How to build a personal brand

Written by Rachel Smith for Australian Seniors

If you’re over 50 and looking to shift to a fresh career, a new job or moving into working for yourself, someone may have mentioned that you need to work on ‘your personal brand’. But what does this mean – and does it work?

Short answer? Yes. A personal brand is something you create to showcase your value and what you bring to the table. “They say 50 is the new 30 so we’re definitely not at the end of our careers,” says Carlii Lyon, personal branding expert and author of Courage to Be. “And the benefit of having a well-established personal brand is that it gives you options and attracts opportunity.”

It also boosts your visibility, adds LinkedIn consultant, trainer and profile writer Karen Hollenbach. “People have said to me, ‘I’ve got peers who’ve secured roles that I haven’t been considered for’, and I’ll look at their LinkedIn and say, ‘Well your profile is completely under-representing you. You just told me that you do X,Y and Z – why are you the best-kept secret in town?’ Don’t be a secret. Acknowledge the fact that people will look you up, and make sure they see the key things that represent you as a professional.”

Related: If you’re trying to find a new job online, check out this guide.

Update your LinkedIn profile

The professional social networking platform is easy to tweak, quicker than creating a website – and with the right keywords in your headline and a carefully curated feed, it will put you in front of people who may hire you.

Perfecting your ‘about’ section

Karen suggests focusing on the first two sentences in your ‘about’ section, including key skills, attributes and accreditation. “If you’re struggling to talk about yourself, ask five to 10 people, ‘How would you describe me? What would you say my top three to four skills are?’ And look for patterns; the things you like about yourself or want to do more of – that’s your brand. Use the language others use to describe yourself.” It’s also likely you have transferable skills, here’s how to highlight them.

When writing your LinkedIn bio, think of it as the summary and the story that you get to control the narrative in, adds Carlii. “Those two assets can then be used to shape and colour your other platforms, such as a website or your Instagram.”

‘The Thoughtful 15’

Do you need to create a ‘content strategy’ to stand out? Not necessarily. On LinkedIn, Karen’s advice is to get into the ritual of engaging with people who are like-minded – or serving the communities you want to serve. “I call it ‘The Thoughtful 15’ – where you diarise 15 minutes a week to look at your notifications or your feed and comment or repost something intelligent.”

Carlii agrees there’s a lot of advice telling you to post daily on LinkedIn, but it’s a blanket strategy that’s led to a lot of generic noise. “Think about what you’re trying to achieve, who you’re trying to reach and whether there are more interesting ways to create that brand and network, such as sitting down, going through your phone and reaching out to people directly for introductions.” 

5 tips to building your personal brand

1. Ditch the dated language

Look at what similar roles are called now and mimic the language, says Karen. Say you were an HR manager, you’d update your LinkedIn experience section to say ‘People and Culture manager’, she explains. “Don’t get stuck on what was on your business card when you were in that role.”

2. Outsource to save time

“There’s power in becoming familiar with the digital tools that can help you shape your brand, but is it worth spending weeks or months trying to create your own website when you could delegate this for very little?” says Carlii.

3. Be strategic about who you follow

Can they help or hire you? “Curate your feed so you maximise your time on LinkedIn,” says Karen. “Follow leaders of industry, relevant companies, so when you go into your LinkedIn you won’t be at the mercy of the algorithm.”

Carlii agrees: “The real future is going to be quality over quantity.”

4. Create a multi-generational network

“Surround yourself with people younger and older than you – it can mean new ideas, new perspectives, advice and opinions. Networking only with those at the same age and stage you’re at can mean you start to exist in an echo chamber, which can be unhealthy,” says Carlii.

5. Invest in a headshot or professional photography

No matter your age, always use a headshot – and invest in styling if you feel your image needs a refresh, says Carlii. “I’ve seen the right stylist take 10 years off people. I’ve also had execs admit to me that they’ve turned down media or speaking opportunities because they didn’t have a headshot to share. They missed the chance to build their brand and increase their profile. Always remember, you are your greatest asset – and having a professional headshot can make a huge difference to your appearance and to how you project yourself. It’s a no-brainer.”