Has anyone ever told you that you have a particular aesthetic or vibe? We’d venture to guess that at some point you’ve heard this. The next question is: could you identify and pin down what that aesthetic is? If you can, you’ve probably already got your personal brand figured out. If you can’t define it quite yet, that’s not a problem. In this article, we’ll explore the topic, alongside personal branding examples, including how to establish and develop a style that looks and feels uniquely like you.
What is Personal Branding?
Having a personal brand is like doing marketing, just a bit more human. We’ve all heard of influencers (and maybe you’re even trying to become one). Part of the art of presenting oneself in the digital age is deciding how to do so and then translating that idea into coherent visuals that give off a certain feel.
So, how to develop a great personal brand? Take a hard look at yourself (from the outside). What’s your first impression of yourself? Try Googling your name and seeing what kind of information comes up. Is it your marathon times and community participation? Make a note of that as surely it’s part of the way you present yourself to the world. Perhaps, your hard work and business successes come up when you do this exercise, and you can use your entrepreneurial image as a jumping-off point.
If you want to go a more visual route, take a look at your social media accounts. How would you describe the aesthetic? It’s it laid-back, artsy, comedic? Is it a little all over the place? All observations are valid because as you get closer to defining your personal brand, you’ll have to curate the visual aspects of your accounts.
Why is it Important?
If you want to stand out, look at what makes you different. Creating a brand identity for yourself is important because it highlights these differences for your target audience.
Just like you can immediately differentiate actual brands like Pepsi and Coca Cola, you can differentiate between two people’s distinct styles. So, it’s important to curate your visual image carefully so that it stands out.
What Types of Personal Brands Can Exist?
An article from the New York Times did the worthy work of delineating the 6 main types of personal brands within the “me” economy. Here’s a brief rundown:
- Altruists: People who work hard for their community.
- Careerists: Entrepreneurs who inspire.
- Hipsters: Curated content that gives off a moody, refined vibe.
- Boomerangs: Controversial brands that turn a lot of heads.
- Connectors: Community builders who like to share what they most love with their audience.
- Selectives: Highly-curated content that never breaks its own rules or goes overboard.
What is a Personal Brand Statement?
You’ve seen companies’ mission statements. Now, you need one for yourself. To draft up a personal brand statement, write a couple of sentences on what makes you you and also what makes you different.
It’s important to have a statement so that you can quickly and accurately transmit the core message of the personal brand you’re building. If in doubt, check out other personal branding examples to see how others have created theirs and think how you can apply similar ideas that are unique to you.
How to Write a Personal Brand Statement
- Establish what makes you different. Write down some keywords and try to be brief. You can play around with how to fit these key terms into your statement later.
- Remember who you’re talking to. What does your audience want to hear? Think about who’s on the other side of this message and what will speak to them.
- Give it personality. Make a statement that will stick with people by infusing the language with your voice and keeping the wording memorable and to the point. Being quippy won’t hurt, either.
10 Strong Personal Branding Examples
If you need some personal branding examples to follow, check out the social media profiles or online presences of famous influencers or celebrities like:
- Oprah
- Steve Jobs
- Beyoncé
- Miley Cyrus
- Martha Stewart (an excellent personal branding logo example)
- Bruno Mars
- Tabitha Brown
- Bobby Berk
- Yayoi Kusama
- The Kardashians
Tips for Creating the Best Personal Brand Statement Possible
- Curate: Busy graphics and wording are distracting, so pick a theme and stick to it.
- Make it you: You won’t be able to sustain content that doesn’t feel like you for long, so make your personal brand feel true to you, just aesthetically filtered.
Why is Design Important for Creating a Personal Brand?
In highly-visual spaces like the internet and social media channels, design is everything. You need to grab and hold a viewer’s attention, so carefully consider the following elements of your aesthetic and keep them consistent.
- Fonts
- Image style (for both photos and graphics)
- Color schemes (often, less is more)
How to Create Your Personal Brand with Picsart
There are many ways to establish your personal brand, and over time, you’ll likely need to develop different graphics, from a logo to an entire website, most of which you can do with Picsart. In this brief tutorial, we’ll focus on how to prep your posts in a coherent way for social platforms.
On the Web
1. Open the web application and under Designing For choose the social media app and post type you’re creating for.
2. On the editing screen, start adding elements like font, shapes, and stickers to your canvas using the corresponding tools in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen. If you don’t know where to start, choose a template, and then, make it your own.
Edit templates your way, changing images, text, colors, and more.
Stickers add a whole new dimension and graphic element to designs, if used tastefully and appropriately.
3. Once you’ve established a posting aesthetic that feels like you, stick with it. Use the same design elements or template for all of your posts going forward. You can download your design by clicking on Export in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
On Mobile
1. Open the mobile application and click on the purple plus sign at the bottom of the screen to start a new project.
2. Start with a template or choose Pick Canvas under Drawings to choose the right blank canvas size for the social media platform for which you’re designing.
3. On the editing screen, start adding or changing elements like font, shapes, and stickers using the corresponding tools in the menu at the bottom of the screen.
If working with templates, customize any element such as Text, Stickers, colors, shapes, and more.
4. When you’re done branding yourself, stick with this aesthetic. Use the same design elements or template for all of your posts going forward. You can download your design by clicking on the checkmark in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Create at the Speed of Culture
Picsart is a full ecosystem of free-to-use content, powerful tools, and creator inspiration. With a billion downloads and more than 150 million monthly active creators, Picsart is the world’s largest creative platform. Picsart has collaborated with major artists and brands like BLACKPINK, Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, Lizzo, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, One Direction, Sanrio: Hello Kitty, Warner Bros. Entertainment, iHeartMedia, Condé Nast, and more. Download the app or start editing on web today to enhance your photos and videos with thousands of quick and easy editing tools, trendy filters, fun stickers, and brilliant backgrounds. Unleash your creativity and upgrade to Gold for premium perks!
