The Three Keys to Building Your Professional Home

Building Your Personal Brand

Written by: Sara Hudson

Your personal brand is a lot like a house; it’s a space that tells your story. Let’s look at how a digital presence like LinkedIn profiles, personal websites, and social media platforms is like constructing a new home. As with every new home build, you need to start with a solid foundation and the right tools.

The three keys to making the foundation of your house stand strong are Clarity, Consistency, and Authenticity.

#1 Clarity: The Blueprint of Your Brand

So now that we have laid out the foundation of your new house, we need a clear blueprint to organize the structure. Clarity in personal branding means having a clear understanding of who you are, your core values, and what you hope to achieve through your personal brand or how you want to be seen. A house without a blueprint can seem unorganized, much like a brand without clarity.

Identify your strengths: What is different about you from other businesses in the industry? What skills and experiences can you bring to the table that make you unique? Add your skills and experiences to your blueprint by making a short list of the most critical aspects of your

personal brand.

Define your message: Your blueprint should be crafted in a way that resonates with your ideal audience and clearly articulates what sets you apart from others in your industry.

Know your audience: You really want to connect with and understand your audience and what they care about. Your blueprint must be authentic and impactful to show who you are trying to reach, and what you can offer them.

#2 Consistency: The Framework and Structure

We can set our blueprint aside and work on the next step which is building a strong framework. We want everything to align with our core message for our new house. Consistency ensures that your online presence and communication aren’t unstable and that your house will be built to completion.

Unified Visual & Verbal Identity: You are in charge of how your house is built! Show up for

your audience on all platforms, your professional engagement should always carry the same tone, colors, and messaging. I like to create a brand kit for reference to help me

stay aligned with my brand.

Regular Engagement: Who is going to build this house? You are! So, you need to show up every day and be consistent through content creation, networking, or industry discussion. Creating a content calendar to stay on track with engagements across all platforms can be useful for you or your team.

Deliver on Your Brand Promise: If you talk the talk, you must walk the walk! Showcase yourself as an expert through leadership and contributions. Also, encourage customer feedback by conducting surveys or hosting live Q&A sessions to show how you care about them while also maintaining consistency with your brand and vision.

#3 Authenticity: The Interior That Feels Like Home

Let’s make this house a home! We want all of the warm and fuzzy feelings a home can offer when it reflects the personality of the people who live it. What makes your personal brand relatable is your home's authentic and trustworthy vibes.

Stay True to Yourself: A lot of changes are happening across all digital platforms, just be sure to stay true to yourself, not just what’s trendy. Be sure this aligns with your core values; you want your home to reflect these values by giving it the personal touch of emotion it deserves. Do you really need the viral TikTok decor for your new house because it is trending? Or do you want some decor that is exclusive like no one has seen before?

Share Your Story: It’s ok to have some dirty dishes in the sink or laundry backed up for a day or two, that is what makes us human. Share these personal experiences, successes, failures, or anything relevant to your story with your audience to make your brand more engaging.

Embrace Growth: Changing the paint on the walls or replacing things in our home over time is ok. Just like your home, your brand should grow with you. This is a space for your career to grow, flourish, and welcome new opportunities.

Using the three keys to personal branding Clarity, Consistency, and Authenticity, take an action step to define your unique value proposition (UVP). I suggest writing a blog post or an “About Me" section that tells your story.

Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the professional home you’ve built from the foundation up!