The Ways You’re Accidentally Destroying your Personal Brand

Your personal brand can be your strongest asset, or it can become your biggest liability. If constructed properly, a personal brand will help an individual stand out amongst peers and industry professionals, showcase their personality and enable them to take control of their online narrative, thus, opening the door to new opportunities. 

However, many individuals are destroying their personal brands, and they don’t even know it. We have highlighted several ways you may be self-destructing your personal brand. 

You don’t know your “why.” 

Without knowing your “why,” you operate without purpose. Your “why” needs to reflect your long term personal and professional goals. It’s important to ask yourself questions. Do you want to demonstrate your worth to your current employers? Do you want to share your knowledge and expertise with a particular audience? Are you trying to generate publicity for your company? Knowing your “why” will help you define your voice and keep your personal brand consistent. 

You don’t stand out. 

Are you interested in exploring a career switch, securing a job in a competitive industry, or starting a new business? No matter what you are looking to do, some so many other people are just as ambitious and qualified as you looking to do the same thing. Having a strong personal brand is the only way to differentiate yourself from the pack. You have to emphasize what makes you unique. People need to be able to find out about your accomplishments, professional experiences, and interests online. 

You forget that there is an IRL aspect to personal branding. 

Although social media is essential to building your personal brand, there is still an “in-real-life” component to it. Face-to-face interactions still provide a lot of value, as it is an opportunity to humanize your personal brand. Attending conferences, networking events, and informational meetings are all great ways to communicate your narrative further and build new relationships, which may aid you in reaching your professional goals. 

You lack consistency. 

Consistency is a critical component of developing a strong personal brand. If you lack consistent messaging online, you lose your credibility. At The Collective Rising, we encourage our members to take a quality-over-quantity approach to personal branding. We believe it is not about how much you share, but rather the quality of what you do share. By making sure to only post content that is in alignment with who you are and what you stand for, you’ll be able to better communicate your identity, professionalism as well as earn the trust of others. 

You have bad social media habits.

Social media is here to stay, and it plays a significant role in personal branding. Be mindful that the posts, comments and content you share today can follow you for the rest of your professional career. Don’t overthink everything you post , but be mindful of what you share. 

To avoid these personal branding pitfalls, you first have to recognize these bad habits and take steps to correct them. Once you avoid these habits or make these corrections, you’ll be able to go on to build a strong personal brand that will help you achieve your personal and professional goals.

The Collective Rising knows that having a strong personal brand has never been of greater importance. We are committed to equipping our members with the tools and resources they need to be seen and heard amongst the clutter of today’s digital landscape. 

Please visit our Join Us page to learn more about The Collective Rising’s membership offerings.