Personal branding photos are a rapidly growing segment of my business, and I got so excited when I ran across this Forbes article a few years ago. I wrote this post back in August of 2019, but these principles still hold true today.
“Whether you own a business or are applying for a job, it’s both helpful and necessary to stand out. A personal brand is for (almost) everyone.”
Kassady Gibson is a commercial photographer and based in Fairhope, Alabama serving businesses across the country with brand photography.
People from all walks of life need a great headshot, and as the number of entrepreneurs and folks with side-hustles grows, there will be more and more people needing great personal branding photos to help them stand out from the crowd.
As with any type of photo, it helps you and your business stand out. It triggers emotion from your audience in a way that words never can.
Here is my take on their 10 Golden Rules Of Personal Branding:
1. Have a focus.
When starting your personal branding journey, it’s important to know what message you want to get across to your audience. By having a focus, you make it clear to the viewer why they want to follow you. For instance, my focus is to serve potential clients who might want to let me take over creating images and their instagram feed. I aim to provide content ideas and give them a feel of what it would be like to work with me.
2. Be genuine.
Be yourself. Isn’t that what we all crave? Authenticity is what will attract the right audience for you. It’s great having a ton of followers, but if you have the right audience who wants to follow you and ultimately buy your product or service, you win.
3. Tell a story.
There is a time and place for facts, but people will follow you to learn more about you and your why behind what you’re doing. Stories are a great way to authentically communicate your message.
4. Be consistent.
Consistency is key when it comes to personal branding. Posting consistently and having a curated look to your feed will keep people engaged. Click here to learn more about creating a curated Instagram feed that attracts the right audience.
5. Be ready to fail.
Fail is a little strong, but know it can be a slow process. Plus, no one is perfect at first. Just start, and you’ll start to get your groove and see what works best for you over time. Starting is the first step. The key to growing as a person and your audience will be to learn from those failures.
6. Create a positive impact.
No one likes a Debbie downer. Creating a positive impact in your community will great a legacy and pay it forward to all of those behind you.
7. Follow a successful example.
Who do you look up to? Who is someone in your field that is killing it? We recommend finding 3 people in your industry to follow that is showing success. See how they are curating their feeds, what language are they using, what style of photo are they taking. Let them be an inspiration to you.
8. Live your brand.
Your personal brand is more than what just shows up in your Instagram feed. It’s the feeling that people have when they are with you. If your brand is really formal and you’re a casual jeans and t-shirt person, it’s not going to convey the trust you’re wanting. By living your brand, people get to know you better and you build more trust over time.
9. Let other people tell your story.
Collaboration is key when it comes to personal branding. When you’re looking for a restaurant to go to, do you trust the reviews for a restaurant on google or the bio more? Of course, the reviews always win! By getting other people to tell your story, you build more trust. Plus you get access to an audience that you might not have without the collaboration.
10. Leave a legacy.
Your message should include your legacy. What are you sharing and leaving with the world? Your legacy can speak life into others!
Ready to start your personal branding journey?
Click here to learn more about our personal branding photoshoots!
