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Do you know why business owners, influencers, and content creators showcase parts of their lives online for all to see? It’s personal branding.

The marketplace has changed, and consumers want to know the personality behind what they buy or consume.

In today’s world, you need a strong personal brand to build trust and stand out. It provides ample opportunities, helping you reach not just your audience but also your collaborators.

Building a personal brand through content will help you showcase your expertise and values – a PR stint.

This post provides a quick guide you can use to build your personal brand in the best light. You will learn how to reveal your personality and expertise with various forms of content.

What is a Personal Brand?

A personal brand is your public perception – how people think and rate you. It is your reputation and expertise based on your content for those afar.

Creating content in its several forms improves your credibility, helping you establish authority. You can only do this by sharing valuable insights.

Look closely around you, and you will find several thought leaders who have used content to build their personal brands.

Monetizing Opportunities for Personal Brand

Building your personal brand provides several opportunities.

• Sponsorship and Collaborations

When you have grown an audience, brands could pay you to promote their products to your audience.

• Sell Your Products, Services

You can use content to sell e-books, courses, products, or mentorship.

• Consultancy and Speaking Opportunities

Building a personal brand can make you an expert in your field and bring your way consulting and speaking opportunities.

Earning opportunities are endless, however, it depends on the value you provide.

A Guide to Building a Personal Brand Through Content

Here’s how you can use content to showcase your capabilities.

1.      Define Your Brand Identity

First, you must define the specific elements you want to share with the world. Here’s how to define your brand identity.

• Find a Niche and your Unique Value Proposition

You have probably heard “niche down.” You can’t be a Jack of all trades; pick a niche. 

Consider your area of strength and the problems your skills can solve. This makes you different, and it can be your unique value proposition.

• Understand your Target Audience

Understand who your niche is serving. Who will you be speaking to? Understanding your target audience will help you identify their needs, interests, and pain points.

Craft your brand voice and personality

Your brand voice brings your brand identity to life. How do you intend to communicate your knowledge? 

Your brand voice is your tone, style, and choice of words in your content. It has to be authentic and align with your values, personality, and goals. 

Will your message be inspirational, educational, or entertaining? These all form the identity of your personal brand.

2.      Choose the Right Content Platforms

This is a crucial step because each platform has a peculiar audience, preferred content form, and interests.

Social Media (Text based)

Social media like Facebook and LinkedIn are excellent for sharing bite-sized and engaging content. They are also ideal for networking and for reaching a wider audience.

Video Social Platforms

Video content is attention-grabbing and engaging. 

They help build a strong connection and loyalty with your audience, which is why YouTube and TikTok videos easily go viral.

Blogs and Websites

Blogs and websites provide a powerful opportunity for long-form content like blog posts, articles, guides, and case studies. 

They boost your credibility, improve your visibility on search engines, and make you relevant for a long time.

Podcasts and Audio Content

Yes, podcasts are increasing daily because people love the appeal of listening and doing their tasks. You can use podcasts to position yourself as an authority through interviews and deep, valuable discussions.

Learn about platform-specific writing tips for social media.

3.      Create High-Impact Content

Now, to the core aspect of the matter. Building a personal brand through content is not about scribbling anything.

It involves a process enabling you to provide value and relatable solutions.

You can use educational, storytelling, case studies, behind-the-scenes, and industry insights to build your personal brand.

Depending on your brand personality, you will often have to mix them in different ratios. 

More educational content or humor or case studies? The choice is yours, but must align with your goal and audience.

What Content Formats Perform Best for Branding?

There is no definitive answer to this question. While people often prefer video content, the platform, audience, and topic can influence the best content form for branding.

Topics that require in-depth analysis might do well with articles and blog posts. Short messages will do well as social media posts,  short videos, and interactive Q&A.

The good thing about content is that you can repurpose them. You can turn your blog post into a series of social media posts, your podcast to a blog post, and so on.

Find out more about repurposing content.

4. The Power of Consistency

Building a personal brand and creating content requires consistency; it’s not a one-time thing. 

You must post regularly to gain your audience’s trust and build momentum. It also helps you refine your approach and improve your visibility.

5. SEO for More Visibility

Search engine optimization is essential for reaching a wider audience. There are over 8 billion daily searches on Google, even with the rise of AI.

Neglecting SEO will do you no good. Here’s what you need to do.

• Use Keywords to Attract the Right Audience

Keywords are phrases or words people use to search on Google, Bing, and other search engines or platforms. 

Including relevant keywords in your content improves your position on search engines (rankings).

They make your content and you, by extension, more discoverable, which is your aim.

• Leverage SEO for Your Content

Add keywords to your blog posts, articles, social media posts, and videos to boost your reach. Also, optimize your headlines, descriptions, captions, and hashtags with your keywords.

SEO is beneficial for your website or blog content and social media content. It makes your blog post or article rank and increases the visibility of social media posts.

• Use Hashtags for More Social Search

Hashtags are not for X (formerly known as Twitter) alone. They connect your posts to related content and conversations.

Some platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram also use hashtags to categorize content.

 More on how to use hashtags to boost your reach.

Common Challenges to Overcome

No task is easy, nor is building a personal brand with content. Resist these challenges to make progress.

• Imposter Syndrome and Fear of Publicity

Your concerns are valid. If you are determined to build a reputation, start somewhere. One post or one video will make you confident with practice and time.

• Staying Consistent

It’s easy to burn out or get discouraged if you do not see results. You can create your content in batches and schedule them to stay ahead of time.

A content calendar will help you stay consistent, especially in times of emergency or when you don’t feel like it.

• Criticism and Feedback

Criticism will come even with your best ability, but don’t let it deter you. Focus on feedback, learn from them, and ignore any negativity.

Personal Branding Steps to Start Today

Are you fired up already? Start with these steps right now.

1. Define your Brand in a Short Sentence

For example, “I help business showcase their products through storytelling.”

2. Choose your Preferred Platform(s)

Choose 1 or 2 platforms where your target audience is. For example, Facebook is for a broad age group, and Pinterest is for mostly female visual-loving audiences.

3. Create a 30-day content plan

Plan your content topics and preferred formats to stay consistent.

4. Engage daily with your audience

Every day, reply to comments and start discussions to establish relationships.  Also, make a habit of commenting on other posts to increase your reach.

 Parting Words

Building a personal brand with content provides long-term benefits. It can grow your business and improve your credibility and opportunities.

However, it’s beyond showing your personality; it’s about sharing values and being relevant. Start small and be true to yourself.

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