2023 is a great year for the personal brand. Influential CEOs are securing investment, winning customers and grabbing the attention of the media. Thousands of dollars are flowing towards popular YouTubers, LinkedIn profiles and Twitter personalities. If your name isn’t well known by now, you might feel like you’re at the bottom of a steep hill. But that can change in an instant.
You might not need to jump on a call with a personal branding specialist. You may be able to utilize ChatGPT to get the answers you need. With these 7 clever prompts, you can get clear on your mission, vision and values and be ready to get famous for the sake of your business.
Use ChatGPT to develop your personal brand: 7 powerful prompts
1. Define your personal brand
Use this prompt to set the scene and uncover your unique value proposition. This is where you describe who you are and what you do, in as much waffly detail as you like. ChatGPT doesn’t care how coherent you are, it will take your words and make them make sense. It will wade through the details to find a catchy premise that you’re proud to get behind.
Here’s the prompt: “I describe myself as a [your professional role] and I help [specific target audience] achieve [main outcomes you help your audience achieve.] What are the key elements that define my personal brand and make me unique?”
2. Craft your brand story
Stories sell. A well-written story, with a catchy beginning, intriguing middle and exciting end will ensure you’re memorable for all the right reasons. Engage and connect with your audience by sharing your story in a way that compels them to work with you. As you’re defining your personal brand, get clear on the story that surrounds your message.
Fill in the gaps and type this prompt into the same chat: “Throughout my business journey I have faced these challenges [summarize any challenges you have overcome.] Given this information, what is the compelling story behind my personal brand? How can I craft a brand narrative that engages and resonates with my target audience?”
3. Establish your online presence
Not every platform will be right for you, and you shouldn’t waste your energy going in multiple directions. Choose one place and double down. Whether it’s Twitter, LinkedIn or Threads, do it really well, and think about the others when you’ve nailed the first. Use this prompt in ChatGPT to help choose the right platform, prioritizing based on your audience and business goals. While you may not agree, it’s worth hearing the advice.
Here’s the prompt to retrieve this information: “Which online platforms are most relevant to my personal brand and target audience? Recommend in order of where my target audience are most likely to be. How can I establish a strong online presence on these platforms?”
Powerful personal branding prompts: using ChatGPT to build an influential online presence. GETTY
4. Curate engaging content
Now you know your value proposition, your compelling story and where you should show up, prompt ChatGPT for the type of content you should share. Provide value and showcase your expertise, networking online with the types of people who will become your client or introduce you to their audience. Use what you have so far to expand the plan, and get ideas for engaging content that will work for you.
Use this prompt to start generating suggestions: “What valuable content can I curate and share with my audience to establish myself as an expert in my field? How can I consistently provide value and showcase my expertise?”
5. Engage with your audience
It’s not enough to share on a social network. To build your personal brand, you have to engage. You have to foster meaningful connections by talking to new people every day. You have to keep in touch with the people you meet. You wouldn’t arrive at a party, do a quick scan of the room then swiftly depart, and this is no different. Get ideas of how to engage to never be lost for words, and action them daily to watch your metrics increase.
While you’ll have your own ideas of how this should be done, add this prompt and see what comes up: “Using [the main social media platform you’ll focus on], how can I actively engage with my audience to foster meaningful connections? What specific strategies can I use to encourage interaction and conversation? Create an action plan of 3 things I should do every day.”
6. Leverage visual branding
The stage is set and you know how to perform. Now it’s time for your costume. Use ChatGPT to create a cohesive and memorable image of you as a professional, that represents your brand in its best possible light. Scruffy profile pictures, wonky headers and a colour scheme that doesn’t fit are not part of the plan. Use this prompt to be guided through your visual brand, based on who you’ve told ChatGPT you are so far.
“How can I develop a visual brand identity that aligns with my personal brand? What elements and design choices can I use to create a cohesive and memorable image?” Use the resulting recommendation to brief a designer or AI graphic design tool accordingly.
7. Monitor and enhance your brand
To break records, you have to make records. Make a note of where you are today and write it down. Number of followers or connections, monthly hits, average engagement per post. Keep the information somewhere safe to benchmark your progress. Your personal brand should continuously evolve and adapt. Over time, you’ll hit upon new topics. You’ll go down rabbit holes. You’ll learn more about what your audience wants and you’ll head in the direction of your interest and passion.
For ideas of how to improve, ask ChatGPT: “How can I monitor and assess the perception of my personal brand online? What steps can I take to enhance and adapt my brand as needed?”
Prompt ChatGPT to be your personal brand consultant
Get set up for success with your personal brand by training ChatGPT to be your personal brand consultant. These seven prompts might be exactly what you need to start the creativity flowing and get some ideas. Think of ChatGPT as less of a coach and more of an interactive journal. You know yourself, your vibe, and how you should show up. You have nudges in the right direction with some options for testing. All that’s left is to get on and do.
Founder of Coachvox.ai – we make AI coaches. Forbes 30 under 30 class of 2017. Post-exit entrepreneur and author of Ten Year Career. Competitive powerlifter and digital nomad.
If you’ve ever tried to build an audience, you might have experienced the painful scenario of posting a piece of content you’re particularly proud of and… crickets.
As the supply of content increases, accelerated by the introduction of AI content tools, it’s harder than ever to earn attention.
However, this also means that the value of attention is increasing, and those who succeed have more leverage than ever before. Famed investor Andrew Wilkinson sums this up well in the following tweet:
The good news is that building a new audience isn’t impossible.
It just requires a different strategy than before. So in this post, we’ll discuss a step-by-step strategy you can use to build an audience from scratch in 2023.
Step 1: Select a Topic, Medium, and Angle
If someone consumes a piece of content you created and then follows you, it’s probably because they liked it and want to see more similar content. So if you change the topic and style of your content, you might lose those subscribers because they might not like the new topic or style of content.
As a result, you’ll find that your subscribers frequently churn, and you’ll struggle to build a loyal following.
This was a key mistake Eric Siu mentioned he made when building his YouTube channel. He discussed marketing in some of his YouTube videos, while in others, he discussed NFTs and cryptocurrency. His audience began unsubscribing as the audience interested in marketing didn’t care about his NFT videos, and the NFT audience didn’t care about his marketing videos.
So the key to building a sticky, loyal audience is selecting a topic, angle, and medium. Here’s how I define each of these:
Topic: This is what you’ll talk about. Examples of topics include marketing, finance, food, travel, etc. Choose a topic you have unique knowledge about and are genuinely interested in. Content is a long game, and you’re much more likely to be successful if you have a genuine interest in the topic, as there will be a period of time when you won’t receive any reward for your efforts.
Medium: This is how you communicate your content. Examples of mediums include video, text, or audio content. The key to choosing the best medium is to select one you enjoy and can produce consistently. Publishing consistency is key to long-term growth, so if you don’t think you can produce that medium of content weekly, choose a different medium. For example, if you don’t think you can produce video content each week, you might want to choose text-based content.
Angle: This is how your content will provide a different perspective from other existing content. Similar to product-market fit, your angle is the differentiator that helps you achieve “content-market” fit. For example, if you’re starting a Japan travel vlog, how will it differ from existing Japan travel vlogs? Maybe you’ll interview local Japanese chefs and film them making a meal. The key to selecting a successful angle is to make it both unique and repeatable. For example, interviewing Japanese chefs and filming them making a meal is a repeatable format.
To help you choose your topic, medium, and angle, here are a few examples for inspiration.
Angle: Asks people on the street how much they pay for rent and then tours their apartments.
If you look through each of these individuals’ content, they cover roughly the same topic in a repeatable format.
Note: You’ll notice that they all have audiences across multiple different platforms (Twitter, YouTube, etc.). Below, we’ll discuss how you can take an omnichannel approach, but when you’re first starting out, it’s best to focus on just one medium on one platform.
Step 2: Create Content and Publish Regularly
The main cause of content failure is the creator quitting too soon.
Your first pieces of content probably won’t hit, and that’s okay. In the early days, the most important thing to do is to get the reps in and hone your abilities as a content creator.
So select a specific content topic, medium, and angle and commit to publishing consistently for the next three months.
Here are a few tips to help you publish consistently:
Set a reasonable content publishing frequency. If you plan to publish every day, you’ll probably burn out quickly and give up. As consistency and a long-term vision are essential for content success, create just one piece of content, see how long it took you to produce, and then select a realistic publishing schedule you can realistically commit to for at least six months.
Batch your content in advance. Many creators find it easier to produce several pieces of content in one sitting once they’re in the flow state rather than setting aside several content creation sessions throughout the week/month. Batching content also ensures you publish on time.
Outsource and automate non-creative work. Plenty of minor tasks are involved with content creation, from editing videos to scheduling social media posts, but these small tasks can quickly add up to hours each week. So use software tools to automate tasks or hire a virtual assistant on a platform like Upwork to help you. By offloading low-value tasks, you’ll have more time to dedicate to content creation, decreasing your chances of burnout.
Once you publish some content, you can ask for feedback from mentors and peer groups.
For example, platforms like Intro.co and Clarity.fm allow you to schedule mentorship calls with world-class experts.
Alternatively, you can join a community like the Copyblogger Academy, where you can ask me (Tim) questions and receive feedback from other peers. We also do Q&A sessions with top content creators.
If you want to learn more about how to level up your content creation skills, here are a few additional resources you can check out:
Another excellent method to improve your content is to study your competitors’ content and determine which content receives the most engagement or positive comments.
For example, if you produce video content on YouTube, you can filter by the most popular videos and then look for patterns and popular influencers to incorporate into your content:
Step 3: Partner with Existing Creators
There’s a misconception that as long as your content is high quality, it will naturally earn engagement.
Unfortunately, most algorithms (social media, search engines, etc.) give more visibility to content that earns a lot of traction and engagement within the first few hours.
When you’re starting, you probably only have a handful of followers, so your content won’t receive much engagement within the first few hours of publishing. Unfortunately, this means your content probably won’t receive much organic reach from the algorithms – even if the content quality is next-level.
This creates a vicious cycle that makes it hard to earn a following and receive more engagement.
To break out of this cycle and help your content receive more organic reach, consider collaborating with an influencer that already has the attention of your target audience.
When they promote your brand to their audience, your content will naturally receive more impressions, which will help it receive more engagement and ultimately help you earn more followers.
The tricky part is getting an influencer with a larger audience to agree to do a content collaboration with a smaller brand with a small audience.
As a rule of thumb, partnerships are most successful when incentives are aligned.
So before you ask an influencer to collaborate with you, ask yourself how this partnership will benefit them.
Some influencers agree to interview smaller brands if they can repurpose the content on their own social media accounts. As most influencers are already setting aside time to create their own content, many will agree to an interview with a smaller brand if they can use that content for their personal brand.
Alex Hormozi is a great example of this in action. He often repurposes all of the interviews he does as social media content, like this clip that he swiped from an interview he did on Impact Theory:
Many influencers also share the content when it goes live and give your brand a shout-out. Here’s a great example:
Not all influencers will agree to an interview, especially if you have a smaller audience. To increase your chances of receiving a “yes,” look for influencers that have recently done interviews with competitors that have a similar audience size.
You can also look for influencers launching a book, as they tend to be more open to interviews.
Note: Even if you’re just writing text-based content (like Twitter or LinkedIn threads), you can still interview someone and then write out the key points from the conversation and post that on your social media channels.
If you’re struggling to get an influencer to collaborate with you, consider paying for an interview. For example, you can use a platform like Intro.co or Clarity.fm to pay for calls with world-class experts.
You can also pay an influencer directly to promote your content. However, collaborations tend to be more effective as influencers are often more vested in the partnership when their own thought leadership is involved.
If you’re producing audio or video content, you can also offer written guest posts to blogs with similar audiences and simply ask that they insert the video or podcast link somewhere inside the guest post. For example, popular car YouTuber Doug DeMuro got his first several thousand YouTube subscribers by writing for the car blog, Jalopnik, and then inserted his videos into the written content.
Finally, you can also pay to promote your content on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Step 4: Adopt an Omni Channel Approach
Once you’ve established a solid publishing schedule for your main channel, the best method to increase your output and reach with minimal additional effort is to adopt an omnichannel approach.
For example, if you’re already creating video or podcast content, you can chop that video up into multiple shorter clips and post it across social media platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram.
This allows you to scale reach and engagement exponentially, as your single long-form video is now ten or twenty pieces of content.
Eric Siu and Neil Patel do a great job of repurposing the content for Marketing School. You can see an example here:
To help you automate this process, you can use a tool like Repurpose.io. Or, if you’d prefer to outsource the entire process, you can hire an agency like Shortzy to do it for you.
For example, you can also put the video script into an AI content writer tool and ask it to write a blog post or social media content based on the script.
The key to succeeding with an omnichannel approach is optimizing each piece of content for the platform on which you intend to publish it. For example, if you’re repurposing a piece of content on TikTok, optimize it with subtitles and edit it in the fast-paced style of content that TikTok users like to consume.
If you feel overwhelmed at the prospect of repurposing your content across multiple additional platforms at once, choose just one additional platform and then add more as you become comfortable repurposing.
Step 5: Double Down On What’s Working
The content marketing landscape is always changing, and the marketing campaigns that work today might not work as well a year from now. So as you grow your audience, consistently collect audience feedback to learn what content resonates best and then produce more of that content.
The same methodology applies to your general audience growth strategy.
Look at your growth metrics and double down on the partnerships and marketing strategies that drive the most audience growth.
Many entrepreneurs become distracted by new trendy marketing tactics, but the key to long-term success is focusing on what works and doubling down on those marketing strategies.
While experimentation is a great way to discover more effective strategies, limit new marketing campaigns to just one or two per month. Other than that, focus all your efforts on the top two or three marketing campaigns currently driving the most growth.
For example, if email marketing promotions currently drive 50% of your growth, double down on doing more email campaigns.
Bonus: Consider Different Monetization Strategies
The purpose of building a following is to eventually convert them into paying customers, but when and how you monetize will significantly impact the long-term revenue you receive.
First, monetizing too early can cause your audience to lose trust in your brand, and many will either unfollow you or ignore your offer.
You can think of the trust you build like a bank account – the more value you provide and the longer you wait to withdraw, the more you can ask for when you pitch an offer.
So how do you know when you’ve built enough trust that you can make an ask?
There isn’t a hard and fast subscriber count or engagement rate, but a great test is to make a small non-monetary ask and see how many people respond. For example, you can ask your audience to respond to a specific question in the comments or on social media.
Responding and engaging with your audience is also a general audience-building best practice, so you’ll probably be able to estimate your audience’s loyalty based on the comments you read daily.
Once you feel that you’ve built a loyal following and have reached a stage in the business where it makes sense to monetize it, there are several different monetization strategies. Here are a few you might consider:
Start a business: This strategy is probably the most work, but it’s also the most profitable long-term monetization method. Ryan Reynolds’ business, Mint Mobile, is an excellent example of a billion-dollar business created mainly on the back of a single influencer’s audience.
Offer a course: This is one of the most popular audience monetization methods, and Ramit Sethi and Pay Flynn are excellent examples of content creators that have built multi-million dollar course businesses off of their audience.
Affiliate sales: There are always plenty of product businesses that need promotion, so you can partner with other brands and offer their products and services to your audience. When your audience purchases those products, you receive a commission. This is a great way to quickly generate revenue, but it isn’t as profitable or long-term focused as the previous two options. The Influencer Marketing Hub is an excellent example of a website that built its audience through SEO and monetizes primarily through affiliate sales.
Sponsored posts: This option is similar to affiliate sales, as you’ll be promoting other products or services to your audience, but instead of receiving a commission based on sales you generate, you’ll be paid a flat fee.
There isn’t a single best monetization strategy for everyone, and you can run multiple monetization strategies simultaneously.
The key to successfully monetizing your audience is taking a long-term approach and balancing the ratio of value to asks. You’ll lose credibility if you’re constantly promoting products and services, and your audience will eventually stop following you.
Start Building Your Personal Brand Today
As attention becomes more difficult to capture due to the increasing volume of content online, the value of attention will also continue to increase.
The good news is that as the volume of content increases (aided largely by the introduction of AI tools), the percentage of authentic content continues to decrease, so you can still stand out if you have a genuine, authentic message to share.
Your first few pieces of content probably won’t hit, but if you seek feedback, consistently hone your skills as a content creator and deliver an authentic message, you’ll eventually build a loyal following.
If you want to accelerate your skills as a content creator, consider joining a peer/mentorship group like the Copyblogger Academy. You can ask me (Tim) questions directly, and we also do regular collaborations with other top content creators like Amanda Natividad, Brian Clark, and Steph Smith. You’ll also have access to a group of supportive peers that you can lean on for advice, feedback, and inspiration.
Personal branding is about authentically delivering value to the people you seek to influence, inspire and impact. One of the best places to do that is in meetings. In fact, meetings (both in-person and virtual) are among the most powerful ways to build your brand and advance your career, when you actively engage in them. That’s because:
The people you seek to impact and influence are there
Many of the people you need to impress so you can keep you career moving upward are right there, face to face or on Zoom. It’s the place to showcase your work and talk about the unique contributions you make to your team or a project.
Meetings take you out of your solo world
Delivering value that’s invisible will not catapult your to career new heights. Everyone’s busy. You can’t expect your boss and other influential people to be actively figuring out what you’re doing every day. Meetings bring your value out of the shadows.
You learn what’s going on
Meetings are learning opportunities. They often provide context, important details and sometimes valuable insights—all of which can be helpful to your success and make your contributions more impactful. You also learn things that have nothing to do with the project at hand—like who the boss chose for the new team member—but are important for you to know.
You build connection and relationships with your peers
It’s hard to build a relationship via email, texting or Slack. Meetings let you connect more deeply and bolster relationships with key stakeholders. Relationships are built through multiple consistent touchpoints. Meetings are among the most meaningful touchpoints.
Meetings let you showcase your expertise
That doesn’t mean bragging. It means demonstrating what makes you exceptional. Meetings let you make your mark and reinforce your brand differentiation. By actively participating (not multitasking) and sharing your ideas and opinions, you show your knowledge and point-of-view.
You demonstrate your communication skills
Meetings provide the forum for articulating your ideas clearly and concisely (and in a branded way—with humor or structure or data). Solid communication skills make you look confident. And by actively listening and participating (no checking your email!), you show respect for your colleagues and let people know you are interested.
Meetings provide a forum for acknowledging otherspublicly
Everyone wants to be recognized for their contributions. Acknowledging others and expressing gratitude is fuel to those around you. And when you do this in meetings, in front of a group, it’s more like rocket fuel.
You can get feedback
Feedback is essential if you want to learn and advance your career. Meetings provide a forum for others to provide candid actionable input you can use to refine what you do and how you do it.
You demonstrate that you are a leader
Meetings are places where decision makers identify emerging leaders—those who demonstrate leadership skills without holding the title. When you take an active role in meetings, you demonstrate your leadership and collaboration skills and get on the radar of those who have the power to promote you.
You enhance your credibility and likability
By actively participating in meetings and providing valuable input and unique insights, you build your credibility as an expert in your field. The way your deliver your input and interact with other meeting participants can make you likable. Strong personal brands sit at the intersection of likability and credibility.
Make meetings matter. Be deliberate in the way you participate in meetings so you can stand out, grow your brand and advance your career.
I’m a personal branding pioneer, motivational speaker, founder of Reach Personal Branding and cofounder of CareerBlast.TV. I’m also the bestselling author of the definitive books on executive branding: Digital YOU, Ditch.Dare. Do! and Career Distinction. I’m passionate about how personal branding can inspire career-minded professionals to become indispensable, influential and incredibly happy at work—and I teach my clients (major global brands and 20% of the Fortune 100) to increase their success by infusing personal branding into their cultures. Here’s a fun fact: I have the distinct privilege of having delivered more personal branding keynotes to more people, in more countries, than anyone on earth.
LinkedIn is a paradise for many types of business professionals, and if you are not finding success on the platform, it might just come down to your personal branding as manifested in your LinkedIn profile. I hope to inspire you to revise your profile by showcasing some standout LinkedIn profile examples.
Since LinkedIn is a great place to find a job or recruit a new employee, everyone on LinkedIn should have a profile that gives their experience and qualifications, which makes it easy to identify opportunities. Likewise, people in sales use LinkedIn to find sales prospects and decision-makers.
Of course, people don’t only use LinkedIn to locate immediate opportunities. Instead, it’s a place for networking and relationship building. Then, when the time comes, professionals have a network they can rely on for help. This could be a job, help fill a position or even a sale.
With that said, LinkedIn wouldn’t be a powerful tool if people didn’t have high-quality profiles to represent themselves online. Here are some tips to create a great profile, and some LinkedIn profile examples to inspire you.
What’s a LinkedIn Profile?
A LinkedIn profile is a LinkedIn member’s page, where they have a picture, career goals, and other material. In other words, it’s like a business card or personal website but with a social media twist. LinkedIn calls the profile a “professional landing page” because it’s supposed to be the first impression people have of you on the platform. Often, this is the “actual” first impression because LinkedIn introduces a lot of people who’ve never met in person.
Why Should You Update Your LinkedIn Profile?
Updating your LinkedIn profile makes sure that your profile accurately reflects your professional life. People go through a lot of transitions, both personally and professionally, over the years. By keeping your profile updated, you’ll make it easier to meet the right people, find the right opportunities online, and put your best foot forward.
Here’s an example. Especially during a recession, lots of people look for new opportunities. They might go get a degree or new certification, get laid off, or decide a new career is their best bet. Some people even start a business or retire early. In turn, their goals and needs on LinkedIn change. If someone switches from recruiting to operational management in another company or industry, they won’t need to find recruiting candidates anymore. Or, a person starting a business might need new employees. Either way, their LinkedIn profiles should reflect the job changes.
The Elements of a Great LinkedIn Profile
It’s difficult to talk about the best LinkedIn profile examples without talking about what makes them great. After all, some profiles are more effective than others. In addition, LinkedIn profiles can be quite different depending on the member, whether that’s related to their career, their personal goals, or individual branding. With that said, here are some “must haves” for a good profile.
Professional Profile Photo
Having a professional picture is important because profiles with photos are 14 times more likely to be viewed. Besides this, a great picture helps you introduce yourself, especially in an era where there are fewer in-person meetings than there used to be. Therefore, a nice profile picture also helps people recognize you when they meet or see you at some in-person event.
However, you should always use a full-focus photo, and it needs to be a close-up shot. This isn’t where you use special effects or a blurry, poorly focused selfie that you adapted from Instagram. Remember, your LinkedIn profile picture is part of what provides a good (or not so good) first impression.
Besides the need for clarity and professionalism, you’ll need these parameters:
PNG or JPG file, because this is what LinkedIn requires.
LinkedIn recommends a square photo shape of 400 x 400 pixels. You can get this by cropping a rectangular picture to showcase your smiling face.
Generally, you’ll want a file size under 8 MB, though you can go larger if needed.
In other words, choose a small, high-resolution photo that has a relatively small file size. These parameters will get you the best results. Otherwise, the photo might not look nice once it’s posted online.
Cover Photo or Background Picture
This is the picture or graphic that you see at the top of someone’s profile, and it’s a great opportunity to make a splash. Generally, I recommend something that promotes a professional accomplishment or other parts of your online presence. For instance, you can promote a portfolio of work, a website, free resources, books you’ve written, or client testimonials.
These aren’t as difficult to make as you might think. A graphics editing tool like Canva can help you create awesome content for social media. You can use several design elements with this tool and others, offering the opportunity to create something special.
Finally, your cover photo should always reinforce your personal brand. While most people are used to a personal brand when job hunting, in the social media age you should project your brand whenever possible. Ideally, people will see you as a go-to person when they need what you have to offer.
A Brief, Powerful Profile Headline
A great headline is one of the most important elements of great profiles, and you’ll see some of our LinkedIn profile examples highlight this element. One reason for this high level of importance is that the headline text gets shown in search results within LinkedIn and Google SERPs. This means that your profile will get discovered more easily if you have a great headline. Plus, a good headline can help you edge out the competition for that often-critical profile view.
Technically speaking, a headline can be difficult to write. That’s because the headline is limited to 120 characters long, so you need to say it quickly. Be sure to include your industry-related keywords, skills, and interests.
Summary or the About Section
Next, there’s the summary. This is the piece of text below your headline, and it allows for more detail about why you’re special. When people click through your headline and see your profile, they are often on the fence about following up, especially if they are looking for an opportunity more than a particular person (you). The job of your summary or about section is to convince people to contact you.
12 Killer LinkedIn Profile Examples to Inspire You to Update Your Own
Even the best LinkedIn profile tips can be hard to follow if you don’t have some examples. After all, these examples can help you understand the best way to apply the tips. In addition, some inspiration is always useful when you’re writing an expressive piece like this. Here are some of the best LinkedIn profile examples I could find. Each of these can give you some inspiration to write a killer profile yourself.
Why is this profile great? At first, her profile immediately grabs your attention. You can tell she is an artist at heart (her qualifications bear this out) and that she’s both unique and motivated. However, this is also one of our better LinkedIn profile examples because of its technical excellence.
Her headline precisely describes what she does. The string is a serial entrepreneur and creative who makes plenty of money helping other people create wealth (while doing it herself).
She uses emojis to make her message more memorable. For instance, since her name is String, she inserts violins (stringed instruments) in several places.
Presents a captivating story about her roller coaster ride from a “KFC Chick to building a multi-million brand.” That includes working a 9-5 job in a conventional career and deciding it wasn’t for her.
Uses self-deprecating humour: “I could have won Forbes 30 under 30, and I asked: “thanks for recognizing my skills, will I win an award for looking under 30?” They lol’d and said no. ” Somebody who talks like this is generally a competent person who doesn’t let success get to their head.
Is inspirational – “If a KFC chick can do it, so can you. ” In other words, String knows what she wants, and will work hard to achieve it. This is very attractive to many employers and potential business partners.
Laszlo is actually a prominent business leader, having served as an executive at Google. However, he left Google to start a new business that takes a more humane approach to human resources. This need for humanity in HR is deeply felt by many within the business community.
Why is this a great profile?
Besides checking on all boxes, what stands out is the summary section of Laszlo. In five succinct paragraphs, Laszlo weaves his professional story by highlighting his accomplishments and achievements while he was at Google. Then, he talks about his current activities.
Then, Laszlo gives you a reason to connect with him on a human level: he has a world record for Greek Syrtaki dance which reveals his personal passion. Of course, choosing this particular fun fact helps paint a picture of someone who knows how to relax and have fun.
Among the LinkedIn profile examples we’ve discussed so far, Lalaina’s profile is the most conventional. She tells you what she’s like in simple terms, but doesn’t use humor or fun facts to make herself out. It’s all business.
Why is this profile great?
Her simple background image is impactful because it uses simple symbolism to define her personal brand. In addition, she wears an outfit for her profile picture that’s the same color as her background image, boosting the brand message.
Reading her summary, you can easily see her passion for her job: She loves it and finds her work very satisfying.
She ties the messaging of her background photo as well as the passion for her job together in a convincing way to understand her mission, “to help others discover and nurture the leader within,” in a very memorable way.
Lalaina lists her volunteer work, which also helps support her personal brand as someone who dreams big with heart.
Ted is someone who’s spent a lot of his career in academia. Nowadays, he teaches marketing and communications to the next generation while staying active in the business.
Why is this a great profile?
Note the consistent branding of his glasses, from his background photo to his profile photo to the emoji in his name. Even better, he tries to use glasses on his profile that are similar to the ones in his photograph. Makes me wonder if similar frames are part of his signature look.
Ted uses the Featured section smartly to showcase a New York Times article in which he is quoted. Because the New York Times is a well-respected publication, being quoted there is often prestigious.
He clearly spells out his experiences in a succinct manner in his summary, including numbers so that we can better understand the scale of his many accomplishments. In other words, as someone who’s always looking for additional opportunities (Ted wears many hats), he makes it easy to see what value he can bring.
Beth specializes in helping non-profits navigate the digital age, including through a digital transformation. She also helps them reach out to donors and other stakeholders. Her goal is to keep non-profits focused on their human mission even with technology.
Why is this profile great?
Beth uses a mix of powerful keywords in her headline to convey that not only is she an innovator in the non-profit world for which she is best known. Beth is also known for both digital transformation and workplace wellbeing, creating a truly unique and compelling brand.
Beth speaks to us directly in her summary where she talks about the questions that have guided her career, leaving a lasting impression on the reader of her passion for serving others.
At the end of her summary, she not only talks about her past books but also about her present research, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, about Artificial Intelligence and Scaling Generosity. Talking about her sponsored research ties her branding together in a very concise and powerful way.
Neil is a world-famous marketer and technology person that lectures all over the world and owns an agency.
Why is this profile great?
If you searched Google for anything related to marketing, chances are that you have come across Neil Patel. His profile reflects the wide circulation of his work.
Neil’s got a professional profile photo and his cover photo lists his expertise in different aspects of digital marketing that reinforce his personal brand.
The summary section outlines his achievements, including being recognized by President Obama. He says all of this without bragging or coming across as arrogant.
Pam is another veteran marketer, and she’s had a recent job change.
Why is this profile perfect?
Pam has a nice picture that looks like it came straight out of a magazine and was probably taken by a professional. Besides this great picture, Pam has a cover photo of a foot race. That picture piques the viewer’s interest because there isn’t anything else about running on her profile.
Her headline has a list of keywords that describe exactly who she is. As a result, you not only know why you should contact Pam, but the keywords help her profile show up on a lot of searches.
Pam’s summary is quite elaborate, but without being overbearing. In other words, you can quickly see her many accomplishments.
She has a very complete profile, with information that includes courses, projects, honors, and awards.
Elise has a sales background, but she’s turned her skills into a new career: coaching.
What’s awesome about this profile?
Elise’s profile picture has a video behind it if you click. The video message makes her likable and approachable instantly, which is especially important for someone in her field.
Her banner image precisely says what she does – Coaching, specifically for men. She also helps men push past their failures and work through what’s holding them back.
The headline clearly states what problem she solves, how she does it, and for whom.
Elise’s summary uses bulleted lists to outline the problems and solutions she offers, being more specific than her headline.
As a professional coach, she has listed all her licenses and certifications to establish credibility.
Jay is a superstar marketer for Convince and Convert, as well as a conference speaker and writer. However, that doesn’t mean that his profile has to be boring. Far from it.
Why is this profile incredible?
Jay has a great headshot that makes one want to know more about him. In particular, his smile is friendly and engaging.
A branded cover photo shows off his skill set and his tagline while remaining minimalist.
Jay’s headline is precise and punchy so you’ll remember it easily.
The opening lines of his summary are to the point and give an immediate impression of his expertise in marketing.
Juhli is a trainer who specializes in teaching small businesses to do marketing. Her practice focuses on social media techniques.
What is good about this profile?
Juhli uses a very inviting profile photo combined with her background photo to almost personally welcome us into her backyard in British Columbia. For someone who works with small business owners, this is highly effective because SMBs thrive on personal relationships.
Her headline is equally inviting, not just in making it clear as to what her specialties are, but also that she is about building relationships online and connecting with opportunity. In other words, Juhli pitches herself as approachable.
She continues this welcoming environment by featuring her women’s business networking LinkedIn Live replays. Of course, it’s also a great example of simple content marketing.
Finally, her profile summary begins by focusing on her passion ”to help get more positive voices online” and ends with her real-life passions, humanizing her profile and truly completing a welcoming presence on LinkedIn.
Anthony is a business coach, but he also has a heavy IT background. This makes him a multifaceted professional with a diverse point of view. In this profile, Anthony emphasizes coaching because he runs a business doing it.
Why does this profile rock?
In the headline, he talks about someone named Rachel who charges what she’s worth. This is bound to immediately pique your interest. It also tells what problem he solves for people: not knowing what they are worth professionally, and how to ask for it.
You will never see another about section like this one. It tells a fictional story about Rachel who is struggling with imposter syndrome. The story is relatable because it talks about the struggles and aspirations of his target audience: small business owners.
The summary also has a clever CTA that subtly nudges the reader to connect with him – “Do you know a Rachel? She probably wants to connect with me.” Best of all, the CTA drives home his point that someone who is stuck in a rut business-wise needs a coach like him.
LinkedIn Profile Examples Conclusion
Writing a killer LinkedIn profile is important for professionals. After all, LinkedIn these days is more than a resume site. Instead, it’s a place where professionals build their personal brands and look for new opportunities. I hope that these LinkedIn profile examples have helped you to see where your own profile is great, and where it might be lacking.
Neal Schaffer is an authority on helping innovative businesses digitally transform their sales and marketing. Founder of the digital marketing consultancy PDCA Social, Neal currently serves as a Fractional CMO to several companies. He also teaches at Rutgers Business School and the Irish Management Institute. Fluent in Japanese and Mandarin Chinese, Neal is a popular keynote speaker and has spoken on four continents in more than a dozen countries. He is also the author of 4 sales and marketing books, including Maximize Your Social (Wiley) and the recently published The Age of Influence (HarperCollins Leadership), a ground-breaking book redefining digital influence. Check out Neal’s Maximize Your Social Influence podcast for marketing inspiration.
Entrepreneurs have long been quick to adopt new marketing trends, and personal branding is no exception.
Personal branding has finally become something that most entrepreneurs have accepted as a must-do. Thanks to Elon Musk, Gary Vaynerchuk, and other public-facing founders, more business owners are hopping on the personal branding train and making an effort to put a face to their companies.
The problem is most entrepreneurs are throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. If you want to build a personal brand that helps your business’s bottom line, you need to be intentional with how you show up.
And no, that doesn’t mean picking out the perfect filter for your Instagram grid or paying for thousands of fake followers to “look” important.
After helping entrepreneurs in all industries step into the spotlight and grow a personal brand people buy from, there are three non-negotiable questions you must ask yourself before getting started. (If you’ve already been trying to grow your personal brand for some time — don’t worry. Take a moment now, ask yourself these questions, and notice the gaps in your strategy that might be stalling your growth).
1. What kind of impression do you want to leave?
Modern-day personal branding is like going to an event, meeting someone new for the first time, and finding yourself talking about them a month later because something about them got etched so deeply in your brain.
When you leave the room at a party (i.e., when you finish having an interaction with an ideal client):
What do you want them to take away?
What do you hope they remember?
What do you want your target market to associate you with?
How do you want to be remembered?
These questions all fall under the same roof: defining what kind of impression you want to make on your target audience. By answering these questions, you create (or recreate) the foundation of your personal brand. Without the proper foundation, the house can’t be built.
2. How do you want to make people feel?
Continuing from question one, we’re taking it one step further. While most entrepreneurs on social media spend their time making sure their personal brand “looks” a certain way, they forget that’s not ultimately what makes someone buy.
People buy from you because of how you make them feel.
All humans make their buying decisions based on emotion. We buy with emotion and justify with logic. To grow your personal brand, you must clarify how you want to make people feel at the core. Think about your target audience and how you want them to feel after they come in contact with your personal brand.
Do you want them to feel:
Empowered?
Brave?
Confident?
Relaxed?
Energized?
Calm?
After you answer this question, you will have the creative clarity to craft a content strategy that shares one common goal: to make people feel a certain way.
Gary Vaynerchuk is a shining example of this. His personal brand’s biggest objective is to help people feel empowered and in control. Every single piece of content he puts out aims to help his target audience feel capable of creating a life they truly love.
3. Am I willing to let my audience in?
Here’s the hard truth: today’s biggest, most widely known personal brands are the ones who take their audiences behind the scens. In other words, if you are serious about growing a personal brand that people not only love — but buy from — you need to be willing to connect with your audience on a human level consistently.
While this can be done in various ways, the easiest way is to tell your story. Instead of the company’s story — tell your story. Show your audience who you were before you were a leader. Show your audience what you overcame to build your company and bring your vision to reality. Show your audience that you’re so much more than your title, and show them that you’re a human just like them.
This doesn’t mean you need to tell all of your deepest darkest secrets. It means you need to decide what things you’re comfortable sharing with your audience from your personal life.
For example, some CEOs share everything from their quirky hobbies outside of work to their family, their kids and numerous other hats they wear. In contrast, others prefer to share only one or two different components of what makes them.
The most important thing to remember is that what works for someone else doesn’t have to be the way you do it. You get to let your audience in whichever way feels most authentic and aligned for you.
As long as you aren’t hiding behind your title, accomplishments and computer, you’re one step closer to building a personal brand that grows your business’ impact and income.
Entrepreneurs have long been quick to adopt new marketing trends, and personal branding is no exception.
Personal branding has finally become something that most entrepreneurs have accepted as a must-do. Thanks to Elon Musk, Gary Vaynerchuk, and other public-facing founders, more business owners are hopping on the personal branding train and making an effort to put a face to their companies.
The problem is most entrepreneurs are throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. If you want to build a personal brand that helps your business’s bottom line, you need to be intentional with how you show up.
And no, that doesn’t mean picking out the perfect filter for your Instagram grid or paying for thousands of fake followers to “look” important.
After helping entrepreneurs in all industries step into the spotlight and grow a personal brand people buy from, there are three non-negotiable questions you must ask yourself before getting started. (If you’ve already been trying to grow your personal brand for some time — don’t worry. Take a moment now, ask yourself these questions, and notice the gaps in your strategy that might be stalling your growth).
1. What kind of impression do you want to leave?
Modern-day personal branding is like going to an event, meeting someone new for the first time, and finding yourself talking about them a month later because something about them got etched so deeply in your brain.
When you leave the room at a party (i.e., when you finish having an interaction with an ideal client):
What do you want them to take away?
What do you hope they remember?
What do you want your target market to associate you with?
How do you want to be remembered?
These questions all fall under the same roof: defining what kind of impression you want to make on your target audience. By answering these questions, you create (or recreate) the foundation of your personal brand. Without the proper foundation, the house can’t be built.
2. How do you want to make people feel?
Continuing from question one, we’re taking it one step further. While most entrepreneurs on social media spend their time making sure their personal brand “looks” a certain way, they forget that’s not ultimately what makes someone buy.
People buy from you because of how you make them feel.
All humans make their buying decisions based on emotion. We buy with emotion and justify with logic. To grow your personal brand, you must clarify how you want to make people feel at the core. Think about your target audience and how you want them to feel after they come in contact with your personal brand.
Do you want them to feel:
Empowered?
Brave?
Confident?
Relaxed?
Energized?
Calm?
After you answer this question, you will have the creative clarity to craft a content strategy that shares one common goal: to make people feel a certain way.
Gary Vaynerchuk is a shining example of this. His personal brand’s biggest objective is to help people feel empowered and in control. Every single piece of content he puts out aims to help his target audience feel capable of creating a life they truly love.
3. Am I willing to let my audience in?
Here’s the hard truth: today’s biggest, most widely known personal brands are the ones who take their audiences behind the scenes. In other words, if you are serious about growing a personal brand that people not only love — but buy from — you need to be willing to connect with your audience on a human level consistently.
While this can be done in various ways, the easiest way is to tell your story. Instead of the company’s story — tell your story. Show your audience who you were before you were a leader. Show your audience what you overcame to build your company and bring your vision to reality. Show your audience that you’re so much more than your title, and show them that you’re a human just like them.
This doesn’t mean you need to tell all of your deepest darkest secrets. It means you need to decide what things you’re comfortable sharing with your audience from your personal life.
For example, some CEOs share everything from their quirky hobbies outside of work to their family, their kids and numerous other hats they wear. In contrast, others prefer to share only one or two different components of what makes them.
The most important thing to remember is that what works for someone else doesn’t have to be the way you do it. You get to let your audience in whichever way feels most authentic and aligned for you.
As long as you aren’t hiding behind your title, accomplishments and computer, you’re one step closer to building a personal brand that grows your business’ impact and income.
Personal branding is essential for any entrepreneur, but it’s especially important in the world of Web3. With blockchain technology estimated to grow exponentially in the coming years, thought leadership in this space can offer a big advantage to founders and builders.
In my experience helping Web3 entrepreneurs build successful brands and creating my own niche presence, there is one common pattern I have found: People follow people. They don’t follow lifeless company logos and brands. Perhaps this is why more and more founders are spending significant time building their personal brands now.
Personal Branding Myths Busted
Personal branding is often seen as narcissistic and self-indulgent. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Personal branding is one of the most effective marketing tools available, and it’s a key driver of success for entrepreneurs.
A personal brand is not about having millions of followers. It’s about authority, trustworthiness and relatability. It’s about building a genuine fan base that appreciates your content and looks up to you as a thought leader in your space.
Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of personal branding for entrepreneurs in Web3.
My 5 Steps For Building A Personal Brand As A Web3 Founder
1. Define Your Niche
The first step to building a personal brand as a founder is getting clarity. Be precise about what you’re passionate about and what you want to be known for. This will help you attract the right followers and build a personal brand that is unique and authentic.
Remember, personal branding is a two-way road. Whether you want to talk about DeFi, or you are more excited to talk about cryptocurrency, it is important to choose a topic that you are interested in talking about and is something people want to hear about.
2. Choose Your Social Media Platform
Social media is a powerful tool for personal branding. In fact, most of the Web3 audience is hanging out either on LinkedIn or Twitter (also known as “crypto Twitter”). By being active on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn and Medium, you can reach a wider audience and share your ideas with the world.
3. Create Content That Educates And Entertains
Once you’ve defined your personal brand and chosen your platform, it’s time to start creating content—but not just any content. Make sure your content is engaging, informative and entertaining.
The best personal brands are built on a foundation of great content. If you can consistently produce high-quality content that educates and entertains your audience, you’ll be well on your way to building a personal brand that people know and trust.
4. Attend Web3-Specific Industry Events
Your personal branding journey doesn’t stop at content creation. To really take your personal brand to the next level, get out there and meet people face to face. And what better way to do that than by attending Web3-specific industry events?
By attending events and networking with key players in the space, you’ll not only gain valuable insights, but you’ll also make important connections that can help you further your personal brand.
5. Collaborate With Other Thought Leaders In The Industry
As you start building your personal brand, it can be helpful to collaborate with other thought leaders in the industry. You can do this through guest blogging, co-hosting events or even just engaging in thoughtful debates on social media.
Not only will collaborating with other thought leaders help you further refine your personal brand, but it will also help you reach a wider audience and solidify your position as a thought leader in the space.
Final Thoughts
For Web3 founders, there are big advantages to building a personal brand and providing thought leadership in the space. In fact, these are key factors in attracting the right investors, customers and followers when you are starting something new from scratch.
By following the steps outlined above, you can start building a personal brand that will help you attract your desired audience. So what are you waiting for? Get started today.
Himanshu Bisht is an experienced startup marketing expert. He helps entrepreneurs build impactful companies & powerful personal brands. Read Himanshu Bisht’s full executive profile here
The pandemic resulted in a disproportionate number of lost jobs for women, which is why their need to self-brand effectively is uniquely critical.
You keep saying that you want to show up differently, gain authority in your industry, get booked on national TV, grow your business, speak on a big stage or confidently apply for that six-figure job. But as you’re reading this, does your online presence reflect that?
If you’ve ever tried to grow your personal brand from the ground up, you know that it can be intimidating, but right now and more than ever before, it is vital for women.
American working women took some major hits during the pandemic. Before 2020, they made up more than of the workforce, a percentage not expected to return until 2024. It was a rough year, to say the least, and we had to make some tough decisions. Many women saw their lives briskly transformed by stay-at-home orders, school closures and the onset of remote work. When child care centers closed, hundreds of thousands of working mothers lost their jobs, requiring an overwhelmingly larger number of women versus men to stay home and prioritize family needs.
Now that it’s time to return to the workforce, women must establish a personal brand. Whether you are looking to find a new job, get a promotion or create a competitive advantage, it’s imperative that you now represent the best version of who you are online — showcase what you do, what you stand for and what you do believe in.
What is personal branding anyway?
Put simply, this term refers to how you present your unique combination of skillsets, experience and personality, as well as your perspectives. Jeff Bezos famously quipped that personal branding is “…what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” That can be a paralyzing thought; what are the lasting feelings that people around you feel when you’re no longer in their presence?
We tend to associate the concept of a well-crafted brand with major corporations, but that can’t be further from the truth. In this digital age, where we are the product, it has become a critical ingredient to success — on both the personal and professional fronts.
The truth is, you have all of the power to design how the world sees you, and by extension your professional brand. You have everything you need, both visual and written, to usher new energy into whatever space you occupy (or want to occupy). Whether you’re an intrapreneur aiming for a six-figure promotion, the founder of a non-profit or a self-employed Etsy designer wanting to share genius with the world, crafting a strong and authentic personal brand is the differentiator — the key to securing more interviews, being considered for more opportunities and giving people around you a memorable sense of who you are. A personal brand puts you in control of your next career move and helps you attract the employer you want, not just the one who will have you back.
Why it’s crucial for female entrepreneurs
Before the pandemic hit, perhaps your career path was a little blurry or non-traditional. These times have changed everyone, including giving us time to reflect on values and passions. Struggles highlighted our strengths and what set us apart from others. For many, the pandemic provided clarity concerning which goals they wanted to continue to pursue, which ones to let go of and where a broader purpose might lie. All of the above make up who you are. This introspection will help you truly thrive, and is the key to crafting a personal brand story. When you weave it into branding, you alert others to what you desire and expect in your next career move, as well as what they can expect from you.
What is the story you want people to tell when you walk out of the room? That message you leave behind — that is your brand. Eventually, if done correctly, it becomes more than a career or a business; it becomes your legacy. Whether you’ve decided to return to the same field, start your own business or perhaps run for political office, creating a strong brand will help elevate all goals.
Building a personal brand post-pandemic
As lockdowns and other restrictions unfolded, the world became a little more savvy and dependent on technology. We all got a crash course in video chats, remote work or education and certainly increased online activity overall, including possibly Googling a few new people who crossed our social feeds. That same level of online curiosity will continue as people emerge from being homebound, seek out new relationships and try to reconnect with old ones.
According the Pew Research Center, 31% of U.S. adults report being online almost constantly now. So clearly, an online presence impacts our day-to-day lives, whether we are looking at the screen or producing content for others to find. What we each put out into the digital world makes an impact. By building a personal brand online, you attract the type of people, employers and relationships you desire, while also telling the world what you won’t stand for. It sets clear boundaries and expectations and lets the world know what your presence, ideologies and work ethic bring to the table.
Such a digital footprint is, in fact, the first impression most employers, future relationships and potential clients will see, so how you make it is more important than ever before.
People buy from people first, and that will never change, and they don’t connect with stories that don’t resonate. If they can’t connect with you, they will likely not care to purchase from you, either. Your personal brand is that connection.
So, does your online brand reflect your inner brand? Have you created an online presence that you can be proud of? The better you present that unique you online, the more straightforward your path forward will be. When done right, it encompasses story, vision and purpose and keeps an audience loyal and committed, no matter where life takes you.
“Help Wanted” signs are everywhere, and they’re not going away anytime soon. A shortage of workers is gripping the nation: April saw a new record of 9.3 million open positions.
As employers struggle to fill critical roles, the time is ripe for you to pursue your dream career. Just remember that you still have competition. Anthony Klotz, an associate professor of management at Texas A&M University, says the business world is entering a “great resignation,” as more and more workers seek to switch jobs.
What does this mean for you? If you’re interested in starting post-pandemic life in a new position, don’t wait. The most coveted roles with the most in-demand benefits (yes, including remote work) are likely to attract hundreds of qualified applicants. You have to find a way to stand out from the crowd. Here’s how:
1. Highlight transferable job skills on your résumé.
According to Isaiah Hankel, founder and CEO of Cheeky Scientist, today’s employers are less worried about highly specific skills. “You might have been told to tailor your résumé for each role you apply for, but from what I’ve seen, that strategy won’t work in 2021,” Hankel says in his recent article for Harvard Business Review. “Many companies are nervous about hiring more specialized candidates because they’re unsure what the business landscape will look like after the pandemic. To show you are adaptable, generalize the skills on your résumé into three main areas: systems-oriented, people-oriented, and self-oriented.”
A study by global staffing firm Robert Half found that 84% of companies are willing to hire and then train candidates who might not meet specific job requirements. Considering 62% of employees reported landing a position they weren’t qualified for, it appears companies are largely being honest about their intentions.
2. Focus on personal branding by updating your online presence.
Anne Pryor, a Reach-certified personal branding strategist shares my passion for urging all applicants to spend time working on their digital personal brand. “Regardless of the current economic climate, it’s absolutely critical for all professionals in job search mode to understand their unique promise of value and be able to express it in the virtual world,” Pryor says.
Today, your personal brand is intrinsically tied to your online presence. In fact, your first impression will be delivered online. A study by CareerBuilder indicates that 58% of employers use social media to verify candidates’ qualifications—and 50% see a professional online presence as a reassuring sign of a candidate’s potential. Tailor your profile on broad networking platforms like LinkedIn and other mediums that fit your desired position or industry. An established GitHub profile, for example, can cement your status as a software engineer.
3. Go beyond the traditional résuméformat.
Remember when a résumé had to fit on a single page with your entire work history neatly organized in chronological order? As proof that these formats have gone out the window, check out TikTok Résumés. The popular video-sharing platform is partnering with companies like Chipotle, Shopify and Target to invite job seekers to apply for in-demand positions.
Today, your imagination is the only thing limiting what form your résumé can take. A video résumé might be a great way to show off your visual work if you’re applying for a role as a videographer, graphic designer, or illustrator. If you’re looking for a job as an accountant, make a résumé in Excel that shows off your highly relevant knowledge of complex or obscure formulas. One student applying for a position at Spotify even made a playlist-themed résumé—and it’s fantastic.
4. Use stories to convey experience during the interview.
Storytelling isn’t just an interesting way to convey information. Research indicates stories can be 22 times more memorable than facts on their own. When hiring managers think back to interviews with dozens or even hundreds of different candidates, your ability to tell a story will make you and your experience stand out from the crowd.
Lily Zhang, a career counsellor at the MIT Media Lab, understands the power of a compelling story. “A good place to start when preparing your narrative for a particular interview is to figure out what main points—personal experiences, skills or qualities—you want to get across to show the interviewer you’re right for this job,” Zhang advises. “Then, look for opportunities to tie these points together in a cohesive way and find supporting stories from your work experience that back these points up. Connecting your career story to the job you’re applying for to create a bigger narrative is the goal.”
If you’ve been thinking about applying for a new job, now might be a good time. But the abundance of opportunities shouldn’t make you feel complacent. Instead of relying on a cookie-cutter approach, make yourself stand out by incorporating these four key ingredients. After all, effective personal branding is about authenticity and differentiation.
. There were many brilliant concepts covered. But the core centered around how the world increasingly emphasizes this fact: A brand’s credibility and existence now rely on what customers say and do rather than what the brand wants them to do.
Before going into my three main takeaways, let me share two case studies I felt were quite impactful to myself and the broader class.
The North Face — Question Madness
The North Face video ad campaign with extreme athletes as the stars. YouTube
What an ad! This campaign portrays the uncomfortable and scary truths. Something not often seen from big brands… pain and broken bones are ugly, but they define the daily lives of extreme athletes. The North Face knows this and shows the entire world they understand exactly who their customers are.
Further, The North Face decided to take a user-generated content (UGC) route with a strong focus on empathy which translates directly into a sense of belonging with their core audience. Because of this, they literally did not need to put any product front and centre. Rather, their brand and product is the athlete — no matter where they are. As a result, their entire brand now resembles the safety and support system that allows athletes to survive extreme conditions — which translates into their secret sauce:
The customer is the hero.
The customer is the marketer.
They helped people belong.
Heineken — Worlds Apart
A short video on Heineken’s “Open Your World” Campaign. YouTube
Phew! What a shocking video and context. Mark posed some great questions to this case study. Who is the target audience? Why would this sell more beer? Let’s get into what I think about it…
The target audience is those who think our differences are greater than our potential to connect. It’s a beautiful analogy to the way the world is seemingly trying to divide us among our identities. And it offers the antidote: Heineken Beer. Heineken is treading a thin line between encouraging alcoholism and highlighting the culture it enables.
I personally believe it is clearly the latter. As a beer consumer myself I can relate to the environment filled with deep conversations that occur in a typical pub, bar, or even at home… I think you know what I am talking about. So the answer to the second question is also very clear to me: this campaign would definitely sell more beer. Its message is inclusivity from all political or ideological ends.
My 3 Main Takeaways
Building on these two case studies, I collected three main takeaways that resonated most with me. Now, if you know me, then you understand how much I love mental models and processes. So, my takeaways are designed for a personal branding beginner (like myself). And personal branding begins with producing inhuman amounts of content… the following points relate to a process I have identified from this class and am applying to myself. They are meant to be applied top to bottom. Let’s get into it.
1. Apply AIR with your initial content
I know it’s cliché, but content is king! Simple, right? Not really. Creating content that actually connects with people is difficult. AIR makes this easy:
Authentic = Are you real? Is what you’re sharing honest?
Interesting = What value does it add? Is it tangible?
Relatable = Does it connect to your target audience?
People believe and trust in what they see and experience. AIR relies on consistency and trust. The key to AIR is community-driven.
Be of the community, not just in the community.
Once you nail AIR, you create acts of advocacy that will move customers to connect and communicate with other customers. This only comes from creating and sharing content, increasing buying decisions as a result.
Mark says this best:
“Know who your super sharers are and tailor your content angle towards them.”
I say in addition, you need advocates, not followers.
2. Define your customer island
Personal branding is the marketing of today. And marketing is about all things human. It’s about emotions. So you should aim to create the marketing of no marketing: enable your customers to create and share your/their stories. Do this by understanding what they are into. And once you define that, you can group them into customer islands (imagine a Maldivian atoll as a reference), where the name of the game is word of mouth (WOM) marketing.
This might seem very difficult, but there is a simple solution: Think about creating talkable stories and approach the following types of influencers: celebrities, creators, and advocates. Each has its unique use case and its effectiveness will depend on your application.
Once you understand your customer islands and which influencer type you need to gain access to each, you will receive feedback from a whole range of customer segments that were totally agnostic to your personal brand. Beautiful, right? So analyze carefully and choose wisely.
If you create your personal brand, you create your island. And those who identify with it, will come to you.
Mark categorizes customer islands under human-centered marketing, which he built a beautiful manifesto for. Check it out here.
3. Leverage RITES to scale your content
Expanding on the ideas of customer islands and creating your first consistent content series with AIR, I loved this model as a way to scale bigger and broader as a creator. Once you’ve ticked all of the five RITES boxes, you will be able to connect with your island like never before:
Stay Relevant
Be Interesting
Be Timely
Be Entertaining
Become Superior
Mark goes on to state that your personal brand is a business. So, as with any business, you should know that the customers are in control. Even more so in the age of personal branding. Be wise and make your personal branding efforts less about ego and more about the people on your island. RITES allows you to discover and frame the type of content you need to grow your personal brand to new heights.
The internet is all about giving away value and enabling others
Coming Full Circle
I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did writing it. Needless to say, the ideas put forth are interpretations and learnings I took away from Mark’s class. However, the approach and condensation of them are my own. My hope is that you receive the same amount of value as I did. Thanks so much for all of these concepts
