Building A Professional Brand? Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes

Tips To Build A Personal Brand For Business Success

How much thought have you given to your personal branding strategy? The business of being yourself involves taking critical steps to build your brand. 

A personal brand is a combination of experiences and skills that make you who you are. It consists of how you present yourself to the world and how you interact with others to build your career. 

Building a brand is about more than building a digital business card and developing an elevator pitch. You need to take essential steps to establish your brand to draw in opportunities. 

But when you are just starting, it’s easy to make mistakes that make it difficult for you to stand out amongst your competitors. 

Let’s look at why you need your own personal brand and five common mistakes to avoid when establishing your brand online. 

Why Do You Need A Personal Brand? 

Effective personal branding differentiates you from your competition and allows you to build trust with future clients and employers. 

No matter your area of expertise, your brand revolves around how well you can educate your target audience. If people feel you are passionate about your brand, they will trust that you have the solution they are looking for. 

You need a carefully crafted personal brand to communicate your skills and qualities that make you essential. 

Making mistakes when building your brand can impede your professional progress and inhibit your ability to build relationships and trust with your clients and coworkers. 

Five Mistakes To Avoid When Building Your Brand

No matter where you are starting from, building a brand requires a series of strategic decisions that ensure your message is communicated to your audience. 

However, it’s easy to overlook some key components that will ensure the success of your brand. Here are five mistakes many professionals make when building their personal brand and what you can do to avoid them altogether. 

Mistake #1: Ignoring Influencers And Content Creation On Social Media

From your LinkedIn profile to your Youtube channel and everything in between, social media profiles offer a way to communicate with your target audience and show them exactly who you are. 

If you don’t build up your social media profiles and create content, you miss an effective strategy to build a solid personal brand. 

Publishing educational content helps you be seen by the people who matter to get the reach you want. But publishing content without outreach or research is a waste of time. 

This is where influencers come into play. Colleagues, family, friends, or industry thought leaders who want to collaborate with you could help drive traffic to your social media profiles and drum up the engagement you desire. 

When generating your content, focus on developing your voice and expressing your opinions to reflect your branding best. 

Record a podcast, start your blog, and film short-form videos to establish your online presence. Your online content strategy will help shape your personal brand. 

Once you start posting content your audience cares about; you can supplement it with trusted content from other sources to further support what your brand stands for. 

Mistake #2: An Obscure Brand Purpose 

Your brand purpose is the driving force behind all of your business decisions and actions. Without a value proposition, it will be challenging for you to share your story. You may find yourself faced with a confused audience as you attempt to communicate your why. 

Confusion is toxic for conversions, so avoid an unclear message at all costs. To ensure your brand purpose is super clear, ask yourself these questions: 

• Why did you start this business? 
• Who are you doing this for? 
• What problem can you solve for your clients? 
• What is your unique selling point or USP? 

If you find yourself unable to answer these questions, you will need to do some soul searching to find your purpose. Brainstorm your “why” and write a personal branding statement that embodies who you are, why you are in business, and what you hope to achieve.

Once you can communicate your brand clearly,  you’ll begin to build trust with your target audience. 

Mistake #3: Lack Of Brand Storytelling

Through blogging, Youtube channels, or Instagram, it’s hard to stand out amongst your competitors who seem to be telling their brand stories as well. 

If you fail to captivate your audience with brand storytelling, your brand message will get lost in the noise. Your story is unique and special. Underestimating the power of your account is the most significant error you can make when it comes to building your brand. 

You don’t need to share your entire life story, but you have to share pivotal moments and relevant stories that brought you to where you are today. 

Choose anecdotes that have impacted your business journey. Make sure your brand storytelling always points back to your company’s mission statement. If your target audience can connect with you, they will be more likely to buy into your brand. 

Mistake #4: A Weak Personal Website

First impressions count, primarily online. A substantial personal branding mistake is not having a high-quality website to showcase your brand and what it stands for.

When users type your name into a search engine, they should easily connect with your website’s landing page. Failure to secure a domain in your name or the name of your business will lead to a personal branding nightmare. 

Your website should help your clients get to know you and guide them on a journey that will lead to them buying your goods or services. Use SEO keywords in your digital marketing to drive traffic towards your website. 

Building a solid website will create a hub for all things related to your personal brand. 

Mistake #5: Inconsistent Branding 

Humans are creatures of habit. Branding consistency breeds trust. The more consistent you are with your platforms and message, the more your audience will trust you. 

It’s not easy to be consistent at first, especially when you are just developing your brand and not seeing instant results. 

Refer back to your personal brand statement and make sure your content creation and voice are connected. Keep your bio and profile picture consistent throughout all social media profiles. Choose colors and fonts to represent your brand and use them across the internet. 

If you are persistent and remain focused on your business goals, the results of consistent branding will pay off over time. 

Build Your Personal Brand The Right Way Today 

A successful personal brand is essential for developing a new business or even finding a new job. It communicates who you are to your target audience and convinces them to trust you and your solutions. 

As you build a personal brand, remember that it takes time, effort, and strategy to ensure your brand is authentic and reflected in each component of your business. 

By avoiding these common mistakes, your message will end up shining brighter than your competitors. 

FAQs

Can a personal brand help with networking? 

Yes, a solid personal brand is crucial for successful networking. 

What is a digital business card? 

A digital business card is a shareable file that contains the information found on a business card. 

What do I do if the domain name I want is taken? 

If your domain name is already registered, you can try an abbreviated version of your name, see if the domain is for sale, or use a slogan.