If there is one thing we have learned in the age of “the influencer,” it is that social media has the power to place you directly in front of more eyes at a fraction of the cost (if any) than traditional advertising.
This isn’t limited to big-name brands and celebrities, though. Small businesses and solopreneurs stand to gain many conversions and customer loyalty by building their personal brands strategically with social media.
This article dives into how social media platforms provide a unique opportunity to share your story, engage with your audience, and build meaningful connections. All of which boost your bottom line by helping you attract your ideal customer.
It also highlights the importance of aligning your personal brand with your core values, voice, and unique selling proposition and gives you five easy-to-follow steps to help you get going.
What are the Benefits of Personal Branding?
Consumers want to buy from a brand they connect with; personal branding is your key to building those connections.
When you practice consistent personal branding, you send your target audience a message about who you are as a brand and the values you stand by before they have even interacted with you in person. When you utilize social media marketing effectively, you will benefit your business in the following ways:
- Establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
- Build recognition for your brand voice.
- Display your area of expertise on a free-to-use platform with targeted reach.
- Foster genuine connection and trust with your target audience.
- Create a unique persona that separates you from the competition.
Once you have created a social media profile for your business, the work is far from over. The key to having a successful social media marketing strategy is consistency. You must have an online presence that is authentic and engaging, which means you have to show up and deliver high-quality content that stays true to your brand voice.
How Social Media Platforms Promote Your Brand
The type of content you will create depends on the social media channels you choose to deliver your message. Additionally, the social network you choose to use depends on your brand’s target audience. Successful personal brands know how to leverage social media to promote themselves effectively.
Like traditional advertising methods, social media marketing builds brand awareness and establishes a connection with potential and current customers. However, when using it to promote your brand, you can target specific users through hashtags and other media strategies that get more attention from particular demographics.
But how do you know what strategies to use? The following steps will help you develop a strong foundation on social media to promote your personal brand more effectively.
5 Steps to Build Your Personal Brand on Social Media
Yes. Building a successful personal brand is challenging work. But there are tips to make it more fun and manageable. You don’t need to create the next hit YouTube channel or become a celebrity influencer to see the positive impact social media marketing can have on your personal brand. All you need to do is be consistent and authentic.
The following steps help keep your content in line with these two objectives.
Determine your brand voice and area of expertise
In order to speak to people, you must first know who you are. Determine where your brand stands on the issues that matter to you, and decide how you will share that with your audience. What do you possess that your audience will find value in?
Understand your target audience
Develop a buyer persona to help you visualize the person you create each social media post for. Know every detail about this fictitious person, including their age, gender, occupation, hobbies, habits, greatest sources of pleasure, and specific pain points. The more detailed you are about knowing your target audience, the better you will be at getting through to them.
Be solution focused
With a detailed buyer persona, you can create social media content to address their pain points and show how you can help solve them. Share content that helps your audience address a problem and feel seen. Purposeful content creation is vital.
Be consistent in how and when you share content
Don’t do anything that doesn’t feel authentic to your brand voice and identity. While it is essential to post regularly, don’t do it at the expense of compromising your authenticity. Social media tools such as Canva, Sprout, and Hootsuite provide images, templates, and scheduling features to make content creation easy and fun.
Try batching your content when the ideas are fresh and schedule when it will be posted. Batching content keeps you from having to post on the fly and helps you keep your messaging more consistent.
Don’t burn yourself out
To piggyback off of the previous step, authenticity is important. So, don’t post something that doesn’t feel right.
Personal branding is entirely under your control, and you have the power to set boundaries around it. You don’t need to be more vulnerable than you feel comfortable with, and you don’t have to post anything that doesn’t align with your core values. No algorithm can measure your personal feelings, so it is up to you to monitor them and adjust accordingly.
While there is no official “How-To” guide in social media marketing, following these general rules will help you stay relevant and prevent burning out.
The Top Social Media Platforms to Promote Your Brand On
From podcasts to video content, the digital world is full of new opportunities to place your brand in front of your target audience. Whether you want to use influencer marketing to boost your reach or team up with another brand or business for guest appearances, there are countless ways to boost your online presence.
Some of the most popular social networks today include the following:
- LinkedIn — This platform is ideal for building a professional identity and networking system. Used by Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z alike, this platform connects employers and employees in a unique online setting. Your LinkedIn profile acts as a built-in resume where you can display your expertise and knowledge as a professional.
Depending on your business and target audience, it can be a great place to build connections and establish your brand in front of the right audience. - TikTok — Perfect for elevator pitches and video tutorials, TikTok offers ready-to-use templates and editing tools to help you easily create quality video content.
- Instagram — While this social media platform started as a way to share photos, it has evolved to meet newer trends. With the Reels feature, you can edit short videos and post them to your profile. You can also post content that is visible for a limited time through the Stories feature. The versatility of this app makes it a popular tool for building a strong personal brand.
- Facebook — Dubbed ‘old school’ by younger generations, Facebook, or Meta, is nevertheless a staple for building an online presence. Its 2 billion users make the platform nothing to scoff at. It comes down to knowing your target audience and the type of platform you are likely to find them on.
- Pinterest — This platform isn’t just for crafters! It is a great way to brand any business that provides advice and support. From career coaches to real estate professionals, Pinterest is a great way to disseminate helpful information through listicles, tutorials, and infographics.
Key Takeaways
- Consistency and authenticity are the most critical factors.
- Social media tools like Canva, Sprout, and Hootsuite make content creation easier.
- Helpful content will build trust.
- Know your brand voice and your target audience thoroughly.
How to Grow Your Personal Brand With Practice
Beyond social media management, a personal branding strategy is a holistic approach to presenting yourself as a brand. From demonstrating thought leadership to how you interface with partners and clients, what you do day-to-day reflects back on the level of trust a client has in you.
Practice was created to make it easier for small business owners to nurture and maintain client relationships. From scheduling and invoicing to educating and communicating with your clients, Practice allows you to do it all in one convenient place.
Get started today with a free trial and learn more about how to streamline your business.
