What pops up when people do a quick Google search of your name? What perception will they form from the content you share and the information they can find about you? Whatever it is, that’s your personal brand identity.
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These days, it’s difficult to keep your footprint entirely off the internet. Unless you’re a hobbit living under a rock or you have somehow managed to wipe your footprint off the internet, there’ll always be some information about you online.
Fortunately, this information isn’t entirely out of your control. With personal branding, you can shape public perception about you and engineer your online identity to showcase your skills and unique attributes. This is what personal branding is about. It involves crafting a distinct persona that aligns with your personal and professional goals or aspirations.
Why Does A Strong Personal Brand Matter?
Contrary to what most people do, branding isn’t exclusive to businesses. According to a Robert Walters survey, up to 50% of employers would research prospective employees on social media sites before making a hiring decision. Even if you’re a passive social media user, what you create, react to, or share goes a long way in shaping what pops up when such a search is done.
With everyone prioritizing online personas, who you are online matters just as much as your offline identity. Having a strong personal brand online can help you stand out in an overcrowded market.
It also builds credibility and trust, not just with employers doing a background check but also among your peers, colleagues, and potential clients. Effective personal branding might be the key you need to advance your career or land valuable networking opportunities.
Tips For Building A Strong Personal Brand Online
Whether you’re a passive or avid netizen, you should consider how your online brand identity may impact future opportunities. Instead of leaving things to chance, there are things you can do to craft an online persona that reflects your brand voice and values. Here are some tips you might find helpful.
Define Your Brand Identity
Before you dive into modifying your current brand identity or crafting a new one from scratch, you need to define what you want to be known for. This means you have to define the core aspects of your brand personality, such as your values, voice, expertise, and strengths.
You’ll also need to define what sets you apart from others. All of these factors will determine how you will be perceived by your target audience going forward. All of these might seem abstract, but defining how you want to be perceived is the first step in crafting a solid personal brand online.
Use Branding Elements and Keep them Consistent
While this is not compulsory, you can set your online profile apart by using identifiable branding elements. This may entail using the same name (or pseudonym) across all the digital channels you can be found, creating a logo or avatar, and communicating in the same tone. All of these will enhance recognition whenever your profile pops up.
Check and Optimize your Digital Footprint
Your digital trail or footprint refers to all the information or data that you leave behind from your online activities. Deliberately modifying your digital footprint is important for personal branding, especially if you have been active online before. Do a quick search of your online identity and check what pops up.
Optimize your digital presence across your social media pages, blogs, and other mentions of you by modifying them so they fit into your desired brand identity. This may involve deliberately deleting certain information, previous posts, or even news stories about you.
Invest in SEO
Search Engine Optimization is one of the most valuable tools for crafting your desired brand identity. This technique determines what shows up when people search for you or keywords relating to your brand identity on a search engine like Google.
Optimize footprint on websites and social media channels with keywords related to your brand ID so your brand ranks higher in related results. Note that SEO is typically location-specific.
If you’re in Minneapolis for instance, you should invest in SEO in Minneapolis for a stronger digital footprint when people search for information or keywords related to both your personal brand and your location.
Be Deliberate About Sharing Content
To solidify your online identity, you need to start sharing valuable content that will resonate with your target audience. Instead of being another random goofball on the internet, create and share content that demonstrates your strength and expertise on topics related to your brand identity.
Consider publishing a blog, starting a podcast, writing articles, or simply sharing insights on social media. Consider automating your social media management, so you can post actively and maintain consistency.
Conclusion
By implementing these strategies, you can build a personal brand online that aligns with your goals and aspirations. With time, you will position yourself as a trusted authority in your field and land new opportunities when they come knocking.
