Ready to make your mark? Dive into our feature as leading entrepreneur and personal brand strategist, Kelly Lundberg, unveils the essential elements for crafting a standout personal brand. From authenticity to consistency, she guides you through the key building blocks to help you leave a lasting impression in today’s competitive landscape.
Building a strong, personal brand involves more than just maintaining a social media presence, despite what people may think. It requires a strategic approach and self-assessment to identify areas for improvement. I use the Brand YOU formula, a seven-step framework that helps individuals strengthen their personal brand. These steps include:
Strategy: Define your goals and target audience and outline a plan to achieve them.
Style: Develop a consistent visual and personal identity that reflects your personality and values.
Stationery: Ensure your collaterals and touch points aligns with your brand identity.
Social: Engage with your audience on social media platforms and share content that reinforces your brand message.
Spotlight: Seek opportunities to showcase your expertise and accomplishments, such as through interviews or guest posts.
Speaking: Enhance your public speaking skills and leverage speaking engagements to build your authority in your field.
Standout: Differentiate yourself from others in your industry by highlighting your unique strengths, experiences, and perspectives.
How can one identify their unique value proposition in the market?
I like to rephrase this as ‘How can individuals pinpoint what sets them apart from others in the market?
By reflecting on their strengths, experiences, and passions, individuals can consider what they do differently or better than others, and how their skills and expertise can address the needs or solve the problems of their target audience.
Conducting market research, gathering feedback from friends, family, clients, or customers, and seeking input from mentors or peers can also provide valuable insights into what makes them distinctive in the market. Additionally, we offer an anonymous personal brand audit to all our clients to help them identify what sets them apart from others as part of their strategy going forward.
What strategies do you recommend for establishing a consistent online presence?
To establish a consistent online presence, planning is essential. One common obstacle is content creation, often due to lacking quality photography or video resources. Additionally, uncertainty about what to share can be daunting. That’s why we advise clarifying your goals, message, and target audience upfront. Monitoring content performance through analytics tools is crucial too, tracking metrics like website traffic and social media engagement to refine your strategy effectively.
How important is storytelling in personal branding, and how can it be effectively utilized?
Storytelling is incredibly important in personal branding, yet it’s often underutilised. Stories have a unique power to capture attention and engage audiences in a way that straightforward information cannot. By sharing stories, you become more memorable and relatable, whether it’s in a meeting, on social media, or during everyday interactions. To effectively utilise storytelling, it’s essential to have a clear point and a natural conclusion to make the story meaningful to the listener, nobody likes a waffler! When working with clients, we often ask a series of questions to help them identify compelling stories that resonate with their audience. Some examples of these questions include:
- What recent experiences or events in your life have left a significant impact?
- Can you recall stories from your past that illustrate important lessons or values you want to share?
- What personal hobbies, interests, or passions can you incorporate into your storytelling to add depth and authenticity?
How do you suggest managing personal and professional boundaries when building a personal brand?
Maintain authenticity by aligning yourself with individuals and brands that share your values. Understand what feels too personal for you, but also acknowledge that personal boundaries vary from person to person. Ultimately, staying true to yourself is paramount. I’ve often observed that sharing glimpses into my personal interests on platforms like LinkedIn often garners more interest than industry-specific content. You want to be real and relatable.
What role does authenticity play in personal branding, and how can one ensure authenticity in their brand?
Authenticity is at the heart of personal branding, ensuring that your audience sees the real you. Consistency and genuine interaction are key. Platforms like “behind the scenes” on IG stories or video content offer a glimpse into your true personal brand. Transparency is crucial; it builds trust by showing you have nothing to hide. Sharing both successes and failures makes your journey relatable and fosters connection with your audience.
How can individuals leverage social media platforms to enhance their personal brand?
Individuals can leverage social media platforms to enhance their personal brand through collaborations with other brands or individuals. Partnering with like-minded individuals or businesses can expand your reach and introduce you to new audiences. Additionally, sharing valuable content and insights with your followers demonstrates expertise and builds credibility. Focus on fostering genuine connections and providing support to others, rather than solely promoting yourself, to establish yourself as a trusted and credible authority in your field.
Are there any common mistakes people make when trying to build their personal brand, and how can they be avoided?
Several common mistakes can hinder the development of a personal brand. One is starting with enthusiasm but failing to maintain consistency and momentum over time. Another mistake is neglecting to actively cultivate and showcase your personal brand, allowing less qualified individuals to overshadow you. To avoid these, it’s essential to prioritise consistent effort, actively blocking out time in your day or week to engage and maintain your personal brand, acknowledging its power and leveraging it effectively.
In what ways can a personal brand evolve over time, and how should individuals adapt their strategies accordingly?
Just as your taste in clothing evolves over the years, so does your personal brand. Changes in career, interests, or responsibilities may prompt shifts in your brand message, making it crucial to adapt accordingly. Updating images, refreshing your website, and revising your biography are all essential steps in keeping your personal brand relevant and reflective of your current identity and goals.
Kelly Lundberg is a leading entrepreneur and personal brand strategist, who recently launched her self published book, DESEED THE LEMON. Kelly is a bestselling author, TEDx speaker and multi-award-winning entrepreneur who uses her book as a source to share stories from some of her high-profile clients, as well as her own life.