Personal branding is a new buzzword that you may have seen a lot on LinkedIn, but we definitely think it’s here to stay. According to a study by Brand Builders Group, Google search volume for “personal brand” has grown over 4x in recent years, demonstrating the rising importance of personal branding.
As marketers, we’re familiar with creating and developing brands for businesses, but how often do we think about our own personal brands?
Let’s explore how some of the most successful entrepreneurs, influencers and celebrities have built their personal brands.
Grace Beverley
Grace Beverley started her career as one of the very first ‘fitness influencers’ on Instagram and has since founded and grown activewear brand, TALA, and and vegan supplement brand, SHREDDY.
Grace has been known for her openness and transparency since the beginning of her influencing journey. From vlogging her experience at Oxford University to sharing the ins and outs of being a business owner on her Instagram page and in candid YouTube videos, Grace’s personal brand is rooted in sharing her experiences.
This authenticity and openness has enabled Grace to build a huge community of engaged followers which has helped grow her businesses, both of which are closely aligned with her own personal values.
Take note: authenticity is key when it comes to considering how to build your personal brand.
Steven Bartlett
Steven Bartlett is a personal branding expert. Since founding social media marketing agency Social Chain, Steven has built a career as a speaker, author, content creator, investor, and host of ‘The Diary of a CEO’, one of Europe’s biggest podcasts.
Steven is a master of LinkedIn personal branding and through sharing his entrepreneurial journey as well as motivational advice, inspiration and business tips on his LinkedIn page, he has built a strong and solid personal brand.
Steven’s transparency around his experiences as an entrepreneur has positioned him as an inspiring yet relatable figure and has contributed to the successful career he has built for himself.
Ben Francis
As the CEO and Founder of Gymshark, one of the world’s largest fitness apparel brands, Ben Francis is a pretty important guy.
However, humility has been key to Ben’s success. From founding a small gym wear brand whilst studying at university, to being the CEO of a company valued at over £1billion, Ben has remained humble throughout his journey as an entrepreneur.
Not a fan of the spotlight, Ben allows his business to speak for him and uses his LinkedIn platform to highlight the values of his brand and his gratitude for his team.
Molly Mae
Molly Mae rose to new influencer heights after participating in ITV’s dating show ‘Love Island’ in 2019. Molly’s success, however, came when she left the Love Island villa after finishing in second place.
What makes Molly Mae stand out from other Love Island contestants? Since leaving the villa, Molly has clearly identified her ‘niche’ and has built an effective personal brand around it.
With a focus on aesthetic photography, clothing and home style, Molly’s Instagram feed has a very distinctive look. Her feed shows her passion for clothing and fashion, something that she solidified through her role as Creative Director at Pretty Little Thing.
Molly uses her Instagram stories and YouTube channel to document her life as a 23-year-old in a more realistic and open way through vlogs and Q&As where she connects with her followers and shows her relatable, fun and caring personality.
Kim Kardashian
If you’re not familiar with Kim Kardashian, where have you been?! Love her or hate her, Kim is a personal branding expert renowned for always being in the public eye.
Born into a family and circle of influential people, Kim seized the opportunity to launch her own attention-worthy personal brand through association.
Kim has starred in multiple TV shows, amassed a huge social media following and launched numerous businesses, all on the back of building a stand-out personal brand.
Her edge is creating exciting and newsworthy content from the average and mundane. Whether it’s buying a new house or going to the supermarket, Kim has a way of making everything she does interesting, fun and watchable.
Kim has never been afraid to stand in the spotlight, for good or for bad, and despite numerous failings and controversies, she has never been afraid to try something new.
Lizzo
Lizzo is a singer, rapper and performer who has built a strong personal brand based on her unwavering activism in support of body positivity and inclusivity.
Lizzo’s music, fashion and social media content all convey her thoughts about self love, self acceptance and body image. She also recently launched shapewear brand Yitty, commenting that they are ‘For Every Damn Body’.
Despite being a global superstar, Lizzo is not only known for her musical ability but also what she stands for as an artist and as a person. Through channelling her beliefs into everything that she does, Lizzo has created a killer personal brand that is true to who she is.
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