Personal branding is an essential part of building a successful business. It’s what sets you apart from the competition and helps people understand who you are and what you stand for. But getting it right isn’t easy, especially when you’re starting out.
Top 8 Personal Branding Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make
New entrepreneurs often make simple mistakes that can hold them back. As a solopreneur, I made many of these mistakes myself. In order for you to avoid experiencing the same slip-ups, I’m happy to share with you my experience and lessons learned. Here are eight of the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
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1. Lacking a Clear Vision or Mission
If you’re not certain about what your personal brand stands for, how can anyone else know? A clear vision and mission give your branding direction and purpose. Without them, your efforts can feel scattered and inconsistent, which makes it harder for people to trust or connect with you.
Think about what you want to be known for, and why you’re doing what you’re doing. For me and my business, it’s offering useful, first-hand travel advice on off-the-beaten-path destinations around the world, to help me fund a life of location-independent freedom.
What about you? By focusing on your purpose, you can build a brand that’s authentic and compelling. And defining your mission will help you craft a brand that reflects your values and resonates with your audience. Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why is a great read on this topic.
2. Being Inconsistent Across Platforms
Consistency is key to building recognition and trust. Try to make your brand look the same on whichever platforms you use, whether that’s your website, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn. This means using the same logo, colors, fonts, and tone of voice wherever you show up online.
For example, if your website and LinkedIn have a polished, professional look but your Instagram is full of low-quality photos of you on nights out, with little content connected to your brand, it creates a disconnect. People need to feel like they’re engaging with the same person or brand wherever they find you.
Check out this article by Adobe which goes into more detail on this. They provide some excellent examples of brand consistency from globally recognizable brands such as Pepsi, Airbnb, and even Google. But the principle applies to all brands, no matter how big or small.
3. Neglecting Your Online Presence
If you’re an online entrepreneur like me, your online presence is usually the first (sometimes the only) thing people use to get to know you. If your social media accounts are inactive or outdated, or your website looks half-finished, it sends a bad message about the quality of your offerings.
A poor online presence can make you look unprofessional, or – worse – irrelevant. You don’t need to hire expensive brand consultants or a top web developer, but you should keep things polished and looking appealing. Keep your profiles up-to-date, regularly share relevant content, and engage with your audience.
This shows that you’re active, professional, and serious about your work. It also goes hand-in-hand with maintaining a consistent personal brand, as I mentioned above. Start with a quality headshot, a clear bio, and links to your website, customer reviews, or portfolio.
4. Focusing Too Much on Selling
Nobody likes being sold to all the time. I get sales fatigue whenever I spend too much time on Instagram or LinkedIn. Of course, being able to sell stuff is crucial to virtually every business. But, if every post, email, or interaction with your audience is perceived as a sales pitch, people will soon start to tune out.
Good business is just as much about offering value and building relationships as it is about pushing your paid products or services. Share tips, insights, and stories that your audience will find helpful or inspiring. The more value you can provide for free, the more your audience will trust you.
An audience that knows, likes, and trusts you is far more likely to buy from you in the future when you suggest one of your paid offerings. Offer value for free before you ask for any payment. It might seem counterintuitive, but it makes sense, and in my experience, it’s successful.
5. Ignoring Feedback or Reviews
Feedback is a goldmine for improving your business and brand, but too many entrepreneurs either ignore it or take it too personally. Whether it’s a glowing review or constructive criticism, every piece of feedback is an opportunity to grow and strengthen your brand.
I always respond to the feedback I receive – every piece! Replying to customer reviews – whether positive or negative – shows professionalism and helps build trust. Thank people for their praise, and address any complaints calmly, focusing on solutions.
It doesn’t feel great when somebody criticizes your business or brand – especially your personal brand. But, constructive criticism is a great way to learn about things you can do to improve. Don’t shy away from feedback – welcome it, learn from it, and use it to make your brand even better.
6. Copying Competitors Too Closely
There’s a fine line to tread between learning and taking inspiration from your competitors (good) and outright copying them (bad). It’s certainly tempting to look at what a successful competitor is doing and think “That seems to work, I’ll just do the same thing”, but you need to be careful.
You certainly don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Just look at smartphones – Android phones and iPhones are different, but they aren’t that different. If your competitor is on to a winner, of course, you can – and should – take inspiration. But you must also focus on what makes you stand out.
People are drawn to brands that feel fresh and unique. Ask yourself “Why should people buy from you and not your competitor?”. If you copy them too closely, aside from any intellectual property or other legal issues, you risk making your own offering look unoriginal and inauthentic.
7. Not Defining Your Target Audience
If you try to serve everybody, you’ll most likely end up serving nobody. This is a key lesson when it comes to making your business stand out. One of the biggest mistakes that I made – and many new entrepreneurs make – early on was not defining my target clearly audience enough.
Your brand needs to speak directly to the people that you want to work with or attract. And the more specifically you can define your ideal customer avatar – the more you understand your audience – the easier you’ll find it to tailor your messaging, content, and offerings to them.
Start by asking yourself: Who do I want to reach? Who is my ideal customer (and why)? What are their goals, challenges, and interests? What’s their expenditure like? Where do they live? Why should they choose my product? How much would they be prepared to spend on it?
8. Overlooking the Importance of Personal Stories
People connect with people, not faceless brands. Sharing personal stories can make your brand feel more human and approachable. These insights make you relatable and build trust with your audience.
This is even more crucial for small businesses when your products aren’t (yet) well-known household names. Sharing personal stories makes your brand more memorable, differentiates you from your competitors, and helps deliver your message authentically.
You don’t need to overshare or reveal your deepest secrets to build a connection. Start small – share a moment that inspired your business, a lesson you learned the hard way, or a behind-the-scenes look at your journey. Put yourself in the shoes of your customers: if you were them, what would you want to know?
In Conclusion
Building a strong personal brand takes time and effort, but avoiding these common mistakes will save you a lot of headaches and hurdles along the way. A clear vision, consistent messaging, and a genuine connection with your audience are the foundation of a brand that stands out and is more likely to succeed.
Remember, your personal brand is always evolving. Keep refining it, listen to feedback, and don’t be afraid to show the real you. The more authentic and intentional you are, the more your brand will resonate with your ideal customers. And the more effectively you’ll be able to market to them.