What Is Personal Branding? This Is Why People Crave Seeing It.

An effective marketing strategy.

Personal Branding is simply another marketing strategy

Personal branding turns your story, skills, and personality into a marketing tool. It's about using who you are, not mascots or logos, to give your business credibility, personality, and memorability.

Personal Branding Demands Depth - You Have To Craft It.

Personal branding is about digging deep and building it as carefully as you'd create a comic book character, always with your audience in mind.

As an individual it is:

Personal branding is essentially your professional rep, how visible and credible you are in your field. You've already got a personal brand, complete with a reputation, some credibility, and visibility. The real question isn't whether you have a personal brand, but how you're actively shaping, managing, and broadcasting it to make yourself the go-to expert in your industry.

If you don’t craft your brand you let other define it for you

If you don't actively craft your personal brand, you risk letting others define it for you, potentially leading to a reputation that doesn't align with your true abilities or aspirations. This lack of control can result in missed opportunities, as you may not be perceived as the go-to person in your field, limiting your career advancement, networking possibilities, and overall professional impact.

Without a deliberately shaped personal brand, you might find it harder to stand out in a competitive market, affecting your ability to attract desirable projects, clients, or job offers. Essentially, not crafting your personal brand can leave your professional narrative to chance, rather than steering it towards your goals.

Why Culture Craved Influencers Over Celebrities

In the last 20 years, people have shifted from Hollywood glitz to craving real, authentic experiences. Reality TV, talk podcasts, and influencer marketing show a clear move away from untouchable celebrities to valuing personal connections and transparency.

Mascots Used To Be The Thing

This shift highlights that old-school mascot branding, think Ronald McDonald, is losing its punch. Mascots might be consistent and under control, but their static nature means they can't evolve or deepen, leaving them unable to truly connect or stick in people's minds.

Drawing from my work with industry leaders, personal branding wins because it's built on rich, character-driven stories. Just like the best comic book heroes, strong personal brands feature struggles, self-awareness, origins, and special talents. Yet, it's not really about the "powers"; it's the backstory that grabs people

Craft Your Character

The misconception that our own stories are uninteresting or mundane compared to others is a significant barrier in personal branding.

This self-doubt often stems from a natural tendency to compare ourselves with those around us, especially in today’s hyper-connected world where everyone's achievements are on full display. We fall into the trap of believing that everyone else has more impressive skills, experiences, or qualifications, leading us to undervalue our unique journeys and perspectives.

However, effective personal branding isn't about stacking up your "superhero powers" against someone else's or striving to outdo others in a perceived hierarchy of skills and accomplishments. Instead, it's about embracing and highlighting what makes you unique. This differentiation isn't necessarily about being better in a conventional sense but about showcasing the distinctive qualities, experiences, and viewpoints you bring to the table.

The principle I advocate in branding is to focus on individuality rather than direct comparison. Everyone has a unique mix of experiences, skills, and personality traits that, when woven together, create a compelling narrative that cannot be replicated by anyone else. It’s important to remember that likability and relatability often resonate more with audiences than just a list of achievements or credentials.

Personal branding, therefore, becomes an exercise in self-exploration and presentation. It involves digging deep to uncover what sets you apart, understanding how your unique blend of attributes can meet the needs or interests of your audience, and communicating your story in a way that connects and engages. By shifting the focus from competing on "better" to shining in "different," you open up new avenues for connection, recognition, and ultimately, success in your field.

People care about who says it, not just what’s said.

People are skeptical of self-promotional ads and are seeking depth and authenticity in the narratives they engage with. They care about who is saying it, not just what is said.

For businesses, the future lies in weaving stories around experts and utilizing these narratives in their marketing efforts. What society craves is authenticity, not actors—real stories from real people. This shift towards genuine, character-driven personal branding is what will resonate in a culture increasingly dismissive of traditional, faceless marketing tactics.

The Holy Trinity.

You are either “good enough” but not “known enough.”
You are either “known enough” but not “good enough”
You could be “good and known” but not “clear enough”

Name 7

Can you name 7 real estate agents?
Can you name 7 accountants?
Okay better yet can you name 3 plumbers?
Who comes to mind when I say the word “refinance?”

Like me, you probably could only come to think of 2 to 3.
Now, how many experts do you think exist in Australia from those industry?

This highlights the importance of having a brand. If don’t come to mind, you are invisible and your skills no matter how good they are become useless.

Influencers are out. Experts are in.
A whopping 81% of consumers said that a brand’s use of an influencer had no impact on their brand perception. In some cases, it even had a negative impact. Roughly half (51%) said they simply scrolled past these pasts. With 86% of users regularly seeing influencer posts on their social media feeds, perhaps it comes as little surprise that they’re a bit fed up. In fact, nearly a third said they hated these posts and found them untrustworthy.

Just 12% have actually made a purchase of a product promoted by an influencer compared to 62% who had not.

And perhaps even more damning, 42% said they regretted their purchase.

Source: EnTribe