Creating your own personal brand is a necessity if you want to succeed in business, says Zoetica Media founder Kami Huyse. But doing what it takes is easier for some people than others; those who are uncomfortable promoting themselves find it more challenging. If that's you, read on!
In a recent livestream, she offers suggestions for how to create a personal brand that will elevate your profile and showcase your talents and expertise.
Learn from Experts with Strong Personal Brands
Google is “where I feel a lot of this is, your personal brand,” says Kami. She therefore shares what comes up in the Google searches of three highly successful yet vastly different professionals.
• Brené Brown: Professor, social worker, best-selling author, and podcast host who's spent two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. Results of her Google search.
• Mark Schaefer: Keynote speaker, marketing strategy consultant, and bestselling author. Results of his Google search.
• Amy Porterfield: Online marketing expert, bestselling author, and top-ranking podcast host. Results of her Google search.
The results illustrate how each of them reflects a unique brand voice that stands out in a crowded marketplace.
Create a Website In Your Name
Having their own website is a distinguishing feature of many successful professionals. “If you're going to build a true personal brand, I feel like you have to have this,” says Kami, since it offers strong name recognition.
Brené Brown and Amy Porterfield, for example, each have a website bearing their own name. Mark Shaeffer, meanwhile, showcases his personal brand through the masthead of the Business Grown website, the first item that comes up under a Google search for his name.
Take Advantage of Social Media to Build Your Personal Brand
Beyond websites, social media plays an important role in personal branding.
To illustrate, Kami points to the third item featured under a Google search for Brené Brown, after her website and a list of her books, namely her Instagram account. “She’s grown that Instagram account, she’s got a really good following there,” says Kami. “Google knows that and it starts putting things in order.”
In Mark Shaeffer’s case, his LinkedIn account appears immediately below a listing of his website, followed immediately by his Instagram and his X accounts. Meanwhile, Amy Porterfield’s Instagram account is listed immediately below her website, followed by her Facebook and her X accounts.
Optimize the First Listing in Your Search Result
Kami also recommends taking advantage of what is already prominently featured at the top of the search results.
“I suggest that you go see what is your first result right now and then optimize whatever that is,” she says. “For me it's LinkedIn.” .
Media Quotes Elevate Your Personal Brand As Well
Kami believes that being quoted in the media or having bylined articles published is a wonderful way to build your personal brand.
“One of the things I think that would be really helpful for you to think about is how can you answer questions from journalists or get involved in something where you get some news coverage, because that will show up in your profile too in the news section [of Google search].”
Make Your Brand Voice About Your Clients, Not You
It’s helpful to keep in mind why you want to create a strong personal brand, namely to be able to better service your target audience. The stronger your brand the more you are known, and the more you can serve those you want to help.
“This is the huge secret: Your brand voice is about your client and not about you,” Kami says. “So that all of that weirdness of ‘I don't like to talk about myself, I don't want to do this,’ really what you're doing is you're talking about your client and what their needs are, not about you and what your needs are and how great you are. You’re talking about everything in service of your client, everything in service of making sure that your client is uplifted.”
Take Action
Whether you're a consultant, rising marketing star, or PR veteran, learn how to define your brand voice in Kami’s free upcoming Brand Voice Blueprint Workshop: Attract and Captivate Dream Clients. You’ll learn how to craft a killer brand voice that's uniquely you. Secure your spot now!