Building a compelling personal brand isn’t just about crafting a unique value proposition or refining your messaging—it also requires effectively communicating your value to the right audience.
That’s why it’s essential to think strategically about the channels you use to share your brand. Today, virtually every personal branding strategy should include social media in some capacity.
Here’s why social media is a powerful tool for building your personal brand, along with six steps to help you get started.
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Why Social Media Matters for Personal Branding
No matter your audience, chances are, they’re on social media—whether for entertainment, networking, or education. A recent Pew Research Center study shows how many United States adults use social media, including:
- YouTube: 85 percent
- Facebook: 70 percent
- Instagram: 50 percent
- TikTok: 33 percent
- LinkedIn: 32 percent
- Reddit: 24 percent
- X (formerly Twitter): 21 percent
Social media allows you to showcase who you are, what makes you unique, and the value you offer—directly to your audience. Your social media presence can even serve as a lead-generation tool. It gives members of your network a pathway to connect with you via direct messages, comments, or links to your website.
It’s also important to note that people—including your target audience—form first impressions increasingly digitally, well before they meet someone face-to-face. Your social media profiles could be the source of that first impression, for better or worse.
“In the world of personal branding, first impressions are obviously really important,” says Rachel Greenwald, professional matchmaker, dating coach, and executive fellow at Harvard Business School, in the online course Personal Branding. “Most people think of a first impression as meeting face-to-face and how you come across when you meet in person, whether it’s at the office or a coffee shop on a date. But what’s really happening in today’s digital world is that, before most people meet you, they’ve already Googled you. So, whatever comes up in Google search results is actually the pre-impression that somebody has before they go to meet you in person.”
Your social media profiles are often among the first results individuals see—making them a crucial part of your digital first impression.
Building Your Personal Brand on Social Media
Social media can make—or break—your personal brand. This shift presents an opportunity for proactive individuals to build, refine, and promote themselves. Here are six steps to help you get started.
Step 1: Define Your Goals
Before you begin leveraging social media to promote your personal brand, ensure you’re clear on what you want to accomplish. These goals will inform everything you do—from the platforms you choose to how you present yourself.
Goals you might have for your social media presence include:
- Expanding your network
- Attracting new customers, clients, or leads to your business
- Building credibility and authority in a topic or field
- Demonstrating the expertise or value you offer
- Establishing and managing your reputation
Use these as a starting point, but let your personal brand’s goals shape your strategy.
Step 2: Choose the Right Platforms
When social media first emerged two decades ago, there were only a few platforms. Today, there are dozens to choose from.
Each connects you to your audience differently—from microblogs (X) to long-form video (YouTube) to short-form video (TikTok), images (Instagram), job postings (LinkedIn), and more. Each platform attracts a distinct user base.
As you decide which platforms you’ll incorporate into your personal brand, you must consider their capabilities and typical users. Focus your efforts on establishing your brand on the platforms that give you the greatest opportunity to connect with and offer value to your target audience.
Ask yourself:
- Where does my audience spend their time online?
- Which platforms do my competitors or experts in the field use most?
- What type of content performs best on those platforms?
- Could leveraging an unexpected platform help—or hurt—my brand?
For instance, TikTok could help you stand out, or miss the mark, depending on your audience.
Step 3: Craft a Compelling Profile
Whichever platforms you decide to pursue, complete your profile on each one. At a minimum, this will usually include a profile picture and a short “About Me” section. Depending on the platform, it could also include other inputs you should take advantage of, such as your educational background or professional history.
Be intentional about which assets—like photos, videos, or headlines—you highlight in your profile. Cayman Rojas, a creator manager at LinkedIn, recommends that you clearly articulate your mission, values, and goals authentically.
“Being authentic is extremely important to do when you’re building your personal brand, especially as a creator or a thought leader,” Rojas says in Personal Branding. “Authenticity creates trust, which then is what enables your community to support you in whatever it is that you’re doing.”
Step 4: Establish a Consistent Voice and Style
Just as every successful corporate brand has a unique and well-defined voice, so, too, should your personal brand. Establishing a brand voice that conveys your style, tone, and overall attitude will help your brand stand out from competitors on social media. It gives your audience a reason to engage with your content instead of someone else’s.
Consistency is key. An inconsistent voice can make you seem inauthentic, which could harm your brand and hinder your success. Find something that encapsulates who you genuinely are—and stick with it.
Step 5: Develop a Content Strategy
The primary way you’ll establish your personal brand is by publishing content for your audience. As noted, this can take the form of text, images, or videos—all depending on the capabilities of the specific platforms you choose to leverage.
Rather than posting randomly, create a content strategy. This helps ensure regular posting and better alignment with your personal brand versus a more scattered approach.
The key is aligning your content with the goals you established in step one, while also ensuring it’s content your audience wants to consume. To that end, Rojas recommends taking a straightforward approach by periodically asking your audience what they want through polls or open-ended questions.
“When you’re able to speak to what your audience is interested in and it’s leading with value, it’s matched against your expertise and your passions—that’s when you really create a strong community and network, which is going to 10-times your personal brand more so than just posting what you think is going to go viral or you think people want to see,” Rojas says in Personal Branding.
Step 6: Evaluate Your Success
To know whether your social media strategy is working, you must evaluate your progress regularly. One of the most effective ways is to choose metrics that align with your goals and track them over time. If progress is slow, you can take a data-driven approach as you make adjustments.
The metrics you choose to track will depend on your goals and the platform you’re using, but some you may want to consider include those in the following buckets:
- Engagement (Likes, reactions, comments, and shares)
- Reach (Follower growth, views, and impressions)
- Conversion (Clicks and direct messages)
- Personal mentions
You can use several different tools to source these metrics. Many social media platforms offer free, built-in analytics that provide insight into engagement, reach, and follower growth. If you want more detailed reporting or to manage multiple platforms in one place, you might consider a third-party tool like Hootsuite, Buffer, or Sprout Social. These platforms can help you monitor performance, schedule content, and adjust your strategy based on real-time data.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
As you experiment with using social media for personal branding, try to avoid some of these common mistakes:
- Inconsistent posting: You don’t need a rigid schedule, but you do want to have some consistency. Consider posting valuable content at least once a week to keep your audience engaged.
- Ignoring engagement: If your audience interacts with your content—for example, commenting on a video—take the time to respond. This shows that you’re approachable, reinforces your brand voice, and helps build stronger relationships with your audience.
- Not adding value: It’s okay to promote yourself occasionally, but your primary focus should be offering value to your audience—in the form of entertainment, inspiration, or education. Avoid over-promoting and under-delivering, or you may end up hurting your personal brand in the long run.
A Valuable Channel for Developing Your Personal Brand
With the right strategy, your social media presence can become a powerful asset—helping you connect with your audience and deliver value long before you meet in person.
Before focusing on social media, ensure that you have a clear grasp of your personal brand and how to communicate it. An online course like Personal Branding, taught by HBS Senior Lecturer of Business Administration Jill Avery, can help refine your messaging and build your personal brand on a solid foundation.
Ready to grow your personal brand? Explore the online course Personal Branding—one of HBS Online’s marketing courses that enables you to articulate your unique value and differentiators. Or consider our Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB), which includes Personal Branding in the required curriculum.
