How using Your Personal Story can Help Your Brand Stand Out
In order take your business to the next level, you need to stand out. However, with the ever-growing number of social media channels and online communities that professionals visit, this can be tough.
A business brand audit is an effective way to see how things stand, how far you’ve come and make changes that will set you apart from the rest in the future.
It’s not easy to try and adapt your personal brand to a multitude of different platforms, but it is possible. And it all starts with owning and telling your personal story.
Yes I know, you really don’t want to show your face or share yourself publicly, but when you have a personal brand, everything you do should be built around your story. It will help your bios and about me pages stand out from other professionals in your sector. You are unique after all!
In fact, your brand is only as strong as your personal story because it shapes who you are and why you do what you do. It is the thing this draws in your target audience and helps them to relate to you on a personal level.
The right way to Build Your Personal Story
Telling a powerful story about you is what will make your brand shine. It will also help you step outside of your comfort zone, which is critical in the business world.
To start building your story, collect personal snippets from all the online platforms your brand is present on. What are your likes and dislikes, what does your online CV say about you and how has it changed? Collecting your information together in one place, will help you declutter and build a more consistent online presence.
To declutter your story, ask yourself what’s still relevant about your likes, dislikes, experience, and values. If you read something about yourself, does it still resonate with you and where you are now? Is there anything about your story that make you feel a little uncomfortable with sharing, but is still useful for your clients to know and deserves to be told? Obviously only share what you are happy to. A good rule of thumb is to only share what you are happy to tell a stranger sat next to you on a bus, train or plane.
Once you settle on a story you feel proud of, adapt it to the different platforms you’re present on. What works on Instagram, won’t necessarily work on LinkedIn. The idea is to still tell the same story but in a way that resonates with specific target audiences on each platform.
Another detail that you want to focus on while rebuilding your personal brand story is the images you are using online. These images need to be professional, fit in with your revised brand story, and be consistent across all platforms. So it’s a good idea to perform a visual audit as well, before you go live with your new profiles.
Ask yourself these questions:
Do your images stand out?
Do they look messy and cluttered, or do they feel similar in colour and style?
Are they good quality?
This in-depth exercise is one of the easiest ways to make sure you don’t get lost in the crowd, which is critical when the competition is fierce.
If you would like me to perform a social media audit for you, send me a message and I’ll send over some more information.