By someone who’s recently taken their personal brand both more seriously and less seriously at the same time.
While the phrase ‘personal branding’ might conjure unsavoury images of LinkedIn bros pointing at text bubbles, or painfully curated Instagram feeds full of motivational quotes, believe it or not your personal brand is your businesses secret weapon and could be the thing that cinches your next sale.
As a small business owner or founder your personal brand is the part of your biz that’s uniquely, chaotically, brilliantly YOU and the more you lean into that, the more people will want to work with you, cheer you on, and send your posts to their friends with “this is so YOU” in the caption (aka the god tier of social media engagement)
So… why build your personal brand?
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, people want to connect with people. Not logos. Not faceless companies. Not LinkedIn posts that read like a robot wrote them (and for many they are).
Here’s the sitch: when you show up as a real human being, you build trust, connection, and actual business opportunities. And I say this not as some preachy marketing guru, but as someone who has recently started practising what I preach and showing up more in the name of building my personal brand.
A tale of two brands: business vs. personal
(that’s right, they’re friends now)
Lately, I’ve been showing up online worrying less about polished and perfect and instead prioritising personal insights, humour and value.
Think: behind-the-scenes chaos, real thoughts on running a freelance business, lived experiences and the occasional rant (in lowercase, obviously). I’ve taken my personal brand more seriously in terms of consistency, but less seriously in tone. And guess what? It’s working!
A couple of my LinkedIn posts recently went viral. Like, “people I’ve never met are sharing their experiences and sliding into my DMs in a non-creepy way” kind of viral.
What actually changed?
I stopped overthinking every word.
I stopped second guessing whether people would even like the content.
I posted things that felt real (not just “strategic”).
I engaged like a human, not a brand.
I let people see a bit more of the person behind the business.
I let my absolutely hilarious sense of humour shine through.
And then here’s what actually changed for my audience:
• Audience up 40% in one quarter (no ads, no gimmicks, just vibes)
• New connections with the most amazing, inspiring humans (who knew LinkedIn could feel like a party?)
• A sense of community that I didn’t know I was missing
• More leads from people who already “get” what I’m about
Bottom line? Be more you
If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines thinking “I’ll post when I’ve got something important to say” or “my business page is enough” or “I just can’t with LinkedIn today” I get it. But here’s your sign to start. Even just a little bit.
Start by showing your face. Telling a story. Sharing your thoughts on something your clients care about. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be you.
Because as a small business owner, you’re selling more than a service you’re selling trust. And people trust people who are open, honest, and a little bit funky (and often hilarious just like me…)
So, go forth, founder friend. Post the thing. Share the thought. Be your fabulous self-online.
Your people are waiting (I promise!)
Want help finding your voice or showing up more consistently online? That’s kind of our thing, so let’s talk!
Hannah, Heyday
(or Hannah, LinkedIn expert and personal brand badass)