Personal Branding

 The importance of personal branding

Personal branding is crucial for connecting with your audience. It allows for values, ideas and goals to become representative of the individual. This purpose provides an opportunity for growth, the ability to share knowledge or information, and ultimately build connections with like-minded individuals (Cote, 2024). Additionally, it enhances credibility and relatability within a chosen outlet, thereby increasing audience engagement and establishing a professional identity. 

How to use social media for personal branding

Once an identity has been established, utilising social platforms to express an individual’s brand provides an outlet to engage and reach audiences efficiently. Understanding the platforms best suited to a particular audience or content type is crucial. Content must provide value and be consistently published, all while adhering to the person’s brand. Engaging with your audience further develops discussion around your topic and builds a sense of community and relatability (Walter, 2024). Following this, metrics surrounding content must be evaluated and relevant adjustments made to ensure your personal brand’s social media presence performs to the best of its abilities (Spagnolo, 2024). Utilising a content calendar will help streamline this process, allowing media to be consumed appropriately across platforms in a proactive manner. The use of reactive content must also be considered, as it provides a present voice in current discussions. Both proactive and reactive content should be included in the content strategy to maximise the effectiveness of social media and allow for a constant stream of content (Social Factor, 2023).

Good examples of using social media for personal branding

Adrian Per

Fig. 1. (Per, n.d.)

Fig. 2. (Per, n.d.)

Fig. 2. (Per, n.d.)

Adrian Per, a content marketer, is creating short-form content centred on direction and how to remain authentic in the saturated content creation industry. He successfully posted content every day for a whole year and grew an Instagram following of 700,000 around that time. Worked alongside brands such as Adobe and sells his digital content assets to his like-minded audience.

Dan Jones

Fig. 3. (Jones, n.d.)

 Fig. 4. (Jones, n.d.)

Dan Jones, amateur cyclist and triathlete, documents his races and training through long and short form video across YouTube and Instagram. Through this, he has worked alongside brands such as Garmin and Rapha, bringing an honest perspective towards endurance sport.

Thomas Maw

Fig. 5. (Maw, n.d.)

 Fig. 6. (Maw, n.d.)

Thomas Maw initially established his identity within the bodybuilding industry. Now focuses heavily on lifestyle, particularly regarding diet, in addition to content production. His presence has allowed him to build a coaching business which reflects his passion for personal development.

Reference list

Cote, C. (2024). Personal Branding: What It Is and Why It Matters. [online] Business Insights Blog. Available at: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/personal-branding-at-work [Accessed 16 Jun. 2025].

Jones, D. (n.d.). daaaanjj. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbVGrUs5IPtuBpZ5BkdgELA [Accessed 16 Jun. 2025].

Jones, D. (n.d.). Dan Jones (@daaaanjj) • Instagram photos and videos. [online] Instagram.com. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/daaaanjj/reels/?hl=en [Accessed 16 Jun. 2025].

Maw, T. (n.d.). Thomas Maw. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLy_dc7UYf7qdblqie5pkA [Accessed 16 Jun. 2025].

Maw, T. (n.d.). Thomas Maw 🌍 Lifestyle Transformation Coach (@tmcycles) • Instagram photos and videos. [online] Instagram.com. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/tmcycles/?hl=en [Accessed 16 Jun. 2025].

Per, A. (n.d.). Adrian Per. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHR4_GyWSEIWugPbGWjgCWw [Accessed 16 Jun. 2025].

Per, A. (n.d.). Instagram. [online] www.instagram.com. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/omgadrian/?hl=en [Accessed 16 Jun. 2025].

Social Factor (2023). Should My Brand be Proactive or Reactive on Social Media? [online] Social Factor. Available at: https://socialfactor.com/blog/digital-strategy/should-my-brand-be-proactive-or-reactive-on-social-media/ [Accessed 16 Jun. 2025].

Spagnolo, C. (2024). How to Create a Social Media Presence for Your Personal Brand: Practical Steps and Content Ideas. [online] The Branding Journal. Available at: https://www.thebrandingjournal.com/2024/05/social-media-presence-personal-brand/ [Accessed 16 Jun. 2025].

Walter, Y. (2024). Council Post: Brand Yourself, Build Your Future: The Importance Of Personal Branding For Professional Success. Forbes. [online] 12 Aug. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/03/30/brand-yourself-build-your-future-the-importance-of-personal-branding-for-professional-success/ [Accessed 16 Jun. 2025].