Personal brands are more important than ever. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or an expert in your chosen industry, a personal brand can paint you in a whole new light. There is a multitude of ways to build and grow your brand online. However, it’s competitive out there, which means you really need to stand out if you want to succeed. You will come across a lot of advice on what you should be doing but today, we’re going to look at the common personal brand mistakes that could be creating roadblocks on your personal branding journey.

Mistake 1: You’re not thinking about what you’re sharing

You might be active on social media but this doesn’t mean it’s going to get you the results you’re hoping for. You’ve probably recently heard that you simply need to post every day on Instagram Reels and you’ll magically gain a million billion followers right? There is more to it than that. How much are you promoting and talking about yourself on social media? If you’re turning your social media presence into a giant sales brochure, it’s not going to do your brand any good. Dedicate one-third of your posts to you, another third to content your audience would find interesting and the final third to the actual promotion of your brand/business. It’s also important to be careful about who you associate yourself with online. Make sure their brand personality and values align with yours. And don’t forget to engage!

Mistake 2: You haven’t created a website yet

If you want to build your personal brand and attract new clients, they need to be able to find more information about you – both organically and via social media. Your website doesn’t need to be complex and packed with fancy graphics and features. It does, however, need to truly represent your brand, look fresh and professional, and feature all of your most important information. Don’t forget to include photos of yourself. Potential clients and brand partners want to see who they’re working with. Do some research about what makes a good website. I highly recommend Donald Miller’s Marketing Made Simple. Consider hiring someone to write your copy and help you with your website design. Check out my blog post where I discuss how to create a great personal brand website.

Mistake 3: You’re not entirely clear on your purpose

What is it that you want to be known for? If you want to succeed, don’t try and fit into multiple boxes and be all things to all people. For your personal brand to thrive, you need to get specific about the topics that matter to you, what your primary skills are, and who your audience is. From there, you can determine how you would add value and that’s how you stand out. 

Mistake 4: You haven’t been active in a while

If you let your online presence go stale, you’ll quickly lose the trust of new and existing customers. It’s not too late to pick things up again though. Make sure that your branding, photos, taglines, and content are up to date across all platforms. Next, create a calendar that you can use to ensure you’re always engaging and posting fresh content online. I’m going to do a YouTube video on how I create my social media content.

Mistake 5: You’re not getting out there

You can get a lot done online, but it’s still important to get out there and meet people in person. Whether that’s setting up meetings with potential clients, speaking at events, or attending regular networking events in your area, just get out there. 

A personal brand can be a powerful tool, provided you keep working on it and continue to stay relevant and engaged within your sector.