Why Online Personal Brand is critical

Now, more than ever, your online personal branding is critical to how you view yourself and how others see you, and if you don’t understand what Personal Branding is? check out another one of my posts to find out more on personal brand.  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 personal brand and how you wish to be seen by the world, your friends, colleagues or even potential employers.  

According to Thomas Smale in his article, 5 Steps to Build Your Personal Brand he 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”.

An existing online presence

In many cases, particularly for digital natives, they will already have some sort of online personal branding out in the world as they would have been using Snapchat or YouTube since their teens.  At the time of using, they will not have thought about the future impact of their current online presence and how it can be searched for or viewed by employers/partners.  So unless you had a personal branding plan at an early age, it is not really about creating but more crafting or managing that brand because in most cases, you already exist online.  So what to do next to develop and positively grow your own online personal branding?

1. Who do you want to be? above all, be authentic

Start off by deciding what you want people to think of when they think of you.  It’s all about what you believe in, your values and authenticity (because people can often spot a fake).  You need to make sure you know who you are and what you stand for before sharing it all with the world with abandon because you are opening yourself up and so are vulnerable.  For me, it’s all about giving back and sharing experiences whilst helping others, at work I want to be known as being fair and the person who always delivers. This statement resonates with me “Wisdom is wasted if you don’t share it for the benefit of others”.

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

2. Be consistent and stay relevant

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 branding, 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. Cultivate your online presence

To help you create your desired online presence 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 presence 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.

Be Genuine and Yourself

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.

Your digital presence

In today’s digital world, your online personal brand is more important than ever. By following these three 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 our personal lives.

Remember, your personal brand or 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?