11 Effective Platforms for Building a Personal Brand

Building a personal brand allows you to showcase your personality and the personality of your business, which leads to more consistent marketing efforts and a loyal consumer base.

But what platform is the most effective for building your personal brand? There are so many different mediums out there, from social media to blogging to radio, that it’s important to focus on the ones that will best convey your brand’s message.

From contributing content online to establish yourself as a thought leader to providing quick glimpses of your brand through social media, these 11 entrepreneurs from YEC share the platforms they’re using to establish their own personal brands.

1. Interviews

While I love sharing content on my own platforms, interviews have been what’s really allowed me to expand my reach and showcase my brand. There’s something fun and fresh about the interaction (if it’s not overly scripted), and it allows a listener to really see personalities shine through in a way that’s interactive. Bonus points if we get to take questions live during the interview!

Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems

2. Contributed Content in Online Publications

I contribute relevant, helpful information in online publications that reach my company’s audience. Since we are a content marketing firm, we focus on business and marketing publications. Building my platform as a leader in my space has helped me develop a strong professional brand, but more importantly, it’s helped my company thrive.

Kelsey Meyer, Influence & Co.

3. Medium

With Medium, I reach niche audiences but retain message control; there are no editors or guidelines to influence my voice and thus my brand. One of my co-founders, who had never gotten his guest posts published or his speaker proposals approved, started publishing on Medium. The feedback was positive and helped him evolve his point of view. He has now spoken at three recent conferences.

Manpreet Singh, TalkLocal

4. Big Conferences

Giving keynotes or participating on panels at big conferences has been effective for my personal brand. Speaking does many things all at one. You’re communicating your authority on a subject to a large audience. Promoting the speaking event on your website gives you social proof and it makes great content for social media. Lastly, you meet other A-players on your panel or in the green room.

Andrew Thomas, SkyBell Doorbell

5. Podcasts

We started our podcast, The BiggerPockets Podcast, the same way we do many things — as an experiment. That experiment proved to be one of our greatest successes. There’s little in the form of media that’s more personal than a podcast. Our show has allowed us to reach people at a depth we could never before achieve, has given us access to thought leaders and has been great for brand loyalty.

Joshua Dorkin, BiggerPockets

6. Twitter

Twitter has been a personal favorite for me because I like the way I can share thoughts and opinions in a format that encourages others to interact with me. This has proven to help build a following that enhances the other channels I use both online and offline.

Abhilash Patel, Recovery Brands

7. TV

Getting interviewed on TV is the most effective platform for building your personal brand. TV provides powerful visual and auditory communication and is viewed by consumers as highly exclusive. As a result, TV separates your personal brand from others and almost immediately distinguishes you as an authority. TV appearances are also great marketing tools!

Kristopher Jones, LSEO.com

8. Facebook

In the last 10 years, Facebook has enabled me to build both my personal and professional brand online unlike any other platform. I’ve made friends and found leads. I’ve shared pictures, videos, blog posts, thoughts and projects with my community of friends, followers, clients and potential clients. There’s no other platform as comprehensive as Facebook in enabling you to express yourself.

Ayelet Noff, Blonde 2.0

9. Snapchat

Snapchat is ridiculously effective for getting speaking gigs, podcasting guest spots, outsourcers and more. The intimacy provided by the 10-second videos gives you the ability to convey value and get to know who people really are. Focus on your “category.” What are your measurable goals? Connect with people who are doing it well.

Josh Harcus, Hüify

10. Guest Writing

By becoming a guest author for various sites and media publications, you can establish yourself as an authority and build credibility and trust. By writing for authoritative industry verticals and sites like LinkedIn or Medium, you can get your name and brand out there and build your reputation as a thought leader.

Marcela De Vivo, Brilliance

11. Instagram

Instagram is the best platform for building a social media presence for your brand. Users only spend seconds per photo and will scroll through your feed so quickly, but will immediately know if they will give it a follow or not. Through Instagram, we are able to stay consistent with our brand, share our creative eye and style, and showcase all of our best work for followers to view.

Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR