Have you ever watched a keynote speaker at a conference or read the latest viral social post from an influential expert in your industry and asked yourself, “How did this person reach this milestone of visibility?”
The truth is that it wasn’t an accident. This high-profile expert is likely someone who has dedicated considerable time to building their personal brand.
What is a personal brand, you ask? A personal brand is an individual’s unique reputation and style of communicating their expertise in their field.
Visible Experts are professionals who have attained high levels of visibility and expertise in their industry, establishing a personal brand that is widely recognized. And just as a firm can have an overall brand positioning statement, so can a Visible Expert. We call this language a personal brand statement or an expert positioning statement.
In this article, I describe how you can write a personal brand statement in three easy steps—one that will differentiate you from other thought leaders in your field and help people associate you with the value you deliver.
What is a Personal Brand Statement?
Much like the way firms craft positioning statements and unique selling propositions, individual experts who aspire to grow their visibility should write their own personal brand statement.
A personal brand statement is a carefully articulated paragraph, usually 4–6 sentences in length, that describes your expertise, who you serve, and most importantly, how your approach is different from that of other experts in your field. It may also specify key issues you believe in.
Your personal brand statement is not intended to be used verbatim in marketing collateral. Instead, think of it as a compass to guide you forward on your path to increased prominence. Use it to inform how you talk about yourself and how to describe your unique place in the universe of experts in your field.
How to Write a Personal Brand Statement
Writing a succinct personal brand statement that captures your unique positioning doesn’t have to be hard. To help you get started, begin by outlining the fundamentals of your expertise.
Try to answer the following three questions:
- What are you an expert in?
- What do you specialize in (if anything)?
- What other factors make you different from your competitors?
The answers will provide the ingredients you need to draft your statement.
Whether you choose to write in the first person or the third person is up to you, as long as you keep the tone conversational (to make your expertise sound approachable) and to-the-point (so that your themes are easy to grasp). Your personal branding statement will speak to a wide variety of audiences, so try to avoid technical language and industry jargon.
Let’s dive in!
Three Steps to Writing Your Personal Brand Statement
STEP 1: IDENTIFY YOUR SPECIALIZED AREA OF EXPERTISE AND DESCRIBE IT.
In one sentence, describe what you are an expert in. This can also be an ideal place to describe who you serve. Use the phrasing, “I am an expert in ________________.” The more niche your expertise, the easier it will be for you to differentiate from other industry experts. .
Here’s how one expert might write their first sentence:
“I am an expert in providing accurate valuations for startup, consumer-facing technology companies that are seeking their first round of funding.”
Notice that this expert has focused on a specific target industry—and then narrowed it further by specifying a particular business need. This narrow specialization will help the expert stand out from the many generalists in the industry.
STEP 2: BUILD OUT THE MIDDLE.
Your personal brand statement is an opportunity to tell your story—how you’re different, what problems you solve, or where you stand on issues. And don’t forget who you serve if you didn’t address that in the first sentence. Who buys your services? Do you serve a particular industry? How do you want people to perceive you? Two to four sentences should be all you need here to explain why your expertise is important to your target audience.
Let’s see how our expert tackled the middle section:
“Many startups find the process of valuation and outside funding intimidating. I make it easy by explaining exactly how the valuation process works and what funders are looking for in a startup business. I also have key relationships with a variety of strategy, finance and operational experts I can tap if a client needs to address problems with their business or pitch.”
STEP 3: WRITE A CONCLUDING SENTENCE.
Wrap up the personal brand statement by reinforcing the most compelling differentiators that matter to your audience—and if you can, make your conclusion the most impactful part of the statement.
Here’s the full example of our valuation expert’s personal brand statement:
“I am an expert in providing accurate valuations for startup, consumer-facing technology companies that are seeking their first round of funding. Many startups find the process of valuation and outside funding intimidating. I make it easy by explaining exactly how the valuation process works and what funders are looking for in a startup business. I also have key relationships with a variety of strategy, finance and operational experts I can tap if a client needs to address problems with their business or pitch. When new B2C technology companies need to fund their growth, I deliver the defensible valuations and expert advice they need to make the strongest possible impression.”
In this example, it is clear from the beginning what the expert does and who they do it for. The rest of the personal brand statement goes on to establish what makes them different in this space.
Are you ready to follow this example and write your own personal brand statement? Go for it!
A Couple More Tips
A LITTLE ASPIRATION CAN BE A WONDERFUL THING
As you go through the process and ask yourself questions, you may notice some areas or skills that you need to work on. In fact, you may find yourself speaking about a version of yourself that isn’t fully-baked yet. Don’t get discouraged. As long as it’s attainable, use your aspirational brand statement to set some personal goals.
FOCUS ON ISSUES WHERE YOU CAN SHINE
No matter where you are in your personal branding journey, an expert positioning statement will help get you there by focusing your expertise in ways you hadn’t before.
A piece of advice? Choose issues that don’t have easy solutions and aren’t likely to go away any time soon. If you are struggling to think of relevant issues, try answering these questions:
- Where do your interests lie?
- Where do your clients struggle most?
- Where can you deliver the greatest value?
Now what?
Take some time to apply your new positioning to the personal bios and profiles on your website and social media accounts. While you are at it, ask yourself a couple of questions: Do they present you as a highly credible professional? Do they convey a consistent message?
If done correctly, your personal brand statement will help take your career to a new level of visibility, respect and value. And every time you prepare a new promotional piece or sit down to write educational content, you can dip into your personal branding statement for welcome inspiration.
