David Ogilvy, the “Father of Advertising,” defined a brand as “the intangible sum of a product’s attributes.” As an influencer, you are the product, and it’s up to you which attributes you choose to define you to create your brand.
A distinctive and crystal clear personal brand plays a vital role in converting viewers into engaged followers. A clearly defined brand makes it easier for your audience to connect with you and understand what sets you apart from other influencers.
A crowd that is genuinely interested in what you have to say and offers is key to building and scaling a viable influencer business. We’ll discuss what a personal brand is and how to define yours.
Let’s make it clear what a brand is. Why is a clear brand important?
The definition of a brand is somewhat abstract, but you’ve been seeing and experiencing them. Think of what differentiates one brand of makeup from another despite selling the same products: you’re probably thinking of their marketing, packaging, logo, and how they word their emails. Think of a brand you prefer over another that produces similar products with similar quality. Why is this?
Your personal brand is a package that ties together multiple facets of your identity and what you offer. It’s the overall look and feel of what you’re presenting. It’s an intangible energy radiating from your aesthetic, words, and tone of your captions. Think of it as the way you’re delivering your content, or like your page’s personality. It immediately evokes an abstract, gut feeling to a viewer.
Do you want your page to give off a dreamy vibe or a more serious one? Do you want viewers to immediately think “vintage” or “futuristic” when they land upon your page? Whatever you choose, your page needs to authentically reflect your unique personality, aspirations, interests, values, and talent. Identify which parts of the above you’d like to highlight.
Your brand should be distinctive from other influencers and be genuinely unique to you. Your personality is what will allow your followers to build a deeper bond with your brand.
Here are some tangible steps you should take to define this brand.
Narrow down your niche.
Let’s start with the more concrete, tangible elements on your page. First off, what’s your niche? You probably know some types of content you’re offering, so try to narrow it down. Say you’re a fashionista -- is there a type of fashion you’d like to focus on?
For example, fashion influencer Jenny Cipoletti stands out with a distinctively feminine, delicate style, while another fashion influencer Jessica Wang consistently flaunts her unique high-fashion style. From each of their pages, viewers can quickly identify those niches and keep scrolling if they happen to like these specific styles, eventually converting to followers. Having a specific, distinctive niche shows expertise in a particular topic, helping you attract a targeted audience.
Perspective: what’s your value?
Another perspective you can take to define your brand is to think of the value you’re providing. How is your content going to help your audience and improve their lives? Are you presenting in-depth facts about your niche? Will you be writing detailed travel guides? Do you want to be a source of everyday motivation and inspiration towards a healthier lifestyle? A gorgeous feed isn’t enough anymore. You’ll need more substance than that.
Think from the perspective of what problems you’re solving. For example, some influencers are trying to fill a gap they’ve noticed. For example, some influencers like Sarah Tripp saw a lack of curvy influencers and wanted to create a space to encourage body positivity in the influencer industry.
Analyze your target audience. Think about people who share similar physical or personality characteristics as you. What challenges and frustrations do they tend to face? What do they feel is missing in their lives? How do you plan on easing up their lives and inspiring them? How do you plan on helping them solve their problems?
Your journey throughout all the above should be genuine. Even if you’re just showing off your life’s highlights and not the days at home eating gallons of ice cream, don’t forget to be true to yourself. Be honest about your values and preferences. Don’t participate in something you’re uncomfortable with just for clout or to jump on the bandwagon.
Your personal brand defines much of your reputation and is the foundation of your influencer business and well, all businesses in general. It’s what people will visualize when they hear your name. It’s what you’ll be known for. So choose a sustainable direction you’ll be proud of in the years ahead, one that makes you and your audience happy.. If you’re looking to take your influencer career to the next level, don’t hesitate to hit us up for a free consultation!
Images by our in-house photographer Sharon
