Tech-Forward Career Growth: Innovating with Your Personal Brand

It might shock you when I say this, but what you post on LinkedIn isn’t the be-all and end-all. And I’m not here to change your mind on that either.  

I’m not here to ask you to spend multiple hours a week scrolling, posting and engaging on LinkedIn. I’m not here to tell you to post parts of your personal life or to be an influencer. 

A personal branding strategy isn’t the pinnacle of your career. But it is an extremely useful tool that can help elevate your professional profile and visibility in your industry. 

But what do you think of when I say, ‘personal branding’? 

You might be thinking about big businesses with huge marketing teams, maybe even influencers who spend their days creating TikToks, selling their online presence and engaged audiences for a paycheque.  

If you’re thinking “Well I don’t have a business”; “I’m not looking to monetise social media”; “What could posting on social media possibly have to do with helping me hit my targets?” or “WHY would a personal brand matter to me?” 

Well, everyone reading this has a personal brand, even if you think you don’t. I promise YOU do. 

You’ve built it.  

Since the moment you signed into LinkedIn, you have been laying the foundations for your personal brand. 

Yours just might not be as refined as you would have ‘imagined’ your personal brand to be, or as serious as a personal brand might seem. But you DO have a personal brand.  

Now, if I ask you how important reputation is, you’d tell me it’s incredibly important as it relates to how you show up at work, the way you show up to client visits, the way you present proposals, and carry yourself in your day-to-day life. 

So why is your digital reputation any different? 

Why Personal Branding Matters 

In an era where everyone has access to social media (yes, that includes your clients, customers and future employers/employees) and in a market that is becoming more and more saturated, having a personal brand allows YOU to stand out from the crowd. 

Put simply, a personal brand defines how others perceive you; and it is shaped by the way you present yourself to the public. A personal branding strategy allows you to position yourself as an innovator and thought leader within your desired niche. Showcasing your unique expertise and distinctive approach, you can use your profile as not just an afterthought, but a platform to influence industry trends, attract new clients, and become a voice in your industry. 

A well-crafted personal brand enhances your ability to deliver results by establishing trust and credibility among your audience, enabling clear and reliable communication, and positioning yourself as an expert in a highly competitive field. 

The Benefits of a Strong Personal Brand 

The benefits of a strong personal brand reach far beyond just looking good and sharing a post every now and then. A strong personal brand is your strategy to stand out regardless of whether other people have the same content or audience. This is especially crucial in today’s saturated social media landscape. 

People will ALWAYS be talking about the same topics as you. But the thing that keeps people coming back to you is the community you create and the sense of loyalty they begin to feel. Even the seemingly mundane aspects, which one might consider uninteresting, possess significant power as they contribute to forging a connection between you and your audience. 

Establishing a personal brand that is recognised, appreciated, and, most importantly, trusted, is a key strategy in any industry and yes, it is achievable with the right mindset and commitment. When you offer a product or service to your audience, their willingness to engage with it often hinges on the sense of familiarity and connection they feel with you. This bond can be nurtured even through brief interactions, as simple as consuming your content on LinkedIn. Fostering loyalty and a sense of community within your audience is key to enhancing their connection and engagement with your personal brand. Tell me another aspect of your professional life where you have complete control? A platform that you can meticulously curate, design, and expand into a vast network of people? 

How to leverage technology and AI to build and maintain a strong personal brand? 

To help you elevate your personal brand, here are our favourite easy-to-use tech pieces: 

Your Visual Identity: Your visual identity refers to how you visually present yourself, essentially your ‘professional aesthetic’. People with a strong professional brand often maintain a cohesive visual style in their content, including what they share, how they organise it, and even the choice of fonts and colours used. 

Using software such as Canva can help you easily make content that is cohesive and aligned with your style. Canva’s AI tools are conveniently grouped together within the software’s “Magic Studio” section. This includes image recognition and enhancement, natural language processing, data analysis, and creative content generation to help improve image quality, analyse text, make predictions, and create new content efficiently and effectively. 

Your Voice/Communication Style: Your tone of voice or communication style is arguably the most crucial aspect of your personal brand. It enables people to truly get to know you and see your personality shine through. Are you humorous, serious, or sarcastic? Do you adopt a conversational tone or a more intellectual approach? Your personal brand strategy should align with your natural communication style. 

Software like ChatGPT, Copy AI, and CoSchedule Headline Studio can significantly help in refining your tone of voice and save you time. ChatGPT can assist in generating conversational content, allowing you to fine-tune your tone and language to resonate with your audience. Similarly, Copy AI provides AI-powered writing assistance, helping you craft compelling and persuasive messages consistent with your brand’s voice. CoSchedule Headline Studio aids in creating captivating headlines that are trending and aligned with your audience, enabling you to grab attention and communicate your brand’s essence effectively. 

Your Online and Offline Presence: Building a personal brand necessitates attention to both your digital footprint and your real-world presence. For those focusing on a professional brand, enhancing your in-person image can be achieved through virtual networking and attending webinars. 

Platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup utilise AI to offer personalised recommendations based on user’s preferences, past attendance, and behaviour patterns. Leveraging natural language processing, these platforms analyse event descriptions and user profiles to accurately match users with relevant events.  

Creating a professional personal brand doesn’t have to be daunting! Think of it as a way to document everything you’re already doing, and it can be tailored to suit you and your preferences. There is no one-size-fits-all model. Your personal brand can be highly curated and structured, or it can be more casual and personal. But investing in your personal brand is an investment in yourself.  

It’s about taking control of your reputation, fostering connections with your audience, and positioning yourself for success in your career and beyond. 

If you’re looking to learn more about how you can use personal branding to stand out from the crowd or to attract top talent to your team, reach out to our team today!