In this article, I’ll provide helpful strategies for creating and optimizing video content for personal branding. I’ll give tips on choosing suitable topics, crafting compelling stories, and utilizing video-sharing platforms to build your professional image. Ready to learn how to create winning social media videos for personal branding? Let’s get started!
Quit creating personal branding content and start documenting your journey!
I teach personal branding and speak at events nationwide. One of the questions I’m often asked is, “How do you come up with content ideas?” If you follow this one piece of advice, you’ll never need to worry about how to create engaging content again.
Stop trying to create content and start documenting your journey. I spent hours every week trying to come up with ideas for videos to record, and it always seemed like a chore. My engagement was terrible, and I had difficulty convincing anyone to watch the short videos I posted.
I was creating content for views. I was creating content trying to boost engagement, but it wasn’t exciting and didn’t solve a problem for the viewer. Today, I never have trouble finding an idea for a video because I’m just documenting my journey, and people love it.
I speak on leadership, personal branding, and personal development. On my Instagram feed, you’ll see me speaking at events, giving personal branding tips, sharing articles I’ve published that my audience will be interested in, working out at the gym with my mom, working at a coffee shop with my dog, vacationing, and doing extreme activities. I never have to think about what to post because I’m sharing highlights of my life that inspire others.
Produce Quality Content
One fundamental way to do this is by paying close attention to your industry’s latest trends and issues. You can create and publish valuable and relevant content to your followers by staying informed about what content resonates with your target audience. Additionally, consider collaborating with other thought leaders or influencers in your niche, which can help expand your reach and boost engagement.
Another critical factor when it comes to producing quality content is consistency. Whether posting on social media daily or publishing a new blog post every week, it’s essential to have a regular schedule and stick to it. This will help you gain loyal followers waiting for your content and establish yourself as an authority in your field.
Building powerful personal branding on social media or any other format requires hard work and dedication.
Which Social Platforms Should You Focus On for Personal Branding?
The first step in creating video content for your personal brand is to consider which social media platforms best suit your needs. Some channels, like TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter, offer more opportunities for organic growth than others, while newer platforms are less competitive. Here’s a breakdown of the primary options.
Instagram users are typically seeking out inspirational and aspirational content. You can find an audience ranging from students to high-level executives.
Twitter is a platform where people like to get news fast, often in short bursts of text or images. The user base skews younger and tech-savvy but includes people from all walks of life.
LinkedIn is a professional network where you can target business professionals with your content. The user base includes entrepreneurs, CEOs, recruiters, marketers, and anyone involved in the corporate world. As a motivational speaker, LinkedIn offers lots of opportunities to book speaking engagements,
YouTube
YouTube is the largest video platform on the web and caters to many different audiences depending on the type of content you create. From gamers to vloggers to filmmakers, YouTube draws engagement from almost every demographic imaginable.
TikTok
TikTok is a short-form video app that draws in audiences from various demographics. Teens and young adults dominate the user base, but you can still find users of all ages interested in creating fun and engaging content. TikTok caters to creators who want to express themselves through their videos, be it comedy, music, art, or anything else.
Choosing Your Platforms
I highly recommend claiming your username on every possible social platform. You probably won’t have time to be active on every social network if you don’t have a social media team unless you’re working with a personal branding company that manages your account. To create a professional business social media profile, you should focus on the following points:
Username
It’s essential to have the same username on every platform, if possible, so people don’t get confused trying to find you. If you search M. Curtis McCoy on any social network, you’ll find me. I’ve also claimed my short URL on every platform (@MCurtisMcCoy), which may be difficult if you have a common name. Consider adding an initial, keyword, etc., if your desired custom URL isn’t available.
Consistent Brand Identity
Develop a consistent brand identity: Keep your branding and messaging consistent across your social media channels. As mentioned above, your username is the first step.
Post regularly
Regularly posting content will keep your followers engaged and boost your visibility on each platform.
Engagement Is Key
Engage with your audience: Reply to comments and messages and foster relationships with other industry professionals by reaching out to them.
Analyze Results
Measure your success and adjust your strategy accordingly through analytics tools available on each platform. Look at your analytics, and copy what works! If your posts of static memes (images with text) perform poorly, scale back on that type of content and replace it with formats or topics that seem to resonate with your audience.
Applying The Pareto Principle To Social Media
The Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, can be applied to social media to help give direction when creating content. Instead of spreading your efforts across all channels equally, focus on the 20% of activities yielding the most significant results.
This could mean identifying which channels are most effective for reaching a target audience, choosing the best time and type of content to share on each platform, and investing in activities that generate quality leads. By targeting your efforts towards this 20%, you should see an increase in engagement and ROI for your business on social media. The bad news is you’ll have to put enough time into each platform to see what works best for you.
Get Connected With Leaders & Celebrities
Apply the same 80/20 rule to posting and messaging. 80% or more of your posts should provide value to your audience, while 20% (or less) of your time should be spent asking for something in return.
When I decided I wanted leaders like Brad Lea, Brian Breach, Anthony Trucks, Jefferson Rogers, Rhonda R. Swan, Ken Joslin, Daniel Gomez & Bob Burg to follow my account, I applied the same 80/20 rule. First, I followed them and started regularly liking their posts and leaving well-thought-out, relevant comments. I’d send a message once in a while, commenting on one of their recent books I’d read or a podcast I heard them in to get on their radar (providing value and asking for nothing in return).
“The Top 100 Personal Development Instagram Accounts”
I later started writing an article titled “The Top 100 Personal Development Instagram Accounts”, featuring 100 leaders I respect on Instagram. I’d already built a connection, and then I reached out via DM (private message) asking if what I’d written about them in the article was how they wanted it to sound or if they’d like me to make any changes.
In most cases, they were honored that I’d featured them and done the research to write something positive about them. At that point, if they said something like, “Let me know if you ever need anything!” I’d reply, “If you’d like to follow back on Instagram, that would be awesome!”
Almost without fail, these leaders followed back, and a few did posts or stories mentioning me and the article I’d written featuring them (which helped their followers connect with me as well). The trick is that there can’t be a trick. Provide value without expecting anything in return, and you’ll get more than you bargained for!
Keep Social Media Social
In the fast-paced world of social media, it can be tempting to use automated bots or other methods to keep your accounts active and engaged. However, these shortcuts impact the overall quality of your content and engagement and put you at risk of violating platform rules or getting suspended or banned.
Instead of relying on tools that automate your social media, focus on creating and sharing quality content that will resonate with your audience. This may mean writing thoughtful comments, reposting relevant articles or images from other sources, or experimenting with new formats and topics to see what works best for your followers.
Additionally, connect with leaders in your industry (or other influencers in your niche) to engage with them more personally, fostering relationships that can help grow your following and drive results for your business.
Finally, remember that social media is supposed to be social! Rather than constantly searching for ways to “hack” the system or use automation tools to boost engagement, take the time to connect with your followers and truly enjoy the experience of being a part of the online community. By staying authentic and committed to your social media strategy, you will be rewarded with quality leads, more meaningful connections, and greater success for your business.
Batch Content Creation For Personal Branding
You must post multiple videos weekly for effective personal branding on social media. Videos allow your followers and potential clients to get to know you. Creating individual personal branding videos is highly time-consuming.
