The personal brand has undergone a radical change. The way we present ourselves in the workplace and in the labor market has been transformed by the tools at our disposal and societal changes, such as the merging of work and life. Twenty-five years ago, you had a CV and if you wanted a new job, you updated it and sent it to potential employers. Your reputation may have improved your prospects but, when it came to job hunting, your qualifications and CV were pretty much the only window dressing you had.
With the Internet everything changed, and then it changed again with social media and smartphones. Suddenly, millions of people could see you on a device in their pocket. Those same tools gave you the ability to go from CVs to elegantly presented websites and slideshows. And social media gave everyone a platform to build and manage their own personal brand in real time.
Today, we are facing another major shift as increasingly sophisticated tools allow anyone to create near-professional visual and video content on their smartphones. Meanwhile, social platforms and channels continue to proliferate and technologies like artificial intelligence offer previously unimaginable possibilities.
So what are the rules for personal branding in our radically new world?
Use new tools
A good personal brand takes the best of you and what you offer and packages them in a way that appeals to your audience, says personal branding expert Jennifer Holloway. “Using tools to enhance that packaging can really add impact, whether it’s creating your own website with polished images and a stylish video, or posting engaging content on social media platforms or producing cleverly designed marketing materials.”
We’ve all instinctively improved our visual skills thanks to the photo editing tools on our smartphones and the widespread use of images, memes and gifs on social media. Of course, this levels the playing field when it comes to presenting your personal brand: the better everyone gets, the more skilled you have to be to stand out from the crowd. Apps that allow you to create any content you want, such as Adobe Express can be a game changer in this regard, helping you create eye-catching designs easily, quickly and for free. They also allow you to easily adopt newer design features that use generative AI.
Be natural, but also true
“The best personal brands don’t feel overly curated, they effortlessly capture someone’s personality and the parts of them that make them unique,” says Daisy Morris, Adobe Express evangelist and author of Community Is Your Money. “No one can replicate your own individual story, it’s what makes you different and memorable.” Of course, while we all know it’s important to be authentic, that buzzword has become very ubiquitous and confusing. It can be difficult to pin down what being authentic actually means in practice in today’s workplace and job market. Striving for an authentic appearance can sometimes feel forced or create a conflict between being your real self and the best version of yourself.
Holloway says that while you should highlight the best parts of yourself, you should take great care to make sure everything you say is true and accurate. “Doing otherwise can lead to problems down the line, when what people think they’ve been buying turns out to be fake,” he says. “The goal is that no matter how people come into contact with your personal brand, they can get a sense of what they would receive if they met you in person.”
Experiment
Not everything will work for everyone, so try different mediums, platforms and channels and find out what works best for you. “You can start on LinkedIn, writing a newsletter or Substack, or search for written content on Instagram with carousels designed visually using Adobe Express,” Morris says. Research the channels and focus your efforts. “It’s better to commit to one or two channels and really go for it, rather than trying to spread out and build a presence on all of them and ultimately dilute the impact of your personality and unique message,” he says.
Don’t feel like you have to share everything.
We are often encouraged to “put our whole selves to work” and are told that opening up and showing vulnerability helps build relationships. But it’s okay to keep parts of your life private. Think about what you want your personal brand to be like. Some people love directness, others take a strictly professional approach. If your personal brand is going to work for you, it needs to be something you feel comfortable with.
Don’t expect overnight success
Social media promotes the idea of zero-to-hero successes, but those whose personal brands really work have almost always put in the hours. So take your time, stick with it, and don’t get discouraged if you don’t have a million followers in your first month. “Take time to experiment with your content, don’t succumb to the ‘overnight success’ narrative, which can often be glorified on social media,” says Morris. “Use the block and mute button if necessary. There is no shame in leaving out useless noise.”
Learn from others
Look at people who do it well and be inspired by them. Today’s world of personal branding is so dynamic thanks to evolving technology and best practices that it’s important to stay up to date on how other people are upping their game.
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