Delving into the nuances of personal branding, we’ve gathered six unique insights from CEOs and founders to illuminate the path for business professionals. From humanizing your brand with video to understanding the impact of real-world networking on your brand, these leaders share lesser-known yet pivotal strategies to elevate your personal brand.
- Humanize Your Brand with Video
- Take Personal Branding Beyond Social Media
- Include Authenticity in Personal Branding
- Showcase Values in Your Brand
- Upgrade Your Profile Photo
- Understand Real-World Networking’s Brand Impact
Humanize Your Brand With Video
Humanizing your personal brand to stand out is critical in today’s marketing landscape.
One way to do this is by speaking directly to the camera within your video content. There’s so much more that you can get across in video compared to the written word; for example, you can see a person’s mannerisms, facial expressions, any props they may use, etc. This allows the audience to get to know you faster and more personally.
Megan Gersch, Owner + CEO, Megan Gersch
Take Personal Branding Beyond Social Media
The awareness and understanding that a personal brand extends beyond social media profiles is crucial. A personal brand has been present from birth, encompassing daily face-to-face interactions and conversations with a boss, a landscaper, or a religious leader. It has the power to either attract or repel people.
Business professionals should consider how they present themselves offline with as much care as they do online, ensuring their LinkedIn profile and other aspects of their personal brand are equally polished.
Isaac Mashman, Founder, Mashman Ventures
Include Authenticity In Personal Branding
A critical yet often overlooked aspect of personal branding is authenticity. It’s about being true to who you are in your brand message and image.
Pretending to have qualities or values that don’t align with your true self can backfire. Authenticity builds trust and relatability, which are essential for long-term professional relationships.
In my experience, an authentic personal brand attracts the right opportunities and fosters genuine connections in the business world.
Tobias Liebsch, Co-Founder, Fintalent.io
Showcase Values In Your Brand
One lesser-known but critical aspect of personal branding that I think business professionals should focus on is showcasing their values, passions, and what drives them beyond professional accomplishments.
Getting caught up in highlighting career achievements, skills, past jobs, education, etc, is easy. And while those things are important, personal branding cuts much deeper than that. Prospective partners, clients, and employers want to know what makes you tick on a human level. That could involve transparency about causes you care about, communities you support, hobbies that energize you, or even quirky personality traits.
Showing dimensions beyond the professional aspect and giving glimpses into your core values, beliefs, and motives for doing what you do can form more meaningful, trust-based connections. It distinguishes you from others in your field, making people more likely to root for you and give opportunities or referrals.
Purpose-driven personal branding can be a crucial differentiator, especially for a new generation entering the workforce. It attracts business and potential mentors, collaborators, and friends who align with your vision. That type of community and goodwill is invaluable for sustainably growing one’s career in the long run.
Brian Meiggs, Founder, My Millennial Guide
Upgrade Your Profile Photo
For professional branding, upgrading profile photos is something I always suggest to candidates. As a recruiter, I’ve noticed that the typical headshot no longer stands out. With sites like LinkedIn becoming more competitive, it’s essential to make a few minor adjustments to catch the attention of hiring managers without going overboard.
Smiling in your photo can make a significant difference. Studies have shown that a professional appearance doesn’t have to be stern; a happy expression can make people look at your profile more. So, it’s worth practicing your best smile.
Consider darkening your background as well. I’ve been planning to do this myself because most default website backgrounds are white, which can make a light background in a photo blend in too much, leaving you looking like a floating head, which is not ideal.
Rob Reeves, CEO and President, Redfish Technology
Understand Real-World Networking’s Brand Impact
With branding as a business professional, I’ve learned that real-world networking is still vital. Sure, I have many connections on LinkedIn and other social media sites, but when—and if—I meet those people in person, it’s clear we know little about each other beyond our profiles. They can’t speak to my work ethos; they can only parrot a tagline.
My offline connections, on the other hand, are typically privy to my personality and history. This more profound familiarity makes them a critical factor in my reputation because they can promote me genuinely.
Younger business professionals, in particular, might need to acquaint themselves with the value of word-of-mouth advertising. Being spoken about or recommended in the real world beats any online branding strategy.
Linn Atiyeh, CEO, Bemana
