Many people, although reluctant to admit it, want to build their audience as quickly as possible when they first start building their personal brand. Some are upfront about their desire for fast growth, while others may say something like, "Getting followers isn't my main priority, but I want my efforts to count for something."

The number of followers a person has become a new form of social currency. Even so, I’ll be honest with you: getting followers for my clients and students is **not** a top priority for me. And I’ll tell you why in a second.

I know the look all too well. The feeling of overwhelmingness written all over my students’ faces when they tell me their frustrations with social media. I empathize with them. Creating valuable content regularly will push you beyond what you are comfortable with. It is hard. And hard things require that we take breaks. So how does one take an intentional break from social media while still remaining aligned with the goals they have for their personal brand? Take it from someone who knows.

This week on my Instagram stories I asked you what you’re struggling with. A majority of people said they had a hard time posting consistently on social media. In response to this, I’m sharing my four tricks for being more consistent.

I created a personal website years ago. I remember loving the process. I’m an entrepreneur by trade and a creative at heart. I love my little ‘projects,’ and creating my personal website was the most fun of all. My personal website has continued to evolve as I’ve evolved. It’s always changing as I am always changing. I love that I have a place to share my knowledge, connect with my audience, and let others know how they can work with me. A personal website makes it real. Here are three main reasons you should start yours sooner rather than later.

To write well is one of the greatest challenges people face while building their personal brand. Everything you do for your personal brand involves the practice of writing; i.e, creating Instagram captions, voice over scripts, blog posts, emails, and most importantly, the copy on your personal website. If I had a nickel for everytime I heard, “But Anna, I’m just not a good writer, can I hire someone to do it for me?” I would be a very wealthy woman and I still wouldn’t hire anyone to do it for you. Here’s why.

What is a visual identity? We define it as a cohesive collection of graphical elements that are chosen intentionally to bring your personal brand to life. The purpose of a visual identity is to create an emotional impression on your audience and inform your Ideal Brand Adopter about the essence of who you are and the many different aspects of your personality and professional expertise.

Simply put, a Personal Brand Statement is an outward-facing statement that tells people what you do. That’s it. No need to overcomplicate it. If you do something they care about, they’ll follow you. That’s how it works. It’s also important to note the difference between a Personal Brand Statement and a Personal Mission Statement. A mission statement explains why your personal brand exists. What’s the purpose of your brand? What are you trying to accomplish by having a personal brand and sharing your content with others?

If you don’t have any real level of professional expertise, is it pointless to build a personal brand? Absolutely not. Take heart in knowing you don’t have to share educational content on social media to have a credible personal brand. Everyone has to start somewhere. If you’re a person who wants to serve others, share what’s true for you, and tap that creativity muscle, you will find immense joy and satisfaction from creating content consistently and engaging with an audience who is interested in who you are and what you do.

You might have an idea of what it means to have a personal brand, but what does it mean, really? Simply put: a personal brand is you, online. A personal brand is every touchpoint of communication that people have with you; i.e., your website, Instagram profile, TikTok videos, emails, and LinkedIn posts, etc. Having a personal brand means that you are intentional about what you choose to share online. It is essential that you do not look at your personal brand as a separate entity. Your personal brand should be an honest reflection of who you truly are. A personal brand cannot be created as a construct to hide behind. A personal brand is not about creating one's “perfect” identity. Rather, it is the process of revealing your true self to the world. So how does one know if they’re truly ready to start building their brand? How can you be sure if this is the best use of your time and resources? Well, I’ll tell you, it starts with these 4 things.