The Atelier | Using Content to Build a Strong Personal Brand

Using Content to Build a Strong Personal Brand

Behind every strong personal brand is a strategic content plan. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or working your way up the corporate ladder, investing time and effort into cultivating a personal brand will provide you with unique opportunities and completely accelerate the trajectory of your professional career.

Here are 3 types of content that you should incorporate into your personal branding efforts:

Original Content

Creating original content is the backbone of your content plan. But, how do you get started? What topic do you know a lot about? What area could you become a thought leader in? I started Do Well Dress Well because I wanted a space to share my expertise (and passion!) for personal branding and dressing well. My original content has now become a part of who I am and what people know me for. It has helped me position myself as an expert, which has led to public speaking and consulting opportunities…without me having to ask! However, starting a website is only one platform for creating original content.

You can also:

  • Publish articles on sites such as LinkedIn and Medium
  • Create a YouTube channel
  • Start an Instagram account

Want a little inspiration before you jump into creating content on Instagram? One of my fellow panelists at The Atelier conference, Lauren McPhillips of This Renegade Love does an excellent job of creating a conversation around her authentic content on blogging, social media, travel, personal branding and so much more! I highly recommend that you give her a follow!

Whichever method you choose (you may choose more than one!), they key is to be consistent. Create a schedule and do your absolute best to stick to it. Over time, people will come to expect your content and you don’t want to leave your audience hanging. Having a project that you have consistently committed to also makes for an excellent portfolio piece to highlight your value during your job search.

Curating Existing Content

So maybe you’re not ready to start creating your own content – you can still build your personal brand by sharing interesting and relevant content to your industry. Recommend that your followers or connections read a particular article and even share a few words as to what aspect you found particularly interesting. You can still position yourself as an expert by expertly curating content and becoming a trusted source of news.

Avery Swartz, Founder and CEO of Camp Tech and North Coast Group, Tech Expert and Digital Advisor, is a perfect example of someone who expertly curates content across all of her social media platforms, including LinkedIn. Each day, she shares insightful tech articles from across the web, which helps to solidify her expertise in the tech industry. As soon as you think of tech, you’ll think of her! This content complements the original content that she creates via her blog Stuff Avery Likes, as well as her numerous press mentions and TV appearances!

Featured Content

This type of content is where your name and brand is featured on someone else’s platform. This could mean:

  • Guest blogging: contributing an article to someone else’s website
  • Interviews: Being interviewed on someone else’s platform

Featured content is extremely beneficial as not only do you allow yourself to be exposed to a new audience but you instantly portray yourself as an expert. You should always keep your eye out for opportunities to be featured as they will become a valuable part of your brand.

I continue to admire the brand that Karlyn Percil-Mercieca has built. As a Certified Neuro-Success and Emotional Intelligence Coach, she empowers women worldwide to master their mindset so they can lead and be their best selves and bold, brilliant and beautiful women.

In addition to being a lifestyle expert for Cityline, she’s been featured on major outlets such as Forbes, CNN and the Globe and Mail…just to name a few! I’ve also had the pleasure of interviewing her over on the Make Lemonade blog! Karlyn always shares these features on her social media profiles and it’s an excellent reminder for all of her followers that she’s a credible expert in her field!

So now I ask you this – do you have your personal brand content plan in place?


A version of this article originally appeared on Do Well Dress Well. Follow them on Instagram!