How to Build a Personal Brand Online
The concept of needing a ‘personal brand’ might sound like some kind of late-stage capitalist nightmare, but it’s really just another term for how people perceive you, and the overall reputation you carry. Thinking about your reputation as a ‘brand’ gives you a sense of control. We are more online than ever, with many different platforms available to connect with others. We have the ability to build our brands, or even rebrand ourselves, and shape what we want to be known for.
As someone currently on a job hunt for a creative marketing role, I’ve been thinking a lot about my own personal brand and how to optimise my online presence to open up more career opportunities. It feels especially relevant for my path, but I genuinely think this kind of thinking would be useful for anyone. Everything you do online, or don’t do, contributes to the narrative people build about you, so you may as well take charge of it.
If you’ve never considered your online personal brand before, then here’s what to think about:
Start with your vision.
The first question to ask yourself is what you are trying to achieve with your brand. You can figure this out by writing down your long-term goals. Not just career goals, but everything. Your personal brand needs to be tailored to the life that you envision for yourself, which includes the people you want to be around, and the spaces you want to be in.
Choose your online platforms with purpose.
Every platform is used for a different purpose, and some will be more relevant to your brand than others. You should choose one to be a ‘home base’ that conveys the most information about you, and then a selection of others which contribute to your brand.
Personal Website: Most relevant if you have a portfolio of work to showcase, or for blogging. You can control the design, tone, and content completely on your personal website, whereas on social media platforms you are limited to what they give you.
LinkedIn: Your professional presence. LinkedIn is essential if your personal brand is connected to your career or industry. Even if you don’t plan on publishing your own think-pieces on LinkedIn, you should still have an up-to-date, detailed profile.
Email Newsletter/ Podcast/ YouTube: These platforms are for posting content with depth. They’re ideal for building stronger connections with your audience through storytelling, teaching, and sharing personal perspectives. If developing an invested and loyal community is a goal of yours, then choose one (or more) of these to share on.
TikTok/ Instagram: These are discovery platforms, and are great for building familiarity with people, and showing your personality, style, or creative work. Use them to grow visibility and guide people toward your deeper, long-form content (like YouTube, a blog, or a podcast).
Be cohesive in both your content and visuals across all sites.
Whatever combination of online platforms you’ve decided to use to build your brand identity, whether it’s LinkedIn + Podcast + Instagram, or TikTok + YouTube + Instagram, they should all feel like they belong to you. Each space can serve a slightly different purpose, but the overall brand identity should stay consistent.
Start by creating some personal brand guidelines. These could include:
Your name and social handles.
Profile photos and bios.
Colour palette and fonts.
Photography and overall visual style.
Video editing and tone of voice.
Core topics and themes of your content.
One of the most popular content strategies for social media marketing is the ‘pillars’ approach. These are the 3-5 core topics which uphold your brand, and help guide what to post about. For example, I’ve been thinking a lot about what my own content pillars are, and here’s what I’ve decided makes sense for me:
Fashion: Outfits, styling, and trend/ brand commentary.
Creative Work: Design, photography, video, and illustration projects I’m working on.
Lifestyle: Scenes of my daily life, like going to restaurants/ cafes, spending time with friends, and daily routines.
Food: Cooking, baking, and recipe content.
Inspiration: Art, culture, and design moodboards that shape my creative direction.
When building a personal brand, staying true to yourself, rather than boxing yourself into a ‘niche’, is imperative to its longevity. When people connect with you, rather than just one topic you’re currently talking about, they’ll stick around as you inevitably grow and evolve. A strong personal brand isn’t just about visibility, it’s about creating genuine connection, staying creatively fulfilled, and opening doors to the right opportunities.