3 Proven Steps to Build a Personal Brand That Gets You Noticed

Ready to elevate your personal brand? Start applying these proven strategies today and watch new doors open in your career and network.

Now, more than ever, your online personal branding is critical to how you view yourself and how others see you.  In the digital era of online media platforms (TikTok, X, Instagram, Facebook etc), forums, blogs, smartphones and so on it is critical you manage/craft your online presence to ensure that it fits with your brand and how you wish to be seen by the world, your friends, colleagues or even potential employers.  

Still not sure about Personal Branding: What is a Personal Brand? Simplifying the Buzzword

Thomas Smale, in his article, 5 Steps to Build Your Personal Brand states that “Your personal brand is how you appear to the world” and Seth Godin in his article, Personal Branding: The Good, the Bad and the Undeniable states that, “A personal brand is rapidly becoming an essential ingredient to a successful 21st Century career”.

You Already Have a Brand—Now Make It Work for You

For many digital natives, personal branding started unintentionally, through platforms like Snapchat or YouTube during their teenage years. Back then, few considered how today’s posts could shape tomorrow’s professional image. Because most people already have a digital footprint, the challenge isn’t creating a personal brand from scratch; it’s refining and managing what’s already out there. The question now is: how can you shape that existing presence into something intentional, strategic, and positive?

1. Define Your Personal Brand: Be Authentic Above All

Start by defining how you want others to perceive you. Your personal brand begins with clarity about your values, beliefs, and what you authentically stand for. People quickly sense when something isn’t genuine, so it’s crucial to be true to yourself. Before putting your message out into the world, take the time to understand who you are and what impact you want to make. I aim to be seen as fair, reliable, and someone who gives back by sharing my experience. After all, wisdom only matters when it’s shared to uplift others.

Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room’ Jeff Bezos

2. Why Consistency Is Key to Personal Branding Success

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, maintaining a strong online personal brand and positive digital reputation is crucial for success. Consistency and relevance are key factors in shaping how you are perceived online. Your personal brand is not just about what you say but also about how consistently you present yourself across various platforms.

Whatever medium you are using to showcase your personal brand, be it your CV, LinkedIn profile, X account or events you attend,  be consistent in what you stand for across all platforms and always be genuine.   By consistently sharing valuable content and engaging with your audience, you build trust and credibility, making a lasting impression.

This balance between consistency and relevance ensures that your digital reputation not only reflects your true self but also resonates with your target audience. It also takes time to build up a personal brand, so to remain relevant, you must stay up to date with the latest trends and changes as well as create a steady supply of content. If you can’t do that, at least make comments on recent articles on industry sites such as Medium.com or LinkedIn in your chosen area of expertise.

3. Stand Out Online: How to Cultivate Your Presence

To help you create your desired online personal branding, you may want to look at writing thought leadership articles on LinkedIn as well as blogging, and participating in webinars or podcasts. Before starting to manage your online personal brand, try running a “Google search on yourself to see what is already out there. You can be sure any potential employer/partner will do the same, and this will give you a starting point from which to make any changes.  

To start developing my online presence, I decided that I would create my own blog/web presence, instead of always writing for others. I wanted to create my own intellectual property alongside developing my own personal branding and controlling my own content.  So livingthetech.com was born and reflected what I wanted to be known for, a raison d’être as it were.  

I am now blogging about digital topics and IT careers, as well as sharing information on the IT industry and digital Transformation.   It was also important to me that I was able to publish guidance/advice on IT careers as well as personal experiences of moving to New Zealand and sharing the lessons I learnt trying to establish myself in the IT industry.

Build a Brand That Reflects the Real You

Above all, I believe it is important to be genuine and true to yourself. You may be able to create an awesome and engaging digital persona, but relying solely on this outward-focusing image of yourself without substance is not a great way to build consistent personal branding.  In any case, you are more than your online image and digital persona. There are characteristics that make you, you, such as integrity and authenticity, where both your digital persona and personal characteristics mesh to create your personal brand.  And a well-crafted personal brand brings your resume to life.

Own Your Online Image: Shape Your Digital Reputation

In today’s digital world, your digital reputation is more important than ever. By following these 3 essential steps- curating your content, engaging authentically, and monitoring your online presence, you can build a strong, positive reputation that resonates with your audience and opens doors to new opportunities, whatever they may be, both at work and in your personal lives.

Remember, your digital reputation is a reflection of your personal and professional identity. Taking proactive steps to enhance your online branding not only sets you apart but also fosters trust and credibility. Start implementing these strategies today and watch as your digital presence transforms into a powerful asset for achieving your goals and making meaningful connections

How have you managed to build your Online Personal Brand?