Whether you’re doing it intentionally or not, right now, at this very moment, you’re Branding yourself.

Your actions and the way you present yourself to the world are creating an impression in the minds of the people you encounter, including those with whom you wish to do business.  

When you operate any sort of business, especially one where you provide professional services to people, as a coach or speaker, Personal branding is incredibly important.

Do you have a well thought out brand? Or are you just wishing and hoping your message sticks?

If you’re an online professional, it’s important to establish a personal brand for yourself.

The following are 15 personal branding tips for online business owners.

1. Be yourself. This is the most important tip of all … be yourself. Of course, you might have to decide who you are first, but that’s the fun part! Think about how you want to be seen in the eyes of your clients and bring that person out into the world.
2. Make a brand promise and stick to it. What is it you have to offer the world? What are you promising? Once you’ve identified your promise, the secret to powerful branding is to always, ALWAYS keep it. That’s how you become trusted.
3. Find a focus for your marketing. Think about the one area you want to focus on and become known for that one thing. Sounds simple, right? It is. But it’s powerful.
4. I can’t stress the importance of blogging enough. This is where you’ll share your personal story, your triumphs, and your failures. This is where people will go to understand who you are as a person, and that truly matters with branding. Everything you do online affects your branding ... is it building your brand up, or tearing it down?Click to Tweet
5. Don’t emulate another brand. This is closely related to #1, but it deserves its own point. Don’t choose someone else’s brand to copy. That goes against everything branding is supposed to be. Be you. You can borrow elements or be inspired by other brands you love, but make your brand your own.
6. Determine a look. You want to show up the same way you appear in photographs, so it’s important to establish a look for yourself. And that look should resonate with the right audience. You might find it beneficial to make an appointment with an image consultant for this piece.
7. Use consistent graphics/font/filters. You want people to know what posts are yours as they appear in their social feeds. Be consistent with your imagery, your font, and your filters. Your brand is solidified in the finer details.
8. Build your following by connecting with people. Form relationships with people and try to become known as the go-to person for your area of expertise. Weigh in on conversations, be active on LinkedIn, make it your business to be friendly with people.
9. Be consistent with your posts. If you want to share a motivational video every Monday morning, do it. Don’t falter. Commit. This applies with newsletters and blogs, too. If you want people to sign up for your weekly newsletter, you better send a weekly newsletter! (Side note: but don’t be stressed out if you usually post on Wednesdays and due to other commitments, your post is delayed until Friday … like me today . It’s OK!!
10. Use video. You need to put as much you into your personal branding as possible, and that may very well mean getting on camera!
11. Write a book. One of the best ways to establish your brand and claim your space in your industry is by writing a book. Even if you don’t intend to publish traditionally, you can use it as a marketing piece and self-publish.
12. Invest in website design. With so many gorgeous websites out there, especially in the coach and speaker space, it has perhaps never been more important to have a good looking website, because the bad ones really stand out. That’s not what you want to be known for. If you don’t have a website, or if yours is showing its age, your brand is likely suffering as a result.
13. Care about something. Find a cause you can get behind and attach yourself to it. People want to connect with brands they feel match their own values. So, find a cause you care about and make sure to highlight it somewhere in your website and, where it makes sense to, in your messaging. Branding is as branding does ... how does it affect YOUR personal branding?Click to Tweet
14. Get to know your audience. One of the best things you can do for your brand is to understand your audience. Learn about what people are expecting from you and deliver that consistently.
15. Be of service. Approach your work with a servant’s heart and your brand will establish itself.

What other branding tips can you add to this list? Please share by leaving a comment.