Say what you want about social media influencers. If there is anything they know how to do, it’s creating, promoting, and optimizing their personal brand. These people have figured out how to build entire careers by simply being themselves, which is truly incredible. We could all learn a thing or two from them.
Not everyone wants to go down the influencer career path, but promoting your personal brand (and, thus, yourself) isn’t exclusive to that industry. If you think about it, there are so many professionals with personal websites designed based on their skill set, the direction they want their career to go, and their personality. For example, many healthcare professionals promote their personal brands, especially if they own a firm or have authored a book that they want to advertise. Similarly, many educators have online portfolios that allow parents to get to know them better, where they can share their teaching philosophies, and or where they showcase extra certifications they’ve earned as a way to build their credibility.
Creating a personal brand is great for any professional, especially if you’re trying to get a new job, looking to get a promotion, or because you’re open to new opportunities (even if you aren’t actively looking for them). But, simply having a personal brand isn’t enough. You also need to promote it, and the best way to do that is through online platforms.
What’s Your Personal Brand?
Before you can start promoting your personal brand, you need to create it. Generally speaking, your personal brand will resonate with a specific audience. It will showcase who you are as a professional, showcase your personality, and tell your career story.
For example, someone in a more artistic field, such as graphic design, will benefit by putting their personality into their brand because their uniqueness often is reflected in their creative work. An online portfolio can easily showcase their dedication to their craft (which an employer would appreciate).
📖Read more: Discover your personal brand using our printable worksheet to help communicate it during your job search.
On the flip side, someone who works in a more analytical or scientific field might benefit more from highlighting their career achievements, sharing studies or interesting news reports, and focusing on their credentials. That’s not to say their brand shouldn’t have any personality, because it definitely should. However, they need to determine the right balance of information for what they’re trying to achieve.
Building & Promoting Your Personal Brand
Truthfully, the most challenging part of this process will be deciding what you want your brand to be. Do you want it to come across as very clean and tidy (a black and white minimalist approach), or do you want it to demonstrate your creativity (through lots of colors or graphics)? Once you’ve figured that out, you can get started on building out your brand.
The first thing to do is to create a website or an online portfolio of some sort. It will be your brand’s home base because you’re going to add the things that you do (more on that later), so you want to take your time building it out so that it accurately portrays you and your brand.
Again, what information you include on this website will depend a lot on your career, but here are some ideas:
- A home page with your photo and a 2-3 sentence intro explaining what the website is
- An “about me” page where you share your story, including how you got to where you are in your career and what matters to you outside of work
- A career page/portfolio where you list career highlights, significant accomplishments, certificates, and or upload examples of some of your best work (especially if you’re in a creative field)
- Contact information, whether it’s a simple button that will open an email for them with your address at the top or a contact form (so that strangers don’t have access to your email address)
- Buttons that navigate to things like your social media pages, your resume/CV, or a formal biography on your company’s webpage
Website and Portfolio Building Platforms
Building out a website from scratch requires coding and all kinds of technological know-how that most of us don’t have, so if you’ve resisted creating a personal website for this very reason, it’s understandable. That being said, there are so many great platforms now that make creating and building a website so easy. There are even platforms that are specifically designed to host websites and or portfolios for specific industries. Most of these platforms will have some kind of basic/free option to build your website. But you’re limited to how many pages it can be, or you have to use a link with their company name in it. There are paid options that give you more flexibility and often help you create your domain (and you might be able to write the expense off on your taxes at the end of the year, so check with your accountant).
Here are some popular platforms to check out:
- Squarespace
- Wix
- Flikr
- Weebly
- WordPress
- PortfolioBox
- Adobe Portfolio
- Journo Portfolio
- Behance
- Credavo
- GoDaddy
Professionally Promoting Your Website/Portfolio
Once you’ve created your website and think it’s ready for potential employers to see, start making it easy to find. First, add it to your personal email signature. You never know who may click on the link and pass the information to someone else, so just include it. Also, if you’re allowed to and it makes sense, add it to your professional email signature (be sure to get permission before doing this).
You’ll also want to make sure your website is easy to access from where recruiters will find you, like your resume and LinkedIn page. For your resume, include it in the heading as a hyperlink (don’t just type out the actual address) and save the document as a PDF so recruiters can easily click on the link but won’t accidentally edit it. Below is an example of how this will look in your header:
Stephanie Smith
StephanieSmith@gmail.com | Portfolio | 555-123-4567
Finally, add the link to your LinkedIn profile page in the “Featured” section. Here’s how:
- Click the “+” on the top right corner of the “Featured” section
- Select “Links” from the pop-up list
- Copy and past your portfolio’s link into the box and click “Add”
Make Use Of Social Media
First and foremost, before you start using your personal social media accounts for professional promotion, make sure they’re scrubbed clean. Every picture, tweet, status update, video, and other content on your page should be work-appropriate.
Once everything is squeaky clean, start using the platforms to strengthen your brand and promote your work. Check your profile photos and bios to make sure they align with the brand you’ve developed on your portfolio/website. Also, remember to add the link to your website and on all of your social media bios so that it’s easily accessible to anyone who follows you. As you post new content, even if it’s unique content, keep your personal brand in mind and ask yourself if what you’re about to share aligns with it.
While LinkedIn is the most obvious place to share examples of your work, consider sharing some highlights on your personal pages (especially if you’re in a creative field). When you are recognized at work, don’t be afraid to humblebrag about it online (just make sure your feed consists of other things, too). Yes, you most likely use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and any other social media platform for personal reasons. Still, suppose you’re strategic about what you’re posting. In that case, you’ll start to develop a narrative across those sites that tell both personal and professional stories and add authority to your personal brand.
📖Read more: Learn how to use your social media accounts to grow your brand and build your network.
Make Your Personal Brand Shine
Remember, your personal brand should encompass who you are both inside and outside of work, whether that’s colorful, funny, passionate, analytical, or something in between. By putting yourself out there, you’re eliminating the need to wear a “mask” at work and feel like some kind of imposter. So, take your time developing it and then make the most of it by sharing it wherever you can.
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