of them that make them unique,” says Daisy Morris, an Adobe Express evangelist and author of Community Is Your Currency. “No one can replicate your own individual story, it’s what makes you different and memorable.” Of course, while we all know it’s important to be authentic, that buzzword has become so ubiquitous and wooly. It can be difficult to pin down what being authentic actually means in practice in today’s workplace and jobs market. Striving for an authentic look can sometimes feel contrived, or create a conflict between being your real self and the best version of yourself.
Holloway says that while you should certainly highlight the best parts of yourself, you should be extra mindful to make sure everything you say is true and accurate. “Doing otherwise can lead to problems down the line, when what people think they’ve been buying into turns out to be untrue,” she says. “The aim is that, however people come into contact with your personal brand, they’re getting a taste of what they’d receive if they were to encounter you in person.”
Do experiment
Not everything will work for everyone, so try different mediums, platforms and channels and figure out what works best for you. “You could start on LinkedIn, by writing a newsletter or Substack, or go for written content on Instagram with visually designed carousels using Adobe Express,” says Morris. Research the channels and focus your efforts. “It’s better to commit to one or two channels and really go for it, rather than try and spread yourself thin and build a presence on all of them, and ultimately diluting the impact of your personality and your unique message,” she says.
Don’t feel you have to share everything
We are often encouraged to “bring our whole selves to work” and told that opening up and displaying vulnerability helps build relationships. But it’s OK to keep parts of your life private. Think about what you want your personal brand to be. Some people love openness, others take a strictly professional approach. If your personal brand is to work for you, it needs to be something you feel comfortable with.
Don’t expect overnight successes
Social media encourages the idea of zero-to-hero successes, but those whose personal brands really work have almost always put the hours in. So, take your time, stick with it and don’t be disheartened if you don’t have a million followers in your first month. “Allow yourself time to experiment with your content, don’t succumb to the narrative of ‘overnight success’, which can often be glorified on social media,” says Morris. “Use the block and mute button if you need to. There is no shame in shutting out unhelpful noise.”
Do learn from others
Look at people who do it well and take inspiration from them. Today’s world of personal branding is so dynamic thanks to evolving tech and best practices, it’s important to stay up to date with how other people are raising their game.
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