You Don’t Need To Be an Expert To Build Your Personal Brand, Here’s Why | Episode 3
You might be afraid to build your personal brand for fear you aren't “expert” enough. Perhaps you assume that a deep level of professional expertise is a prerequisite for creating content on social media. Without one, someone might mistake you for an influencer. Gasp! ;) Listen, I understand. You may have a story you want to share with others, but if you don’t have any real level of professional expertise, is it pointless to build a personal brand? Absolutely not. Take heart in knowing you don’t have to share educational content on social media to have a credible personal brand. Everyone has to start somewhere. If you’re a person who wants to serve others, share what’s true for you, and tap that creativity muscle, you will find immense joy and satisfaction from creating content consistently and engaging with an audience who is interested in who you are and what you do. It may just be easier than you think. Here’s what to keep in mind while you discover your purpose and build your personal brand.
To avoid feeling like an imposter, don’t be an imposter.
Many are afraid to speak up on Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok because they’re afraid others might perceive them as a poser and not a real expert. The secret to avoiding imposter syndrome is not to be an imposter. Only share content that is true for you. Never educate your followers on topics you aren’t confident in teaching. You’ll know when a piece of content shouldn’t be shared when you get an icky feeling in the pit of your stomach. (Note: this isn’t the same feeling as being shy or apprehensive about showing your face on camera.) Rather, it’s an indication that you aren’t yet prepared to share this knowledge with others. There’s no shame in admitting this. There’s no shame in waiting. There’s no shame in not being an expert (yet). The keyword is yet!
Instead, show people what you are learning, what books you’re reading, what topics you’re studying without feeling the need to teach them. Tell people what you’re doing and how you do it, but don’t tell them how they should do it. Leave that part up to them. This approach to content creation ensures that you are never an imposter. Instead, it shows your followers your diverse areas of interest and may inspire them to develop their own.
You are valuable enough.
There is a common misconception that says content has to be educational in order for it to be “valuable.” On the contrary, you are the value. Showing your face on Instagram stories is value! Creating a TikTok about a memorable experience is value! Posting a photo of you and your family is value! Value is what we say it is.
Your personal brand, when built correctly, transcends industry, career, and job description. Create content that is multi-dimensional. Show all facets of your life: the personal and the professional. When you do this, you give your followers a reason to follow you for more than just what you know, but instead for who you are.
Be an expert in your own personal story.
People will argue just about anything, but no one can argue with what you’ve experienced. Be an expert in your own personal story by sharing what’s true for you. Your only job as a person who is building your personal brand is to be present in your life, make sense of what you feel, and share those feelings with others. When you do this, you cannot fail. Do you know why? Because it’s honest. It’s real. And real is what attracts others to you like a magnet.
No one likes to follow a person who appears perfect all the time. It’s aspirational, sure. But at the end of the day, it isn’t honest. Share the journey. People love to see a story unfold, so share the highs and the lows. The hard stuff is what makes you more relatable and makes people feel less alone. Plus, when you do succeed, you’ll have a whole group of people who have witnessed your journey from start to finish. They will have seen you at your lowest point and have watched you rise to the top! That is much more realistic and rewarding to follow than someone who is posing as a person who is perfect and has everything together all the time.
Don’t let the fear of being insufficiently “together” keep you from posting on social media. Your only job is to share what’s true for you. Nothing else. Share content you are proud of. When you are proud of something, this is a good indication that you are on the right track. And what’s interesting, the more you share, the closer to an “expert” you actually become. The process of sharing your life on social media will attract new opportunities, incentivize you to sharpen your skills, and hold you accountable for the things you say you are going to do. It’s the best way to develop yourself and discover your purpose.