Advice
Building a personal brand is like burning a candle at both ends.
It's hard — and involves a lot of moving parts. But you got to stop feeling so goddamn downbeat!
Earlier this month, I saw a nine-year-old in our community playground discussing a blog he loves to read. As a content marketer, who gets a kick out of a good blog, I was not just impressed but intrigued.
"Who the hell are these kids? And how cool will it be to have my daughter in this cult of little blog readers."
But, of course, that deliberation ended soon with a deep sigh -- for my daughter is just three, and all she knows is how to imitate reading a book!
So, I better not jump the gun, I figured.
Anyway, coming back to content marketing and how even kids are aware of blog posts and content makes me hopeful. Hopeful of a future where brands, particularly personal brands, will no longer hesitate in applying the basics of content marketing to improve their visibility on the web.
So, if you want to build a solid personal brand, stop being behind the scenes and put yourself out there with the help of content marketing. Here's how you can do that:
1. Publish An E-book
No matter what your industry is, there's something valuable you can always bring to the table. Explore different topics in your niche and create a killer eBook on a topic that adds value to your audience. Now, all this may sound intimidating, but an eBook doesn't have to be 1000-word long. As long as it's something unique and relevant to your audience, words don't matter.
You can then publish your eBook through Amazon or upload it on your company's website. Even better, offer it as a freebie to your website visitors to collect email sign-ups.
2. Maintain A Blog And Optimize It
Oh, blog posts. The brainstorming, the lack of ideas, the writing. I know many people don't even consider a blog helpful in creating a stellar brand. But, could they be more wrong?
Well, besides providing you with an easy platform to demonstrate your expertise and inform your audience about your brand's offerings, a blog also helps you build a loyal following. And if you fancy being a thought leader, nothing can beat including industry-leading information and valuable insights on a blog post and sharing it with the world.
Then again, a blog is one of the most important ways to boost your search engine ranks. By maintaining and optimising a blog regularly, you can also significantly increase your website's organic traffic through it.
Now, even though the Content Marketer Me is like, "Who needs more reasons? Blogs are all love!!!", there are plenty more benefits to having a solid blog. More on that later.
3. Publish Guest Posts
Creators or brands are reach-obsessed. We all want to gain credibility and showcase our expertise in our respective fields. And one fantastic way to do that is contributing articles or guest posts (uhm, what do you think I am doing here? Wink!)
In addition to creating brand awareness, it is a great tactic to generate leads and organic traffic. Plus, you can request a link to your website to further your reach. At the risk of getting a bit technical here, I'd like to state this fact: Google loves backlinks from other websites. So, if you want to up your website's rank on Google, make sure you get published with a link to your website!
4. Provide Answers
There are countless ways to understand your target audience's needs, and we should try as many of them as we possibly can. by
So, if you ever find yourself in a rut, ask questions on various platforms – not just Instagram. Because your audience may hang out on platforms that go way beyond that good-looking photo and video sharing app!
Quora is a terrific place to start. You can either post a question and answer it or simply answer the many questions that already exist there. Either way, it's a golden opportunity to build visibility, trust, and goodwill. But, do not sell! The goal is to create a community, not increase revenue.
You can also ask questions on LinkedIn and Twitter or join conversations on these platforms to share your knowledge.
And if you have a blog, don't ignore the power of blog comments. There may be hot leads waiting for you in those comments!
5. Be Consistent On Social
Experience will teach you two things: you are the force behind your personal brand, and it's not okay to not be consistent. Whether you are an artist, a hairstylist, or an author – using social media is important (and you probably already know it). But do you know that consistency is what separates successful personal brands from all the rest?
Resist the temptation to be perfect. Instead, focus on consistency. Having a personal brand is time-consuming enough. So, instead of tumbling down a rabbit hole of aesthetic admiration, create relevant content (that adds some value to your audience) and be regular with it.
Educate, inform, entertain, motivate – or do whatever you want to build a connection. Just don't think your social media presence is weak sauce and ghost out on your followers. Remember, like with any other form of content marketing, a solid social media presence is a slow build.
Consistency over perfection, my friend!
6. Use Tools
Okay, so piling paperwork, never-ending chores, or mommy duties may feel like a lot at times – so much that you may forget to post that awesome video you created for the 'Gram. I get it; it's overwhelming. That's why I recommend automating your content marketing efforts with tools like Hootsuite and Buffer.
Using these tools, you can schedule your social media posts and keep accomplishing that consistency goal like a pro! The cherry on the cake? If you use these tools right, you might not even have to hire a social media manager.
And, while it's nice sometimes to not do everything on your own, if you're just starting up and wish to ditch that graphic designer too, try Canva! That's one hell of a tool you can use to create some stunning graphics and even videos for your personal brand.
7. Bring Video Into The Mix
Look, I understand facing the camera is difficult, let alone talking to it. And nobody better than me can know that creating a video isn't everyone's cup of tea. But video content is hot, and it's getting hotter by the day.
When 88% of people say they've been convinced to buy a product or service because of watching a brand's video, you've got to be kidding me if you're not creating video content.
Besides engaging your audience better, videos build emotional connections faster than any other content type.
And, don't worry, your loyal audience won't care for those frown lines on your forehead. All that they want is authentic and value-added content. Provided you offer that, your videos will get the clicks!
Check out Ksenia Consultation’s YouTube channel to learn how to ace video creation with content that resonates with the viewers.
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