How do you build a strong personal brand on Instagram that differentiates you from the crowd?
Now you may be thinking, “well isn’t a personal brand just the cute fonts, logos, and pretty colors I use on my IG feed/website?” Well, not exactly…
Yes, all of those things can add to your visual brand, but what a personal brand truly is, is how your audience perceives you. If your branding is on point, the way you perceive your brand and how others perceive your brand will be one and the same.
So how do you go from being a new social media manager to having a strong personal brand that stands out, is intentional, and has ideal clients begging to work with you?
Well, go ahead and follow my 3 tips below:
1. 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐲
You’ve heard it before, but why are you building your business/brand? You know the “what” and the “how”, but do you truly know WHY you do what you do?
Having a powerful why will help you connect to your ideal clients, inspire them, & have them wanting to work with you over anybody else. It will also help you stay committed to your dreams & is something you can always refer back to throughout all the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
And let’s be honest girl, there’s a LOT of ups and downs…
Questions to ask yourself to figure out your own why:
What will motivate me to keep going when things get hard?
What do I do to enjoy helping others?
What am I truly passionate about/lights me up?
What will make me leap out of bed every morning?
So go ahead and determine your why. Write it on your mirror or a sticky note so you can look at it daily.
2. Share Your Personality, Story, Passions, etc
The whole point of building a personal brand is to distinguish yourself from your competitors, not be just like them.
So share what makes you, YOU!
Two of my favorite photographers, Evelyn Grace and Lindsey Roman are amazing examples of building strong personal brands on Instagram (seriously if you don’t know who they are, look them up). They share their personalities through dancing videos, behind the scenes photography shoots, mom life, witty Instagram captions, and heck part of Evelyn Grace’s youtube trailer is her dancing through the aisles of a packed airplane.
While there are millions of other photographers out there on Instagram, what separates Evelyn and Lindsey is that they have truly created a unique brand. They share their faith, their quirks, how they got to where they are today, their struggles, their individual stories as well as the stories of the bride/groom.
If you look at some other wedding photographers out there on IG, their profiles are very generic, photos look like everybody else’s out there, and they haven’t built up a personal brand nor that know, like, trust with their audience.
So, when you are showing up on Instagram think about how you can incorporate your personality, passions, experiences, etc, into your own content.
THAT is what will separate you from others within your industry.
3. 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤 & 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤
Instead of trying to be on every platform at once from the get-go focus on ONE main platform first. Provide your audience value, build relationships, and ultimately be known on that one platform before expanding to another.
So girl, take these 3 tips and start building your stand-out brand on Instagram. And if you are looking for more help when it comes to starting + growing your own social media management business, then be sure to check out The Tropical Social Podcast!
Thanks for reading! If you liked what you learned, connect with me on Instagram
The podcast for early-stage social media managers who are looking to stand out online & live the laptop lifestyle. Whether you want to work online + live abroad, road-trip across the country, or simply be your own boss from the comfort of your home, The Tropical Social Podcast is here to help you do just that!