It can be overwhelming to know how to build a compelling personal brand when there’s so much conflicting advice out there. 

Niche. Don’t niche.

Be vulnerable. Be professional.

Post 4x a day. Post 2x a week. 

Fake it til you make it. Just be yourself. 

🤯

Unless you have unshakeable clarity on what makes you special and exactly how you want to show up in your business, this avalanche of advice coming from all directions can make you feel completely overwhelmed.

I’ve been working with clients on building their personal brands and getting visible in their businesses for over a decade, and here are some of the pieces of advice they’ve told me they have been given and why I don’t agree.

I’m going to be sharing the London branding shoot I did with the brilliant screenwriter and copywriter, Dr Demi Aspey throughout this post. I loved this shoot!

BAD ADVICE #1: ‘Mimic other successful brands’

No, please don’t do that. People can smell inauthenticity a mile off. Trying to be someone you’re not is one of the fastest ways to make you lose confidence and erode trust with your audience. Authenticity is key in building genuine connections and establishing a strong personal brand.

BAD ADVICE #2: ‘Just be yourself’

So I’m saying don’t mimic other brands but also don’t be yourself?? 🤔 You should absolutely be yourself. Authenticity is crucial but this advice oversimplifies the complex process of personal branding.

Without first doing the deep clarity work, understanding which parts of your wonderfully multifaceted self to amplify in your business can be tricky.

True personal branding involves uncovering and highlighting the aspects of yourself that align with your purpose, your values and what your clients need and want from you.

BAD ADVICE #3:  ‘You need to be visible constantly’

Showing up regularly to ensure that you are front of mind is important, but sacrificing quality for the sake of quantity can not only harm your personal brand, but also make you resent your marketing. (Hello burn out! 😵)

Focus on having meaningful interactions and creating valuable content that speaks to your audience rather than churning out mediocre posts that don’t excite you or your followers.

BAD ADVICE #4: ‘Aesthetics are the main priority’

As a brand photographer, obviously I believe in the power of aesthetics and beautiful visuals. They are hugely important, but I also know it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

True personal branding delves far beyond surface appearances. It’s about crafting a brand that’s not only visually appealing but also deeply resonant and meaningful to your audience.

You need substance behind the style! An unforgettable personal brand is one that captivates visually and connects emotionally.

BAD ADVICE #5:  ‘Your personal brand should appeal to everyone’

Trying to be everything to everyone often means losing the very quirks & magic that makes you uniquely you.

I could say the same for niching too small and putting yourself into a tiny box that you feel stuck in. Finding the right balance can prove tricky without first getting deep clarity.

By honing in on who you truly want to work with and what your magic is, ensures that your message is clear, compelling, and, most importantly, authentic to those who matter most.

 

That’s why I created my self-paced course, UNCOVER YOUR MAGIC where you craft your personal brand from the inside out and emerge with the clarity you need to show up with confidence. The people who have taken the course have been telling me it’s been a game-changer for their business and it’s made them see themselves in a completely new light. They realised that they had been hiding the magical parts of them that make them different.

And now to finish with some more of this shoot with the wonderful Demi….I love this one of her below with Shakespeare!

 

You can find out more about my personal brand photo shoots here.

I hope you found this useful and enjoyed seeing this gorgeous branding shoot that took place around the streets of Shoreditch in London on a very hot morning last summer!