Building a personal profile can be hard work, but it’s a great way to establish yourself – and ultimately your business – as an expert in your field of work.
We’ve already published a guide on how to develop a personal branding strategy. If you haven’t read that already, we recommend you start there to find out about the benefits of personal branding and do some important planning before getting started.
Once you’ve done your research and put a personal branding strategy in place, it’s time to start getting yourself out there. Use our guide to help you…
Investing time adding value to the community not only provides direct help to the individual you respond to, it also leaves an internet trail for others to discover in the future.
Get started by identifying the best forums for your business. Spend time reading them first and looking at the advice others are giving. Aim to be polite and helpful at all times and remember that whatever you post will remain there and be seen by many others.
@Frank the Insurance guy is a great example of this approach.
“As a new business, we needed to get known and build trust. Face-to-face networking opportunities were non-existent due to the pandemic and lockdown,” he explained.
“I went in on UKBF 100%, making sure I contributed wherever I thought I could provide advice and support for other members.”
Over a year on, it has proved a great fit for the business. Frank has assisted a number of UKBF members in understanding and dealing with Covid-related insurance claims.
Frank says that logging on to UKBF is an important part of the working day, to see what’s been posted and where he can add any constructive advice to other members.
Are your target audience on the delegate list and will it get your name in front of a new cohort? Make sure you’re clear about why you’re talking at an event and what you will benefit from doing it.
Contributing to online events makes it much easier for you to reach a wider group of people and saves time and money on travel. The videos are often published online afterwards too, helping your digital profile to grow.
Do your research. As a general rule:
Identify the most appropriate hashtags and useful groups on LinkedIn and Facebook to get closer to the people you’re trying to reach.
As your cuttings build up, journalists should start to recognise you as a spokesperson for your area of work and contact you directly.
Another easy way to find opportunities to talk to the press is by following the popular Twitter hashtag #journorequest.
This is the case for UKBF member @Rachel123, who runs an IT agency.
“I need to work with someone on how to position my personal brand in this space: articles in the media, a strategy for my LinkedIn page, what conferences to speak at, find and occupy a niche,” she explained.
“More than an ego project, of course, all if this is for the purpose of building credibility and getting more work.”
If you do go down this route, choose your agency carefully. Look for one with experience in personal branding and thought leadership, backed up by case studies of clients they have worked with.
It's also worth finding an agency that has experience in your industry as they'll have a better understanding of the landscape you're entering and ideally a good contacts book.
We’ve already published a guide on how to develop a personal branding strategy. If you haven’t read that already, we recommend you start there to find out about the benefits of personal branding and do some important planning before getting started.
Once you’ve done your research and put a personal branding strategy in place, it’s time to start getting yourself out there. Use our guide to help you…
1. Contribute to online communities
Online communities like UKBF are a breeding ground for people who need help. In other words – potential customers.Investing time adding value to the community not only provides direct help to the individual you respond to, it also leaves an internet trail for others to discover in the future.
Get started by identifying the best forums for your business. Spend time reading them first and looking at the advice others are giving. Aim to be polite and helpful at all times and remember that whatever you post will remain there and be seen by many others.
@Frank the Insurance guy is a great example of this approach.
“As a new business, we needed to get known and build trust. Face-to-face networking opportunities were non-existent due to the pandemic and lockdown,” he explained.
“I went in on UKBF 100%, making sure I contributed wherever I thought I could provide advice and support for other members.”
Over a year on, it has proved a great fit for the business. Frank has assisted a number of UKBF members in understanding and dealing with Covid-related insurance claims.
Frank says that logging on to UKBF is an important part of the working day, to see what’s been posted and where he can add any constructive advice to other members.
2. Write guest posts
Approach this in the same way that you would with contributions to an online community. Identify the sites that target your ideal customer, develop ideas that showcase your USPs and make sure you get a named mention and linkback.3. Talk at events
There’s nothing like being in a room and meeting people face-to-face to form a connection. It’s the holy grail of networking and profile building, but it takes time and resources to attend, so be selective.Are your target audience on the delegate list and will it get your name in front of a new cohort? Make sure you’re clear about why you’re talking at an event and what you will benefit from doing it.
4. Take part in webinars an online events
Growing popular during the pandemic, the number of good quality online events on offer this year shows that they are here to stay.Contributing to online events makes it much easier for you to reach a wider group of people and saves time and money on travel. The videos are often published online afterwards too, helping your digital profile to grow.
5. Build your social media profile
Choose your platforms wisely and focus on one or two at first or you’ll get overwhelmed quickly.Do your research. As a general rule:
- LinkedIn works well for professional services like solicitors, accountants and PR
- Product-based businesses do well on Instagram
- Twitter can be useful for issue-based businesses, like brands with a strong mission and purpose
- Facebook is great for local businesses
Identify the most appropriate hashtags and useful groups on LinkedIn and Facebook to get closer to the people you’re trying to reach.
6. Talk to press
Journalists are always on the hunt for knowledgeable experts who are willing to give their advice and opinions for free. In return you should get a named mention, and ideally a link back or your web address.As your cuttings build up, journalists should start to recognise you as a spokesperson for your area of work and contact you directly.
Another easy way to find opportunities to talk to the press is by following the popular Twitter hashtag #journorequest.
7. Work with an agency
This isn’t a cheap option, but enlisting the help of experts can be money well spent if you can see how personal branding could really help your business to grow.This is the case for UKBF member @Rachel123, who runs an IT agency.
“I need to work with someone on how to position my personal brand in this space: articles in the media, a strategy for my LinkedIn page, what conferences to speak at, find and occupy a niche,” she explained.
“More than an ego project, of course, all if this is for the purpose of building credibility and getting more work.”
If you do go down this route, choose your agency carefully. Look for one with experience in personal branding and thought leadership, backed up by case studies of clients they have worked with.
It's also worth finding an agency that has experience in your industry as they'll have a better understanding of the landscape you're entering and ideally a good contacts book.
