If you’ve attended a marketing class in the last 3 years you’ve probably heard…
“Branding is everything.”
…. this only proves truer as time progresses.
We often associate “branding” and “brands” with businesses and influencers, but what about artists?
Every artist, whether they acknowledge it or not, has a personal brand.
Your personal brand is what people associate and feel when they think of you.
While you can’t change what people think and feel about you, you can certainly manage your public image and influence people’s thoughts and feelings toward you.
Here are 4 factors to consider as you develop and manage your personal brand.
One: Pick a Platform
Instagram or Tik Tok?Twitter or Snapchat?YouTube or Facebook?
It can be tempting to indulge in every social media app when you are trying to build a community. Only through experimentation and audience research will you find the 1 or 2 platforms you should invest most of your time. I wouldn’t advise taking on multiple social media ventures if you aspire to grow an organic following or audience on one or more of the platforms. Social media can be time consuming and if you spread yourself too thin you might experience digital fatigue and resentment for social media.
If your gut tells you to be on multiple platforms that’s okay too! Don’t be afraid to upcycle work and batch content creation.
Pro-Tip: You can create a private account and reserve your unique username on a social site you intend to use in the future.
Bonus Pro-Tip: If you are uncomfortable with social media there are other outlets for you to broadcast your work. Here is a fantastics video from
Holly Exley who aims to breakaway from Instagram in favor of a richer and more niche alternative, Zines.
Two: Consistency
Depending on your intentions and goals for self-marketing, it doesn’t hurt to make sure your branding elements are consistent across digital platforms. Trust is an important element of digital success. Consistent branding is a requisite for digital trust.
Some elements to keep consistent include:
- Color and Font
- Tone and Verbiage
- Profile Pictures and Banners
- Social Messages
- Editing styles/ visual layouts
This is not a lesson to sterilize your page and erase experimentation on your digital-ventures, rather this is advice if you are someone who seeks a consistent and cohesive digital persona.
Pro-Tip: Gone are the days when we used social media as a diary to wildly express ourselves. Not everything has to go on the internet, and you don’t need to share every aspect of your personality online. Treating your social media ventures like a business venture can help you manage what you post and share online.
Three: Aesthetic
Ahh, yes, the 2020’s are all about aesthetic.So, what is aesthetic and how do I achieve it? Desiring the aesthetically pleasing is the desire to feel connected to our spaces and to align our inner personality with the outer context and visual scenery of our surroundings.
I am still discovering my aesthetic but have found major breakthroughs this past year. Currently my Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest are all over the place and I have only recently had an epiphany of what my future branding will look like. (Stay tuned.)
Unless you plan to work with a branding expert, here are some tips that should help you:
- I have found experimentation is my friend. I famously tell my peers “knowing what you don’t want is half the battle.” It can be painful to try something and realize it’s not working. But these pains are the best kind, because they’re growing pains and an invaluable opportunity for you to eliminate weak ideas and draw closer to your end goal/the perfect ideas.
- It also helps to choose 3 people whose aesthetic you admire and identify a characteristic you would like to emulate in each person.
- Think about the people you want to connect with, understand why they want to connect with you, and challenge yourself to ask, “how can I create a digital space that supports my audiences emotional need through my artistic choices?”
- Do an inventory check. Take a photo of all your favorite items you own. Upload all the photos to CANVA and organize the photos into categories of similarity. This will help you see a bird’s eye view of yourself and your natural aesthetic and vibe.
- Take a graphic design class and familiarize yourself with design principles you can carry into your personal and professional life.
- Less is more. Start simple. Build your confidence through setting and accomplishing small goals.
Four: Mission Statement
If you don’t have a personal mission statement, it’s time to grab a pen and notebook for some self-reflection. Having a personal mission statement will act as a north star to make choices in your personal and professional life. From your interaction with peers, to your social media captions, to the clothing you buy, personal mission statements are the battery of your personal branding blueprint, energizing your purpose and objective in life.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this article and found information that will draw you closer to define personal goals. No matter which platforms you use or how you approach your brand, be consistent and start building a following as soon as possible. You will find that connecting with other and sharing your gifts will help you define your purpose and overall personal brand.
Much peace, dancedeja
dancedeja.com 