Building a following vs personal brand

We all see “personal branding” experts that promise to increase your followers. I can’t deny it, it is a good skill too.

But frankly speaking, it is not the best plan for a successful personal brand and your business ecosystem.

Let’s understand the differences.

Focus

Building a following centers on increasing the number of followers. It mainly focuses on numbers and they are usually like vanity metrics such as impressions etc.

Building a personal brand is about shaping how others see you. It focuses on your image and values.

Personal branding should prioritize your reputation, positioning, and relevant audience.

Method

To build a following, you might use trends, popular content, and “viral strategies. “ So those people usually follow all the trends to increase their vanity metrics. It's about maximizing visibility and attracting numbers quickly

For a personal brand, you use consistent messaging that reflects your true self and your professional strengths. So you prioritize value rather than popularity. It prioritizes meaningful connections

You have to remember this your LinkedIn account is strongly tied to your career.

Outcome

A large following doesn’t mean loyal or engaged followers.

A strong personal brand leads to trust and loyalty and it expands your professional network.

This loyalty can turn into long-term benefits for your business.

Impact

Followers might come and go based on trends. It can bring you lots of short-term opportunities like paid sponsorship posts etc.

A personal brand stays with you. It can help you in many ways across your career and business life.

Conclusion

If you want popularity, and short-term results go chase every trend and increase the number of followers you have.

If you want a strong reputation, and sustainable business results, build your personal brand and forget about the vanity metrics.

They are not your goals, followers will be the by-product of the value and quality you deliver.

And that is what I teach here:
LinkedIn Personal Branding Course

PS: If it is costly for you, and you don’t want to invest, just DM me on LinkedIn and you’ll get it for your country’s Netflix subscription amount. I trust you.

See you next week!
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Seha Okudan