It’s no secret that I have made my fair share of personal brand mistakes.
Branding has been part of my business’ bread and butter since 2010. I love a good challenge, especially when I visualize what could be. When we’re deep in the work, my clients’ reactions and ah-ha moments are absolutely priceless. Seeing their wheels turning and the joy in their faces is everything. It lights my fire when my clients see their potential – they start to think bigger and act more confident.
The transformations are incredibly rewarding.
How to avoid personal brand mistakes
Your journey to personal branding should be as fun as it is insightful. Being creative with your options and learning as you go is the best way to enjoy the process.
Branding may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, if you break the process into steps, it’s actually a lot easier to work through than you think.
Of course, there are pitfalls. If you are refreshing your personal brand or starting from scratch, here are five of the worst mistakes you should watch out for and the steps you can take to avoid them.
Mistake #1 – You are pretending to be someone that you aren’t.
There is only one person like you in the entire world. So why would you spend your precious time pretending to be someone else? Personal branding is all about you. It should reflect all of the qualities, experiences, and personality traits that make you… you.
It’s easy to say that you should embrace and love all of the parts that make up who you are. The truth is, that being authentic doesn’t always come easy. It requires self-awareness and motivation to learn more about who you really are.
To help with this process, my advice is to take an assessment or two. One of my favorites is the free personality test at 16Personalities.com. This test is based on the Meyers-Briggs personality inventory.
But don’t stop there! Once you receive the results of your test, spend some time researching. You’ll be amazed at what you learn.
Mistake #2 – You do not have a clear vision or purpose for your business.
A clear vision and purpose will drive you forward. You will not be doing anyone any good, if you don’t know who you are, what you do, or what drives you to do what you do.
Being authentic also requires you to be intentional. A clear vision and purpose will help guide your actions so that you stay focused and on track.
To clarify your vision and purpose, you need to put a stake in the sand. Based on your own self-reflection, decide how you want to show up authentically in your business. Write down exactly what lights you up about what you do. Reflect on your favorite client moments and wins. Outline the experience you hope to give to your clients when they work with you (from the beginning to the end).
Mistake #3 – You do not know who you are serving.
If you were sitting across the table having lunch with your ideal client, would you be able to tell me specific details about them? What do they look like? How old are they? Do they have kids? How many? Are they married? How much money do they make? Where do they live? What do they like to do? Who do they look up to? What are some of their favorite things?
One of the worse mistakes you can make in personal branding is not knowing who you are serving or believing that you serve everyone.
In order to be successful with sales and marketing tactics, we need to know exactly who we are trying to attract.
Mistake #4 – You do not have a brand identity.
If you find yourself constantly wasting time creating graphics and messages that never quite seem to hit the mark, then it is highly likely that you do not have a brand identity.
A brand identity is more than just a logo. A brand identity includes your logo, complementary design assets, typography, and color palette.
But wait… there’s more! 😉
A brand identity also includes a full work-up of how your content will look and sound. This includes photography and videography, as well as the structure of your voice and messaging (aka your copy).
Tackling your brand identity requires you to have a solid foundation first, which includes working through a self-discovery process that I discussed above. This process does not take long.
Need a little help to get you started? Check out my mini course, Build a Better Personal Brand – Foundations. In this course, I’m taking experienced online business owners, course creators, coaches, and consultants back to the basics. I will teach you how to build a strong foundation for your personal brand that will leave you feeling more confident, empowered, and ready to share your expertise. And you’ll complete this work in just 5 days! 🎉
Mistake #5 – You ignore your own personal story.
Think about all of the times that you read a post or an article and you thought to yourself, “OMG… me, too!” Or “I can totally relate to that.”
That’s what personal stories do. They help your audience relate to you. This is also why you shouldn’t be surprised if your personal stories on social score more engagement points in likes, comments, and shares than your promotional posts.
Personal stories may be shared on your website, on social, in emails, in videos, and podcasts. I’ve even seen stories shared on product labels – and I have to say, I read them all! I love a great story.
A couple of pro-tips for you… First, your stories should relate in some way to the products or services you are offering. Second, be creative, be emotionally engaging, and use lots of juicy details when you tell your story.
Ready to kick your personal brand into high gear?
There is no need to feel like you are struggling to find a style and voice that shows off your personality and your expertise. I’ve got you! Grab my free guide on 10 Easy Ways to Reinvent Your Personal Brand.
If you are looking for additional guidance on how to avoid personal brand mistakes, I’d love to chat with you. Email me now and schedule your mini session. Sessions are free. In our 15 minutes together, we will drill down and troubleshoot one area of your business.
