How to Use Your Personal Story to Help Your Brand Stand Out
Updated: Jun 8, 2021
In order to turn your career around or take your business to the next level, you need to stand out. However, with the ever-growing number of social media channels and online communities that professionals frequent, this can be tough.
A personal brand audit is an effective way to see how far you’ve come and make changes that will set you apart from the rest.
It’s not easy to try and adapt your personal brand to a multitude of different platforms, but it is possible.
And it all starts with owning and telling your personal story.
When you have a personal brand, everything you do should be built around your story. It’s what will help your bios and about me pages stand out from other professionals in your sector.
In fact, your brand is only as strong as your personal story because it shapes who you are and why you do what you do. It’s what’s going to draw in your target audience and help them relate to you on a personal level.
Building Your Personal Story the Right Way
Telling a powerful personal story is what will make your brand shine. It will also help you step outside of your comfort zone, which is critical in the business world.
To start building your story, start by collecting personal snippets from all the online platforms your brand is present on. What are your likes and dislikes, what does your online CV say about you and how has it changed? Collecting your narratives will help you declutter and build a more cohesive online presence.
To declutter your narrative, ask yourself what’s still relevant about your likes, dislikes, experience, and values. If you read something about yourself, does it still resonate with you? Are there parts about your story that make you feel uncomfortable that deserve to be told?
Once you settle on a story you feel proud of, adapt it to the different platforms you’re present on. What works on Instagram, won’t necessarily work on LinkedIn. The idea is to still tell the same story but in a way that works across each platform and in front of specific target audiences.
Another detail that you want to focus on while rebuilding your personal brand story is the visuals you are using online. These images need to be professional, fit in with your revised brand story, and be consistent across all platforms. It’s best to also perform a visual audit before you go live with your new profiles.
This in-depth exercise is one of the easiest ways to make sure you don’t get lost in the crowd, which is critical when the competition is fierce.
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