As women, building our personal brands goes far beyond finding the perfect heels or applying long-lasting lipsticks.
While these can boost our confidence and enhance our appearance, many other crucial elements require our time and attention.
Here’s a question I want to ask you: Would you like to attract more attention to your work and draw in amazing opportunities simply by being yourself?
If yes, then you need to build your personal brand.
Building your personal brand as a woman is an empowering journey that allows you to showcase your unique skills, your values, and your personalities.
Today, we live in a highly competitive world and there are more people showing up on the internet as experts of certain kinds.
In fact, those who have no value to give, but know how to package themselves on social media are the ones getting all the recognitions.
Having a strong and valuable personal brand can open doors to new opportunities for you and establish your credibility as a thought leader especially in a world where women are heavily underrepresented.
Let’s take a look at the 10 ways you can build your personal brand as a woman.
1. Define your Unique Value Proposition
The first step to building your personal brand as a woman is to define your unique value proposition.
A Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is a clear statement that describes the unique benefits and value that you offer to your audience or customers, differentiating you from your competitors.
It typically explains why someone should choose you or your services/products over others available in the market.
To define your unique value proposition, you need to first identify your key strengths, your core skills, and those experiences that make you unique.
Think back to the time you solved a particular problem, how did you go about it? What steps did you take?
Consider those things that you do best.
For me, writing and speaking are 2 things that I know how to do exceptionally well, among other things.
Therefore, I always make sure that every opportunity I get to express myself in those two areas are taken seriously.
If you are a business owner, you want to consider how you deliver exceptional value to your audience or to your clients.
You want to make sure that you understand their needs and you are exceeding their expectations at every touchpoint.
Ultimately, this dedication to excellence sets you apart from competitors and drives long-term success.
When you have identified these things, refine it and make sure they are concise, specific, and resonate with your target audience.
Avoid using complex language in your messaging and make sure it is very easy to understand by all, also, focus on what sets you apart from others. It could be your experience, your skills or even your values.
Most importantly, it has to resonate with your target audience’s needs and desires.
2. Create a Professional Online Presence
There are so many social media platforms these days it’s difficult to count.
Each of these social media platforms have their own audience and their own purposes, so to effectively build your personal brand, you need to identify the ones that best align with your goals and target audience.
My recommendation is that you start with the biggest social media platform there is, that way, your chances of reaching people in your target audience will be high.
Although, this is not always the case, sometimes, the best platform for you may not be the biggest. It is up to you to figure that out.
Here, let’s take a look at them one after the other.
1. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an ideal platform for building a professional network, connecting with industry leaders and potential clients.
If you want to build your personal brand as a woman, it has to be the first platform to jump on.
Share articles to establish yourself as an expert in your field, talk about insightful topics, share your achievements too.
Not only that, engage with other people’s content, wish people well on their anniversaries and birthdays.
Participate in groups related to your industry to exchange ideas and gain visibility.
Ensure your profile is complete and showcases your skills, experience, and unique value proposition.
2. YouTube
YouTube is one of the fastest growing social media platforms available right now.
YouTube has over 2.49 billion monthly active users and just over a third of the world’s population access the platform every month.
Create and share video content on YouTube that showcases your expertise.
You can create and share vlogs to showcase the more informal and fun part of you, you can share tutorial videos or just do talking head videos to share specific information.
You can build a community by engaging with your viewers through comments and live streams.
3. Instagram
Instagram is a visual storytelling platform and also one of the fastest-growing social media platforms today.
Engage with your followers through comments, DMs, interactive features like polls & questions in stories, etc.
Instagram is a highly visual platform so you want to stay on-brand with all your content; pictures and videos alike.
So maintain a cohesive aesthetic to make your profile visually appealing and memorable.
You can also partner with other influencers or brands to expand your reach and credibility.
4. TikTok
On TikTok, you want to leverage trending sounds, hashtags, and challenges to increase your visibility and reach.
If you want to build a relatable and trustworthy brand on TikTok, then share authentic, behind-the-scenes content.
Obviously, short-form content works best on TikTok so create engaging short-form videos that capture attention quickly and conveys your message effectively.
TikTok content has a viral potential and it’s algorithm can rapidly increase your visibility, this provides you the opportunity to go viral and reach a wide audience.
As a woman, strategically using these platforms can help you to effectively build and grow your personal brand, reaching diverse audience and establishing you as an authority in your field.
Whatever social media platform you choose, make sure that you keep it on brand and professional, use professional pictures and consistent branding.
And finally, make sure that you regularly update your content to stay relevant.
RELATED: HOW TO BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND ON SOCIAL MEDIA
3. Strategically Build Your Network
You have to strategically build your network if you want to build your personal brand as a woman.
You won’t get far in life or business without forming meaningful connections so be a social butterfly, attend events and join professional groups.
I attended a Project Management training a while ago and I went with a friend of mine.
When we got back home that night, she called me up to tell me how tired she was because of that training.
My friend is in the fashion industry and she works from her home studio. So she never really leaves her home, except when she goes to Church.
And a lot of us are like that. We work from home and catch up with everything online so it’s difficult to dress up and go to events like these.
Not that its completely bad, but valuable conversations take place in real life, person-person, but sitting at home is stopping you from enjoying that.
But, it’s not so bad, there are online communities you can join to expand your network and gain visibility, an example of communities like that is The Creators Purpose.
If you are going to build a network online, then build a strong one. Engage with others on social media by commenting, sharing, and collaborating.
Don’t just sit and hope to be noticed, you need to interact with people on social media, build a community, pitch yourself to podcasts, blogs, YouTube channels, and so on.
And don’t forget to offer help to someone you’d like to befriend.
Listen, I’m willing to collaborate with you if you are interested in having me on your podcast or your YouTube channel. I’m even willing to be a guest blogger on your blog.
You can totally reach me at hello@fisayopatrick.com or my personal email at fisayopatrick@gmail.com
So accept speaking engagements, collaborate with people and don’t hesitate to offer your help when it’s asked for.
When you actively and genuinely build a supportive online community, you can increase your visibility and influence.
4. Share Your Expertise
Nobody will know who you are or what you do if you do not sell yourself.
If you want to build your personal brand as a woman, you must never think twice about sharing your expertise.
First of all, demonstrating your knowledge establishes you as an authority in your field, gaining respect and trust from your audience.
Sharing your expertise can open doors to collaborations, partnerships, and other opportunities that can advance your career and influence.
It also opens you up to diverse opportunities for work, paid partnerships, paid speaking gigs, training opportunities and so on.
I never hesitate to offer help to people who reach out to me. I have found that it puts me on the radar of a certain caliber of people.
Furthermore, it comes in handy when you are creating your portfolio or your CV.
So share your expertise, write articles, accept speaking engagements, create videos on topics you are passionate about, this will both position you as an expert and let others see the value you offer.
By offering valuable content and support, you build a loyal and engaged following, creating a supportive network that benefits everyone involved.
If you have a far of self-promotion, I’ve made a video on how you can overcome that fear, check it out below.
Sharing your expertise as a female creator enhances your credibility, empowers others, and contributes to building a more inclusive and supportive community.
Another thing you also want to do is to showcase your successes.
Don’t be afraid to highlight your achievements and milestones.
Sharing your successes can inspire others and reinforce your credibility as a leader in your field.
By sharing your experiences and insights, you inspire and mentor other women, helping them navigate their own journeys.
This takes me to the next point.
5. Seek Mentorship and Guidance
It is important that you find mentors who can provide advice and support as you build your brand.
When you learn from the experiences of others, it accelerates your growth and help you avoid common pitfalls.
mentorship allows you to learn from the mistakes of others because you can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.
Experienced mentors offer valuable insights and advice based on their own successes and challenges, they help you navigate your path more effectively and with minimal mistakes.
Mentorship can also fast-track your learning process, allowing you to avoid common pitfalls and leverage proven strategies to build your brand more efficiently.
Having a mentor’s support and encouragement can increase your confidence, empower you to take bold steps and embrace new opportunities.
Good mentors will even go a step further to introduce you to their own networks, providing access to a wider range of contacts and potential collaborators, which can be instrumental in growing your brand.
Mentors can also offer an outside perspective on your brand, helping you see areas for improvement and new opportunities that you might have overlooked.
But you must understand that there’s a way to approach people for mentorship.
You cannot take unless you give, by offering help and an insane amount of value to your would-be mentors, you create a mutually beneficial relationship that can lead to invaluable guidance and opportunities for your growth.
You show them that you are valuable and that you’re not just a value sucker.
Regular check-ins with a mentor ensure that you stay focused on your goals and maintain progress, providing accountability and motivation.
One of my major clients came by referral from my mentor. I’m grateful for Dr. Olumide Emmanuel because of the platforms he has given me.
And I make sure that I don’t take my relationship with him for granted.
Ensure that you are doing so as well.
6. Prioritize Learning and Growth
If you want to build a personal brand as a woman, you must not slack in the area of personal development.
As women, we are constantly being judged by the society much more than our male counterparts.
It’s like the people are watching and waiting to see if you would fail, they want to see what you’ll make out of yourself.
We are judged by society, colleagues, even by other female folks. Worse, we are judged by our own family.
They expect you to just sit still and be a good wife/mother/daughter.
But you owe it to no one but yourself, and the vast number of the people you’ll be helping with your offers, to succeed in your endeavour.
I love to read a lot, you’ll never catch me anywhere without a book.
But would you believe that someone once told me that it puts me in a bad position to be more educated and knowledgeable than the man I would eventually get married to.
As women, we are constantly being judged.
Ignore them, invest in your personal and professional development.
Stay updated with trends in your industry, be a badass, be the best at what you do.
Take courses and seek new experiences to enhance your knowledge and skills.
I recently completed a project management course and I was the only lady in the class with 4 other men, but I didn’t for one day feel any less of myself.
In fact, at one point, we got into a conversation and the other men had to stop to listen to me as I carefully articulated my thoughts and delivered them effortlessly.
Wherever you find yourself, be the unicorn.
7. Always be On-Brand and Authentic
Let’s divide this point into 2 categories.
On-Brand and Authenticity Online
When we say be on-brand and authentic online, we are talking about your digital assets.
Ensure that your messaging, visuals, and interactions align with your brand values.
If you do not know what I mean by this, then you need to learn the basics of personal branding.
This blog post should help you with that.
Consistency is key in branding. Ensure your messaging, visuals, and interactions align with your brand values across all platforms and touchpoints.
Maintaining a uniform tone, style, and message across all platforms and communications, build trust with your audience, and they’ll see you as genuine and reliable.
On-Brand and Authenticity IRL
Being on-brand and authentic in real life means you’re consistently presenting yourself or your business in a way that aligns with your established brand identity.
It means being genuine and true to yourself or your brand’s values, rather than trying to fit into an image that isn’t familiar to you.
Being on-brand and authentic in real life involves aligning your actions, behavior, and interactions with your personal or professional identity, values, and principles.
It means that you are constantly behaving in a way that’s consistent with how you present yourself.
If you claim to value honesty and integrity, your actions should reflect those values in everyday situations.
Being authentic means interacting with others in a sincere and truthful manner.
This involves being honest about who you are and what you believe, and not pretending to be someone you’re not.
So stay authentic, be true to who you are. Authenticity builds trust and makes your brand more relatable.
By implementing these strategies, you can build a powerful personal brand that not only reflects who you are but also opens doors to new opportunities and growth.
Embrace the process, stay true to yourself, and watch your personal brand flourish.
8. Carve Out Your Own Niche
Being known as an expert in a niche is one of the keys to creating a personal brand as a woman.
You want to be known as an expert in your own niche so that your personal brand can grow very quickly.
By virtue of what I do, if there’s anything that has to do with social media or content creation in my communities, everyone comes to me.
This is because of how long I’ve been in the industry and how consistent I have been with it.
I have taught social media marketing, trained people on how to use social media for their businesses, and I have managed social media accounts for people.
Even though I do other things like writing and website development, social media is the first thing people associate with me.
Think about it, if you were to collaborate with someone on say, a community development project, would you just pick and choose anyone who has a long list of skills and experience in managing projects, or would you choose someone who focuses on managing community development projects?
The same thing applies to you, for the sake of building your personal brand, carve out a niche for yourself and stick in there.
9. Join Communities
Joining communities can be a powerful way to build your personal brand, especially as a woman.
Communities provide a platform to connect with like-minded individuals and potential collaborators.
This networking can lead to valuable opportunities, partnerships, and social media followership, which, to be honest, is an asset in today’s digital landscape.
Actively participating in communities (both online and offline) can increase your visibility and establish you as a knowledgeable and engaged presence in your field.
Engaging with diverse groups can expose you to new ideas, trends, and perspectives, which can help you stay informed and relevant in your field.
To make the most of community involvement, focus on being genuine, adding value, and engaging actively. This approach will help you build meaningful relationships and strengthen your personal brand.
I introduce to you: The Creators Purpose.
The Creators Purpose is a community for female Christian creators where we share wins, wisdom, and word! in a totally safe space.
If you’re looking to collaborate with other female creators, share your platforms and content for more engagement, and talk about faith, it’s the best place to join right now.
10. Remember the God-Factor
Last but not the least is the most important one of all – The God-Factor.
Listen, no matter how much effort you put into all of the points above and even the ones I didn’t mention, without God, your efforts will be fruitless.
You may even experience a certain level of success without God, but it will always come to ruin.
How can you ensure that you are focusing on God as you go along?
First of all, understand that God has called you to your industry to do His will and carry out your duties in His name.
So make sure that everything you are doing is in line with His agenda.
Secondly, never choose your work over God, never get involved in any practice that is against the nature or laws that He has given to us on earth.
If you meet God’s conditions, He will do for you what He has never done for others, I can assure you of that. I Corinthians 2:9.
Final Words
It is important that you focus on building your personal brand as a female because women are heavily underrepresented and we are constantly being judged.
But if you can put yourself out there and make every woman proud, that’ll be your best moment.
Share this with any badass female you know and leave your comments in the comment section let me know what you think.