Personal branding is one of my favorite topics, and I can talk/write about it without any preparation.
I started working on my personal brand on social media in 2020 and have never looked back. My goal was to document my creator journey and help people build their personal brands on social media.
I started my journey on LinkedIn, and this was one of my early posts that got me started on this creator journey. This decision helped me create a goal for myself and build in the digital space.
Today, after four years, I am thankful that I was disciplined enough to continue and build daily on my dream project, socialJJ.
After working continuously on my personal brand for four years in the digital space, I am grateful to have received multiple new projects and to work on building my authority and voice in the marketing domain.
Here are some of the key opportunities that I am incredibly proud of:
Collaboration
I get the opportunity to create content with fellow creators across various domains and platforms. Collaborating with creators has helped me learn more about the digital space and connect with new people. A few collaboration opportunities I got included:
- podcasts
- webinars
- panel sessions
- speaker opportunities at events
- guest lectures
- brand collaborations
Community
I am still learning how to build a community and how to take the initiative to keep them engaged. LinkedIn and X are all about personal branding for me. Threads is like a meme gallery where I share anything about my journey. The website and newsletter are for those who are serious about personal branding and want to build a solid one. I also have a WhatsApp group where I host offline meet-ups across cities and get to know my community better.
Learning
I have worked in marketing all my career and know I can help people with marketing. However, while working on technology and websites, I started learning about website structures and more technical aspects that help users experience my website. This helped me create various sections of the funnel for my target audience and also gave me better control of my community. It was not solely dependent on any third party. With frequent social media algorithm changes, taking control of your community is always important.
If you are starting your personal branding journey on social media, here are my five pieces of advice to improve your overall success.
- Master one channel first before focusing on multiple channels. I started my journey with LinkedIn, moved to X, and am now working on improving my website and newsletter.
- Time investment is crucial, as you need to spend time on the platform to understand how the algorithm works and what format the channel supports. You also need to spend time being visible on the platform.
- Focus on networking with the right people. Connect with active creators on the channels and engage with the content. Before building your own community, be a part of someone's community and understand what it takes to create an engaging community.
- Never stop experimenting. What works for you today may not work for you tomorrow. Stay on top of the game with consistent experimentation and A/B tests.
- Focus on long-term growth. Before making any major decision, ask, "Will I be proud of this in 5 years?" Some questions help you avoid short-term mistakes and instant gratification to support your overall growth in the long term.
Are you working on your personal brand?