A plain definition
Every professional already has a brand, in the oldest sense of the word. It is what people say about you when you are not in the room, and what they conclude when they type your name into a search box. You did not design it. It formed from meetings, introductions, mistakes, favours and whatever happens to be findable.
Personal branding is the decision to take part in that process. You work out what you stand for, you say it in a few clear sentences, and you make sure the things people can find and the things people hear all point the same way. The aim is not attention. The aim is that when your name comes up, the right person can place you in a sentence.
That is why we describe it as making a reputation easier to repeat. If a stranger cannot say what you are known for after a short conversation or a short search, the work is not finished, whatever your profile looks like.
How it differs from corporate branding
A corporate brand belongs to an organisation. It has an owner, a legal name, a style guide, a team that protects it and a life that continues when any one employee leaves. A personal brand belongs to a person. It moves with them from one role to the next, and it is shaped by their judgement, their voice and their record.
The two overlap more than most people expect. Buyers, partners and candidates often form a view of a company from the people who lead it. We call that human-powered marketing, and it is why a company with a clear, trusted leader is easier to introduce than one with only a logo.
- Owner: a corporate brand belongs to the company; a personal brand belongs to the person.
- Lifespan: a corporate brand outlives its staff; a personal brand outlives its employer.
- Voice: a corporate brand speaks through approved language; a personal brand speaks in first person.
- Risk: a corporate brand is harmed by a product failure; a personal brand is harmed by inconsistency between what you say and what you do.
- Control: a corporate brand is managed by a team; a personal brand is managed by you, with help.
How it differs from PR
Public relations earns attention, usually through journalists, events and third parties, and usually around a moment: a launch, an appointment, a result. It is episodic by design and it often speaks for an organisation.
Personal branding is the standing position underneath. It is what a journalist, an organiser or an investor finds when they look you up before they call. When the position is clear, PR is easier, because there is a consistent person to write about. When it is not, even a good press moment leaves people with nothing to hold.
In practice the two sit side by side. We start with the position, then decide with you which moments are worth taking to the press, and which are better kept in the room.
What it is made of
We work in three layers, in this order. The order matters, because online presence is the easiest layer to build and the least trusted on its own.
- In the room: how you are introduced, how you open a meeting, and the three things people should remember afterwards.
- On the record: a profile page, a short account of what you do, a biography, interviews, articles and mentions that a search will find.
- On screen: your LinkedIn profile, short video and posts, in your own voice, at a rhythm you can keep.
A test you can run on your own
Before you spend anything, check where you stand. This takes an hour and costs nothing.
- Open a private browser window and search your full name, then your name with your city and your profession. Write down the first page of results exactly as they appear.
- Ask three people who know you a little, and one who barely knows you, to give three words that describe you professionally. Do not prompt them.
- Write one sentence in this form: I help [who] with [what], so that [what changes for them]. Read it aloud. If you would not say it to a stranger at a dinner, rewrite it.
- Compare. Do the search results, the three words and your sentence agree? The gaps between them are your work list.
What personal branding is not
It is not a costume. A persona that differs from the real person collapses the first time someone meets you. It is not constant posting either, because a presence that burns you out will not last. And it is not a promise of outcomes. No honest adviser can promise followers, rankings, deals or a fixed result, and we do not guarantee any.
What it can do is narrower and more useful: make you easier to place, easier to recommend and easier to trust, by people you have not met yet. If you want to see how your own answers read, the free Brand DNA Report gives you an archetype, three words and a plan you can use, with nothing sent to us.
Questions people ask
Is personal branding only for people who want to be famous?
No. Most of the leaders and experts we speak with want to be easy to place, not famous. A clear, quiet reputation among the right few hundred people is often worth more than wide attention from strangers.
Do I need social media to have a personal brand?
No. You need a clear account of what you stand for and evidence that people can find. For some professions that is a profile page, a biography and a few well-chosen appearances. Social media is one channel, not the definition.
What is the difference between a personal brand and a reputation?
Reputation is what others believe about you. A personal brand is the deliberate effort to make that belief accurate and consistent. You have a reputation either way.
Can personal branding be done honestly?
Yes, and it only works when it is. Start from what is true about you, name what you want to be known for, and make the evidence match. We do not invent credentials, stories or numbers.