Building Your Personal Brand: Social Media

by Sydney Frodsham September 7, 2022

Love it or hate it, social media is an important part of our culture. Most of us associate social media with leisure and entertainment, but these apps can have even more value to professionals carving out their place in their chosen industry. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, and TikTok—each can be a critical tool in developing your personal brand. We’ve talked a lot about the importance of LinkedIn for job seekers (and professionals of any kind). With over 600 million users worldwide, it’s one of the world’s largest social networking sites. If you don’t have an account already, create one. We also offer resources for those needing help optimizing their LinkedIn profiles.

However, I won’t be focusing on LinkedIn today. Instead, let’s talk about the other social media sites.

Each has its unique algorithm, quirks, and tricks to making the most out of it. I can’t cover them all, but I can give you a starting point for your own research.

1. Choose which site suits you best.

Who you are and where your audience is will determine which social media you use. For instance, Instagram is great for visuals and short videos, while YouTube is better for long-form content. Facebook tends to have an older user base wanting to connect with family and friends, while TikTok skews younger, with users looking for fun an entertainment. If you’re starting your personal branding social media from scratch, choose the place you feel the most comfortable in and grow from there.

2. Pick your “Big Three.” Earlier this year, I wrote a blog about creating a mission statement for your personal brand. This is what drives you—what you want people to think of when they think of you.

Let’s apply this to social media. Whenever you post content, you want it to fall into your brand. The best way to do this is to develop three descriptors that drive everything you post.

To help find those three, answer these questions:

When people view my content, how do I want them to feel? How do I wish to be perceived?

Condense your answers into three words that best describe your brand. For example:

Relatable, funny, informative

Aesthetically pleasing, aspirational, exclusive

Positive, inspirational, one-on-one connection

3. Create regular content.

You must post regularly. Anywhere from 3-4 times a week to once a day could be appropriate, depending on the site you’re using. Make sure that everything you post has at least one aspect of your “Big Three,” as it will create cohesion in your content and help maintain your personal brand.

4. Engage, engage, engage

Once you’ve posted, engage with every comment. Engage with other people’s content. Most social networking sites prioritize posts with more comments, likes, and shares. Do what you can to help boost that algorithm and get your posts in front of people.

Happy posting!

Sydney