If you’re going to build a great personal career brand, you’ll need the right tools.
The purpose of building a personal brand is not about the perfect color scheme or spending hours on a website, but to show people you’re human.
Think about it.
As we spend more and more time online paying bills, buying #allthethings, earning degrees, and more, there are more barriers than ever to in-person conversations and human interaction.
Potential employers, customers, and partners alike need to be able to trust that you’re not just capable of doing the work and delivering the product, but will be a good overall fit.
Proper branding is the key to doing just that.
The type of branding I believe in prioritizes building credibility, not being picture perfect. Once the credibility has been established, you maintain it (and stay top of mind) by being relevant.
What a beautiful opportunity we have in this day and age to communicate our strengths effectively and attract new, exciting opportunities.
Thousands of people are getting clear about their brand– and so can you. I’m so excited to bring you these dead-simple, fool-proof tools.
Here are the best tools to get you started on building your brand:
NameCheap
If you haven’t gone ahead and grabbed your domain name off the internet (i.e.: www.yourname.com), you should do so now. Whether you have a website or not– owning your URL name will be a critical part of building your professional brand.
Namecheap lives up to its name by being super cheap when it comes to buying URLs. Their customer service is also highly responsive which makes it an even safer bet.
GreenGeeks
After grabbing your domain name, you’ll also need a web host to help your website go live. Shopping around for a host can be exhausting. I’ve used so many I can’t even keep track. What I do know is that some stand out above others. GreenGeeks is affordable, easy to use, and you can pick up the phone and call them if you need help. That’s one thing you won’t find with other hosts. They also care about and give back to the environment.
Want more options? Blue Host is another trusted website host used by millions of creators, entrepreneurs and professionals. Looking for something of the highest quality? Upgrade your hosting to WP Engine.
HARO
Help a Reporter Out or HARO is a platform that brings together reporters, public relations professionals, and members of the public. When you sign up (it’s free!) you will begin receiving emails on the topic or topics you chose.
If you see a question you can answer, reply to the email directly and the reporter may use your quote online, in the paper, or in a magazine. HARO is a great way to share your expertise or get publicity for your business (building credibility). Reporters from the biggest news organizations and brands use HARO.
Fiverr
We could all use a personal assistant sometimes. I’ve used Fiverr over the years to do small tasks like transcribe an audio interview, fix bugs on one of my websites, design a T-shirt, and everything in between.
Ever wonder how thought leaders are able to constantly come up with great insights and perspective? They read! Taking time to digest different ideas and find inspiration from tools like Pocket, listening to podcasts, or taking notes after talking to a peer or mentor is exactly how top professionals find substantive ideas to share.
Scoop.it
Scoop.it is a powerful, free content curation tool millions of professionals are already using to build credibility in their industry. The tool allows you to find, schedule, and publish content from around the web so that you’re always top of mind with colleagues and peers.
Buffer
Buffer is more than another social media scheduling app, it is a curating tool. When it comes to branding, curating is the most important aspect there is. Buffer makes it easy for you to find highly relevant articles and content within your industry to share on popular social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn.
Calendly
Presentation is so important in branding. Calendly is a website that let’s you have your own calendar page. Instead of going back and forth with a new contact you want to connect with, simply send them your calendar so they can find a time that works for them to connect with you.
Alternative: Schedule Once. Both are free, I think it just depends on how many features you’re looking for.
RecurPost
I love RecurPost and have used it for years. The platform helps you put your social media on a loop. Have a great article you wrote? Share it on any social media platform—like LinkedIn—every week, month, or whenever you’d like. Stay top of mind in any industry you’re in by regularly popping up on the newsfeeds of your peers and colleagues.
PLANN
If you’re interested in seeing growth on Instagram, PLANN is the secret weapon you need to put in action. As you can see from all of the tools on this sheet, the goal is to get organized. PLANN is an app that helps you organize and schedule your Instagram posts. It can even tell you the best time to post and saves a space for your hashtags.
Grammarly
Grammar may be one of the most boring topics known to man, but grammatical errors (especially in a book you’ve written, your LinkedIn bio, or work emails) are just embarrassing. Grammarly is super easy to install on your browser, it’s free, and it can help you check your work whether you’re in Gmail or writing a blog.
Looka
LogoJoy is such a fun and easy tool. Rather than paying a designer thousands to create a logo, just log on and choose a few colors and fonts—then voila! You have a logo of your name, product, or service.
I’ve used Logojoy a ton of times for all types of personal and professional projects with great results. If you’re looking for something fast and effective, Logojoy is a great option to have in your brand building arsenal.
Wix.com
If you’ve said to yourself “I can’t make a website,” know that the devil is a liar. One of the simplest and easiest ways to get started on your own personal website, is Wix. It’s perfect for a simple, one page website that will present your photo, services, and contact information in a beautiful layout.
