Personal branding is a relatively new concept that has gained significant traction in recent decades, thanks to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and WordPress. The benefits of personal branding have led to its rapid growth. Many individuals are actively striving to enhance their online personas to reap the rewards of effective branding.

It is important to clarify that personal branding is not limited to creating logos for businesses. Rather, it involves developing your own digital reputation. In essence, personal branding is about becoming known for something. Social media provides a platform for individuals to express themselves and showcase their skills, which may not be feasible in real-life interactions. A single click can be transformative, potentially catapulting your work to viral status.

However, without personal branding, your online presence may fail to gain attention, and your internet reputation will not flourish. Interestingly, many individuals engage in personal branding without realizing it. What you share online becomes what you are known for, and the unshared remains unknown. Therefore, it is crucial to discuss how we can construct our online personas to align with our objectives and derive benefits from them.

Step 1: Create a Social Media Account – The first step toward building your online reputation is to create an account on the social media platform of your choice. It is impossible to establish a reputation on a platform you are not a part of. Building your reputation on social media requires active engagement within the social media ecosystem.

Step 2: Overcome Shyness – To build your reputation on social media, you must overcome any hesitations about sharing your thoughts and posting content online. People can only know you based on what you share; your true self remains concealed if you hold back. Unless your audience possesses supernatural abilities, they cannot know what you keep hidden.

Step 3: Establish an Objective – Determine what you want to be recognized for on social media. Do you aspire to be known as a blogger, poet, or motivational speaker? This objective will guide your activities on social media. If you aim to be recognized as a motivational speaker, share content that aligns with this theme.

Step 4: Connect with Influencers Online – You will find individuals with substantial followings who share common interests with you. Seek out these influential connectors within your chosen field for personal branding. Engage with them, foster genuine relationships, and witness the impact it has on your online influence.

Step 5: Offline Behavior Matters – As someone endeavoring to establish their personal brand, it is crucial to be mindful of your offline behavior, as it can tarnish the reputation you have diligently built online. An example is a writer with a dedicated following who engaged in sexual harassment, which was exposed on social media. The ensuing backlash resulted in the loss of the reputation they had worked hard to cultivate over the years.

Step 6: Monitor Your Social Media Activities – As a serious individual committed to building your online reputation, it is important to monitor your online activities and remain vigilant against hackers. Some hackers may compromise your account and post inappropriate content, exploiting it for their own gain. Regularly reviewing and tracking your activities can help you address such issues promptly.

Step 7: Apply Filters – Exercise caution when posting content and ensure it aligns with your objectives. Not every post needs to be shared. Before posting, evaluate each piece of content using the triple filter test: Is it truthful, good, and useful? If a post falls short of these criteria, it may not be necessary to share it.

Step 8: Support Others – Supporting other social media personalities in their personal branding efforts can benefit your own reputation. Liking or sharing their posts can be encouraging and contribute to enhancing your own online presence. Many individuals feel obligated to reciprocate such support.

In conclusion, personal branding relies on sharing your thoughts and ideas that have passed the triple filter test. Your posts can either elevate or damage your personal brand. It is therefore crucial to exercise caution when uploading content, being tagged in posts, or receiving shared content. Remember, you cannot build your reputation without active sharing—ultimately, you are what you share.