How to Build a Personal Brand on Social Media

Who you are today is not just about what people can see from you in person, but how you portray yourself online. Celebrities and social media influencers have monetized the ability to create and sell a personal brand using only Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Followers and viewers are so compelled to their favorite social media personalities, they buy products they promote. In this digital age, anyone can take a few tips from these influencers and use their own personal brand to sell. Here are 4 tips for building your personal brand on social media.

Consistency is Key 

You can’t engage an audience if you only post once in the blue moon. The Instagram and Facebook algorithms will not only hide your content from followers and friends, but everyone will forget who you are. Post regularly, keep your brand in people’s minds and continue building your social media. If this means following a posting schedule, do it! Anything that helps keep the content flowing, will keep your followers interested. 

Authenticity, Authenticity, Authenticity

As an individual building their personal brand, you may not think your followers will care about your personal life, however seeing you in an everyday setting is actually engaging! Did you recently go on vacation with your family? Is it your 20th wedding anniversary? Did you snap a photo while volunteering in your community? Post about this on your feed and see the positive reaction! A common complaint about social media being run by bloggers, YouTubers, and other influencers, is their feed in run by companies they collaborate with. They’re timelines look like commercials rather than the authentic human their followers were originally drawn to. This doesn’t mean sharing a listing on your feed on a regular basis is bad, it just means include photos of everyday life to remind your followers of the human they originally followed the page for.  

Join the Discussion

Your brand isn’t just the photos people see, but the voice you share. Don’t be afraid to comment on discussions (in a respectful way of course!) Show others you can engage with followers. Let others know the music you like, what you thought of Netflix’s newest series, and what other aspects are important to your brand. And don’t be afraid to start a conversation by asking a question. Ask your community for recommendations, learn more about their interests, or just see how their day is going. Use your voice to connect to your audience! 

Give Your Brand Constructive Criticism

Social media has been around long enough that often pages are already established. There could be years worth of posts and photos available to anyone who looks for them. Every once and a while take the time to go through your social media and edit it. Whether this is taking down a photo from college that does not paint you in a flattering light, or a political post that some may find offensive or even information that is no longer accurate to the brand you may be trying to build today. If it isn’t on message with who you want your followers to see, press the delete button and move forward! 

Social media is such a powerful tool in relationship selling. It can be used for fun and business! Hopefully, these tips helped guide you in the right direction for using your social media the engage followers and possibly potential buyers.