How to Build Your Personal Brand on $31/Month
Building a personal brand is a lot of work.
When I was first getting started, I didn’t fully grasp what I was getting myself into.
I prioritized my brand over everything else in my business, even getting clients. I had this hunch that if “I build it they will come.”
And I was right.
They did come.
But it took time, patience, and whole lot of grit and tenacity to stick with it through the hard times.
I remember wanting to quit so badly in those first few months. I cried on my mom’s bed and told her, “I can’t do this Mom, I just can’t.”
She took me into her arms and gave me a big hug.
I told her that I was going to start looking for jobs and that I needed help writing my resume.
She hesitated but told me that I had the freedom to make whatever decision was best for me.
The next day I didn’t write the resume.
Or the day after.
Something inside of me said, “Keep hanging on.”
And so I did.
It was a silent understanding, a quiet moment of realization, where I knew that I couldn’t do anything else but this.
I accepted that my circumstances were difficult, but I knew that I was moving towards something important and that I had to hang on.
While building a personal brand is a lot of work, it doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, it can be the cheapest way to lay the foundation for your business. All things considered, there is very little overhead.
You can build your personal brand in between meetings, after work, on the weekends—don’t overcomplicate this. It can be very easy.
The biggest investment you will make in your personal brand is time.
And for me, that was one resource that I had and was willing to give. And if you’re serious about something, finding time is usually doable.
So this is it, this is how you can build a personal brand for $31 per month. I wish someone would have given me this post when I was getting started (but that’s why you have me).
Begin with the end in mind. What is your ultimate purpose online? What is the message that you want to share with the world? You must identify these answers before you can do anything else. Boil it down to a couple of sentences. Don’t skip this step, or your work will be lackluster and less effective.
Decide what title you’re going to give yourself. Ex: Personal Brand Strategist I talk more about why this is important in this blog post.
Craft your personal brand statement. This should tell both you and your audience who you are and what you do. Don’t overcomplicate this or try to make it sound fancy. Get really clear instead.
Decide what you’re going to contribute online. Personal brands MUST give something back to the community in order for them to be effective. Think both personal and professional. What expertise are you going to share? Which parts of your lifestyle are you going to share? Write these down.
Create your visual identity, choose a color palette, fonts, and 4-5 brand words that describe how you want others to feel when they interact with your brand.
Now, secure all your domain name and social media handles. Cut the cute stuff. Use simply your name. This is prime digital real estate. Secure your name on every single platform.
Build your website. (I recommend Squarespace). This website plan will cost you about $26 per month. Watch Youtube videos and read blogs that teach you how to do this. Include your personal brand statement on your home page. Include an about page, blog, and links to your social media channels.
Now, it’s time to optimize. Refer back to your personal brand statement. Use the same messaging and profile picture across all of your social media profiles. Think of your profile picture like your logo. Use it everywhere. Place a link back to your website on all of these platforms.
Create an opt-in/freebie. Place this on the front of your website. Gather email addresses and slowly grow your email list. Sign up for Squarespace email campaigns for $5/month.
Start creating content at scale. Listen, this is the most important step. Create at scale. Create every single day. Don’t skip days. Refer back to step four so you know what to write. One blog post per week. Send it to your email subscribers, and thank them for following along. Post to social media as many times a week as you can. Stay consistent. An equal combination of personal + professional content. You can do this.
Once you get good at creating content, start pitching yourself to brands and publications. Don’t email them. Find one of their editors on the social media platform they use the LEAST. Why? The barrier to entry is much lower.
Rinse and repeat. (Email me if you need help).
You’ve got this!
Want more?
Apply for a spot in Personal Brand Accelerator, my 3-month course that will help you build your personal brand, tell your story, and post with confidence on social media.
