Here’s Proof We All Need a Personal Brand

Maybe you scoff at the idea that you need a personal brand.

Maybe you don’t see the point.

Maybe you don’t think you have anything to share or any reason to build something that relates exclusively to you, what you do, or what you know.

But maybe if you think those things — you’re wrong.

Maybe you’re just wasting time, missing opportunities, and not looking at this from the right direction.

Because the truth is, we all have a reason to build a personally branded platform for ourselves. It’s just not always easy to see why.

Can You Benefit From
Building a Personal Brand?

If you don’t think can benefit from a personal brand, use this list of questions to figure it out.

• Are you an entrepreneur or small business owner? Are you neither of those things but kind of wish that you were?
• Are you creative or uniquely talented or skilled?
• Do you have experience in a certain field and want to find new opportunities in that field?
• Are you passionate about a hobby or activity?
• Do you have a social issue or charity that you believe strongly in?
• Are you looking for a way to connect with like-minded people?
• Do you wish you had an outlet to share your ideas or spread your message?
• Or are you just plain bored?

If you said “yes” to any of those questions… actually, if you said “maybe” to any of those questions — you can benefit from building a personally branded platform.

If you said “no”… well, you’re off the hook (for now), and maybe you should start thinking about expanding your interests.

What Is a Personally Branded Platform?

Now that you know you need a personally branded platform, let’s talk about what that is.

Your platform is a way to share ideas, create content, display work, promote yourself, and/or connect with like-minded people. It is a place to build connections, followers, and perhaps even a business all by sharing what you know and love.

It consists of creating one of more of the following:

• a branded domain
• a blog or website
• social media presence
• blog posts
• ebooks
• email newsletter
• videos
• podcast
• contributing content to other platforms

Your platform is basically a way to share what you think and know with the world through a digital presence.

It can be created as a serious, goal-focused endeavor or it can be built entirely for fun. But either way, a platform will likely lead you to both personal and professional opportunities such as:

• job opportunities
• speaking engagements
• media attention
• books deals
• freelancing and side work
• consulting jobs
• event invitations
• selling products and services
• joining or running a community
• building your own business
• sharing a powerful message
• becoming more professionally independent

We live in a time when we can connect with more people, expand our reach, gain exposure, and find exciting, fulfilling, and even lucrative opportunities — all by building a platform for ourselves.

On this website, we share some of the ways that people are using their personal brands and platforms to find opportunities. In the Featured Indieprenuer series, we’ve looked at how a fitness expert leveraged her knowledge to create her platform and how a therapist is using her personal brand to reach more people.

So, don’t brush off the idea of building a personal brand for yourself.

Explore it.

What Type of Platform Should You Build For Your Personal Brand?

You can benefit from a personal brand and platform. You can use it to advance your professional life or find more enjoyment in your day-to-day. But if you still aren’t sure what you should build your personal platform around, here are a few options to explore.

Create a Platform for Your Side Business

Any person who has product or service they can sell needs a platform for their business.

This could be anyone from a small business owner or a freelance consultant to the kid on the street who mows the lawns in his neighborhood or a guitar player who offers lessons in her spare time. Even if you don’t have a business yet, everybody, if they look hard enough, has a special skill set or unique talent that they can use to make extra money.

And while many people do utilize this resource, few build a platform around it.

But a platform for your side business or fully grown business is and will always be the way to get more customers and income. 

Sharing your service or product through word-of-mouth or via a social network like Facebook will only get you so far. You owe it to yourself to share your business through your own platform.

Create a Platform for Your Hobby

Hobbies are work we choose to do simply because we enjoy the activity. We do it for no reason other than the satisfaction of going through the motions, the joy of the seeing the results of our effort, or the satisfaction of seeing our improvement. Hobbies shouldn’t be something that is overlooked or down-played. It’s not a childish game or time-killer.

Your hobbies are parts of your deepest passions coming to light — and that is definitely not something to ignore. It’s something to explore.

If you have a hobby or activity that you enjoy doing in your free time, you can create a platform around that hobby.

Create a Platform for Your Craft

Artists and musicians used to rely heavily on luck. Would the right person see their art hung in a gallery or on the street? Would the right person walk into a bar while they’re playing? When would their break come by being in the right place at the right time?

But musicians and artists no longer need to rely on this luck of location.

They can now use a personally branded platform to connect the world — yes the whole world — with their art and music. 

There are no boarders or restrictions when it comes to an artist’s or musician’s platform. They can share their art everywhere.

Create a Platform For Your Story or Cause

When people are looking for more purpose in their life, many of them are drawn to telling their story, fighting for a cause, or promoting a philanthropic endeavor.

This is another amazing way to find joy in your life beyond your daily tasks and work life, and a platform can help you with your efforts.

Building a platform for your story or cause will help you spread your message, connect with more people, and be more effective. 

Don’t let your idea go unnoticed or your perspective go unseen. Build a platform to bring it to life.

Create a Platform for Your Profession or Unique Knowledge

Anyone looking to get into or move up in their chosen profession knows that it is hard to stand out against the competition.

In a pile of resumes, it is difficult to stand out. But there is a way to differentiate yourself from the pack.

A platform can highlight your unique knowledge, your expertise, or your experience in a way that a resume never could. 

It can help you stand out among your peers, attract attention, and even land you a job.

Your Personal Brand Starts Here

Now, do you see that everyone has a reason to build a personal brand and platform? Do you see what you are missing by failing to believe you need one?

And, are you ready to take the first step toward starting yours?

If want to learn more about how to build your personally branded platform, start right here with the Free Five-Day #GoPro Online Presence Challenge. Remember this — a year from now, you’ll wish you had started today. So, sign up and start taking steps toward building your platform right now.