To build a strong personal brand, look at your favorite creators

This story was originally published on Passionfruit.

When I started as a content creator in 2016, I had one goal. I wanted to get as many followers as possible. I knew that if I could grow my audience on that platform, I could make money as an influencer. No one starts out understanding how to build a personal brand.

But after creating daily content and brainstorming different strategies, I realized I was making a big mistake. I was putting in the work but wasn’t building a strong personal brand for myself. I needed to set myself apart. So I started to study the creators who inspired me.

What is a personal brand?

A personal brand is how you define and promote who you are. It’s what makes you unique. You must consider what you stand for, what your expertise is, and what your voice adds. A strong personal brand gives your content organization and purpose as a creator.

But what makes a personal brand stand out is its consistency. Everything from content themes to visual design (colors, logos, filters, and more), and even how often you posts on each platform, matters. As I was working to build my brand, here were the steps I took that transformed how I approached being an online creator.