Personal branding isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a game-changer for anyone looking to stand out in today’s tech-infused world. Since Tom Peters’ groundbreaking manifesto, The Brand Called You, appeared in Fast Company nearly 28 years ago, personal branding has become a key component of career management. It has been integrated into talent development and leadership programs at many of the world’s most revered brands.
Why You Need To Build Your Personal Brand
As artificial intelligence and other tech advances continue to dominate the workplace, the human element—your personality, creativity, and unique value—is what makes you irreplaceable. Your personal brand doesn’t just help you land that next big gig, sign on new clients, or get you a promotion, it helps you find more happiness, purpose, and meaning in what you do every day. And in 2025, its importance is greater than ever (these 2025 personal branding trends will help you keep your brand relevant).
If personal branding sounds like a monumental task, don’t worry. Building your brand can be broken into three fun, actionable steps:
- KNOW – Discover Your Personal Brand
- SHOW – Tell Your Story
- GROW – Expand Your Visibility And Value
Let’s dive into each step to help you craft a personal brand that’s authentic, unique, and memorable.
Step 1: KNOW – Discover Your Personal Brand
The first step to building a personal brand isn’t about creating an image to impress others. Instead, it’s about uncovering the real you. To build a strong, enduring brand, you must focus on authenticity–who you really are. That means it’s time to get to know yourself deeply through introspection and feedback. Let’s start with introspection.
Strong personal brands are clear about the six drivers of personal branding:
- Purpose: What’s your “why”?
- Goals: What do you want to achieve now and in the future?
- Values: What principles do you live by?
- Passions: What energizes and brings you joy?
- Superpowers: What do you do better than your peers?
- Differentiators: What sets you apart and makes you unique?
But discovering your brand goes beyond being self-reflective. In the KNOW phase, you must solicit feedback to validate your self-perceptions with feedback from others. After all, your brand–although authentic to you–is held in the hearts and minds of those who know you. The input you receive from others will help you clarify your brand.
Once you’ve gained brand clarity, it’s time to combine everything you’ve learned into a clear, compelling statement that captures who you are, what makes you unique, and why others should care.
Step 2: SHOW – Tell Your Story
Now, it’s time to share your brand with the world—or at least with the people who matter most to your career (now and aspirationally). Think of your personal brand like a storybook. You’re the author. Crafting your narrative lets you connect deeply with others, making you memorable and relatable. These are the tools for telling your story:
Elevator Pitch
Your elevator pitch is your first impression. In 30 seconds or less, how can you spark curiosity and make someone want to learn more about you? In our world that’s becoming more and more virtual, your elevator pitch needs to work in both the real-world and online too. And the real and virtual versions must be congruent so that regardless of where someone meets you, they’re meeting the same exceptional person you are.
Branded Bio
Your branded bio is your career story told with personality. It’s not your resume, although it does include accomplishments and accolades. By highlighting your passions, purpose, and other human elements you make your bio emotionally connective. The most important version of your bio is your LinkedIn About. That’s because LinkedIn is where we go when we want to check out people in a professional capacity. Make sure your About has at least 30% personal content. People want to engage with people they can relate to.
Social Media Profiles
Optimize all the social media profiles you use to reflect your brand. Use a consistent tone and professional headshots that make people want to connect with you. Include a version of your branded bio that aligns with your authentic brand and makes people want to know more.
Personal Brand Identity System
Design matters. In this part of the personal branding process, you also design your personal brand identity system. It’s the packaging that surrounds your brand. This design system includes the font(s), colors, images, and tagline you will use consistently as the wrapper to all your communications. This packaging bolsters your brand attributes. Of course, when you’re communicating on behalf of your company, you must follow their brand identity guidelines, but use your personal brand identity system for your communications to create recognition and memorability.
Step 3: GROW – Expand Your Visibility And Value
Now that you’ve defined your brand and shared your story, it’s time to amplify it. This step is all about showing up, adding value, and staying visible to the people who make decisions about you. That means making a concerted effort to showcase your brand in all that you do and building a communications plan to grow your brand community. Growing your personal brand requires a combination of show and tell. Focus on these areas:
Rethink Daily Activities
Brands are built by consistently delivering on your brand promise over time. Every email you send, meeting you attend, or presentation you deliver is a chance to bolster your brand. Approach each interaction with intention, making sure it’s clear that it’s coming from you.
Maximize Social Media
Develop your plan by looking at the intersection of the communications tools you prefer and those that will reach your target audience. Then, research the options available and start expressing yourself through those targeted tools. Create a plan to consistently share content that aligns with your brand. Make sure that everything you share includes your personality and point of view so people get to understand your brand. If creating content sounds daunting, curate instead. When you share other people’s content and make what they created more valuable by adding your insights and perspective, you save time while delivering value to your audience.
Build Your Brand Community
Your network is one of the most valuable career assets you have. Focus on nurturing relationships, helping others, and collaborating. Grow your LinkedIn connections by delivering value consistently. When your community sees your value, they’ll naturally become advocates for your brand. Over time, you can build your own community of Swifties.
Measure and Adjust
Regularly evaluate what’s working and what’s not. Are you reaching the right audience? Is your messaging resonating? Is your brand still relevant to your career aspirations? Use analytics tools, continue to be self-reflective, and ask for feedback to fine-tune your strategy.
Your Personal Brand’s Secret Sauce: Authenticity + Consistency
At the heart of a strong personal brand is authenticity. People can spot fake a mile away, so commit to being real, even when it feels a little uncomfortable. Combine that with consistency—living your brand daily in all that you do—and you’ll build a trustworthy and impactful brand.
Investing In Your Personal Brand Delivers Dividends
Yes, personal branding takes effort, but the rewards are huge. You’ll not only stand out in your field, but also find more purpose and fulfillment in your career. Personal branding is your opportunity to be your best self, every single day. Get ready to uncover, express, and grow your personal brand. Dive into these three steps and watch your career soar.
Want more on growing your personal brand? Check out these tips from top global personal branding experts.
As a pioneer in personal branding and expert in virtual communication, William Arruda empowers professionals to shine online. Join his free webinar: Deliver Captivating Virtual Presentations and Meetings on Tuesday, Jan 5, 2025 at 12pm ET.