Don’t be a Corporate Barbara-The-Builder, Create Your Personal Brand
Gabriel Benois
“Marketing is Building an Audience.”
From a presentation I attended in May, Farza of Buildspace talked about marketing and how it’s as simple as building an audience. Of course, as someone who’s been building an audience since 2021, it’s definitely not easy. But it can be simple.
Though I am currently in the corporate world, I don’t see myself following a specific plan for when to get promoted, when to become a senior engineer, or when to submit myself to the title of manager.
Every day is chaotic, I wake up and decide what the mood & vibe is. This can mean I shoot a youtube video, record 8 TikToks, or I go for a 4-hour nature walk. It varies. Building a personal brand keeps me feeling electric, and most days it feels like my little secret.
Actually Building a Personal Brand
What: To build a personal brand, you’re aligning yourself with a set of identifiers - whether that’s Tech, Cooking, or love for books. The clue that holds everything is you - your personality, humor, perspective, DNA.
Why: The labor market has forever changed. Due to Covid, there has been an acceleration in gig work (think Upwork & Fivver), a rise in preference for work flexibility & remote work (especially Gen Z), and the rise of side hustles.
How: This is the tricky part. We know of 2 things - you have to pick a platform & you have to post. Once those two things are your priority then you gain some clarity around what you actually want to post & eventually want to be known for. Step by step, it comes out.
For platforms, consider TikTok and Linkedin. TikTok makes you uncomfortable, humbles you, then gives you the highs of highs. It gives you something no other does well, repetition and fresh eyes.
Launch often. Most people don’t launch enough.
When choosing what you post, use your notes app or journal - keep track of your thoughts. Take what's been on your mind (a show, another TIkTok, music, etc.) and explore.
Be Cringe, Your Audience Awaits
Each week, you need new people checking out your thing + give you fresh feedback.
Through repetition and fueling your creative juices, you’ll get there. Your only job is to keep creating until you get there. According to Farza, launching as much as you’d like and is beneficial. Even if it’s you changing the color of a button.
I’ve been a creator who’s been writing for 2 years and who’s been creating videos for almost a year, the moment you distance yourself from the fear of being seen - that’s when it’ll feel like a superpower.
Don’t be embarrassed, being early in the process or launch is authentic. This is easier said than done until you realize everything you want is on the other side of being cringe.
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