HOW TO CREATE A PERSONAL BRAND FOR YOURSELF*

You’ve got the talent, skill and ability - where are all the customers? Whether you’re a blogger starting out or a self-employed beautician looking to find clients, success in the digital age depends on creating a personal brand and helping new faces find you across multiple platforms. Uniform supplier Harveys give me their tips on creating a personal brand for yourself.

Personal Style

This one’s most important for fashion bloggers or those who are creating a business for themselves. If you’re a self-employed beautician or spa therapist, for example, a good uniform is essential in helping people view you as professional and can also be a fantastic way of expressing a bit of your personality - choose something in your favourite colour or a style that makes you feel fabulous - if you exude confidence, it will make your clients feel instantly better.

For bloggers, it’s about feeling as comfortable as possible in what you wear and expressing as much of you as you can. If you’re starting a fashion blog, for example, what angle are you going for? Upmarket or bargain? Make sure your clothing practises what you preach and use your style as your biggest advocate. If you don’t feel comfortable in leather trousers and a crop top, don’t wear them. Your brand is all about you and your personality - sell that and the followers will flock in.

Logo, imagery and website

If you’re a blogger, this is a pretty obvious consideration but it’s also something all self-employed individuals need to consider too. You don’t have to be a designer and web developer to create something special nowadays and even the most basic of design skills can help (ask a friend if it’s really not something you’re comfortable with). You need to look out for something that stands out and showcases what you do - for example, if you’re creating a business, clean and crisp bold typefaces tend to work best. If you’re a beauty or lifestyle blogger, something softer and more floral can look lovely.

It’s important to remember that the investment you put into your brand is exactly what you’ll get back. Spend time researching different blog designs and hosting options - free is absolutely fine and fantastic when you’re starting, but to progress and make it to the big league you need something people will remember you for!

Social Media

While it might be tempting to run out there and open every social media channel you can think of, consider your time and what is actually possible to achieve. Juggling a full-time job, a blog and five or six accounts is not easy and won’t benefit anyone.

Do some research into the channels most used by people who work in your industry; for example fashion bloggers can do extremely well on visual channels like pinterest or instagram, while beauty bloggers often sell extremely well on Twitter. If you’re a beautician or makeup artist, Facebook is fantastic due to its function of targeted advertising to the people you want to speak to. Experiment and don’t be afraid of investing time and money into the areas that work best - it’s your brand afterall!

It’s all about you!

Remember it’s called a personal brand for a reason - it’s all about the person creating it. There’ll always be someone else offering what you do, but what makes your offering unique is your personality. Never try to emulate or copy someone else - it won’t make you original and you’ll only attract people for the wrong reason. Be proud of who you are and you’ll find the right audience - whether that’s customers for your products or visitors to a site!

Harveys is a workwear and uniform supplier with over 60 years’ experience. With a UK factory and only the highest quality products on offer, they’ve earned a reputation for products that aid professionals and help businesses become a brand.