Personal Branding Mistakes That Could Be Slowing Your Success
Personal brands are more important than ever. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or an expert in your chosen industry, a personal brand can paint you in a whole new light.
There is a multitude of ways to build and grow your brand online. However, it’s competitive out there, which means you really need to stand out if you want to succeed.
You will come across a lot of advice on what you should be doing but today, we’re going to look at the common mistakes that could be creating roadblocks on your personal branding journey. Goodness knows I’ve been guilty of a few of them myself over the years, but it is my hope that sharing from my own learning experiences as a business owner will help you avoid the common pitfalls.
Mistake 1: You’re not thinking about what you’re sharing
You might be active on social media but this doesn’t mean it’s going to get you the results you’re hoping for. How much are you promoting and talking about yourself on social media? If you’re turning your social media presence into a giant sales brochure, it’s not going to do your brand any good. I suggest dedicating one third of your posts to you, another third to content your audience would find interesting, and the final third to the actual promotion of your brand/business. It’s also important to be careful about who you associate yourself with online, your followers will often take notice of who you’re following as well, so it’s important to make sure their brand personality and values align with yours. Your business page may or may not be the page you choose to follow your favorite celebrities or political figures and movements with (unless of course that is a large part of your brand) I recommend using your personal social media pages for that. Also don’t forget to actively engage with your followers!
Mistake 2: You haven’t created a website yet
If you want to build your personal brand and attract new clients, they need to be able to find more information about you – both organically and via social media. Your website doesn’t need to be complex and packed with fancy graphics and features. It does, however, need to truly represent your brand, look fresh and professional, and feature all of your most important information. Don’t forget to include photos of yourself! Potential clients and brand partners will want to see who they’re working with.
Mistake 3: You’re not entirely clear on your purpose
What is it that you want to be known for? If you want to succeed, don’t try and fit into multiple boxes and be all things to all people. For your personal brand to thrive, you need to get specific about the topics that matter to you, what your primary skills are, and who your audience is. From there, you can determine how you would add value and that’s how you stand out.
Mistake 4: You haven’t been active in a while
If you let your online presence go stale, you’ll quickly lose the trust of new and existing customers. It’s not too late to pick things up again though. Make sure that your branding, photos, tag-lines, and content are up to date across all platforms. Next, create a calendar that you can use to ensure you’re always engaging and posting fresh content online. You get to decide how consistently you’ll want to show up, be it daily, weekly, or monthly; its not so much about HOW much you post but more-so how CONSISTENTLY you post.
Mistake 5: You’re not getting out there
You can get a lot done online but it’s still important to get out there and meet people in person. Whether that’s setting up meetings with potential clients, speaking at events, or attending regular networking events in your area, just get out there. Word of mouth goes a LONG way, and its essential to have in person contact as well. I find going live on social media can be a very powerful way to put yourself out there during these more recent times of social distancing.
A personal brand can be a powerful tool, provided you keep working on it and continue to stay relevant and engaged within your sector. If you find you need support in any of these areas, please reach out! I’d love to offer suggestions on how you can improve your Personal Brand and social media presence.
Jamie Salima Love is a FingerLakes based Headshot/Branding Photographer and Personal Branding extraordinaire. She has helped thousands of small businesses, brands, and entrepreneurs over her 20 yr career by creating updated image libraries with stellar imagery. She is available for a multitude of services, whether you’re looking to work with her to simply update your Headshots, or to create an extensive Personal Branding Photography strategy and library with all the bells and whistles she’s got you covered.