What’s one personal branding trend you see on the horizon for 2019, and how can professionals take advantage of it?
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1. Content
“The more content you have about your professional brand and career experiences, the better. Spread your content throughout multiple sources; you want to be present everywhere. Further, the trend of users relying on mobile devices will continue in 2019. If you aren’t already doing so, target your content and personal branding for mobile and social media platforms to reach a growing audience.”
Matthew Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers, P.A.
2. Podcasts
“I’ve seen a huge surge in the growth of podcasts over the past few years. While it may seem difficult to get your voice heard over the sea of other podcasters, you can define yourself by focusing on a specific niche and having excellent production value.”
Bryce Welker, Accounting Institute for Success
3. Video
“In 2019, influencers and personal brands should produce consistent video content to try to get through the noise and clutter. Professionals should start seeing themselves as content creators and use video platforms like IGTV, YouTube and Facebook Live and explore new apps like TikTok (a short-form video app that’s gaining momentum around the world) to get noticed.”
Charles Koh, Pixery Inc.
4. Vlogging
“By recording one’s day-to-day life and sharing unique points of view, insights and stories via vlogs, business leaders and entrepreneurs can boost their personal brands and fill an unsatisfied educational, motivational or entertainment niche in their industry. Also, vlogs provide an effective medium for professionals to connect with people with minimal time and monetary investment.”
Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC
5. Affiliate Programs
“Affiliates aren’t just for the big brands, as there’s plenty of technology now that will let small business owners start finding their own affiliate partners. Instead of constantly offering discounts, why don’t you try instead to pay or reward your existing customers for bringing you new business? Just give them a simple app or tool to track their earnings and referrals, and you’re set.”
Jason Criddle, Jason Criddle and Associates
6. Companies Investing in Personal Brands
“As companies struggle to compete for the best talent, those that want to stand out are starting to advertise that they’re investing in the employees’ personal brands. Allocate a budget that employees can spend on growing their personal brand, attending conferences and improving their education.”
7. More Focus on Thought Leader Value
“I’ve noticed many people focusing on becoming thought leaders within their niches. With so many thought leaders in every niche, now the focus is on creating value. As your personal brand generates value for others, you can gain popularity. People want to work with those they learn from or those who make them look smart.”
Sweta Patel, Silicon Valley Startup Marketing
8. Voice-Based Branding
“The use of voice-based digital assistants has increased significantly, so addressing this aspect in any online personal branding strategy is important. For example, copy that reads well in print might not have the desired effect when spoken aloud, when users typically look for more concise information.”
Derek Robinson, Top Notch Dezigns
9. Education
“Education as a trend might sound broad, but brands need to focus on educating potential customers of their business about what it does and how it can serve them. Today’s society is driven by information, which is why this strategy can be effective.”
Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers
10. Paid Social Media Ads
“It used to be that one could develop a large audience on social media by posting content organically, but today, everyone I know who’s built a substantial personal brand online is spending large amounts of money on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook ads. Buying likes really can pay off in terms of online conversions and strengthening your online visibility.”
Matthew Capala, Alphametic
11. Native Advertising
“Today’s customers are resistant to advertising, and they know all too well how to use ad blockers. If brands want to reach new consumers in 2019, they should use native advertising or ads that blend naturally into content. Professionals can take advantage of this trend by investing in Instagram in-feed ads, Snapchat filters, Facebook ads and other similar ads found on social media.”
Shu Saito, Fact Retriever
12. More Offline Branding Strategies
“I think we’re going to see more integration of online and offline personal branding. While there are a lot of effective ways to build your brand through social media and other online platforms, it’s important to establish yourself in the offline world as well. If you attend live events, give presentations and are active in your local community, you have an edge over those who do everything online.”
Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting
13. Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration
“People who’ve created personal brands, especially successful entrepreneurs, are now more keen to share their knowledge and mentor those around them. It’s been happening for some time and will likely be more prominent in 2019. Entrepreneurs should understand that such sharing can enhance the business ecosystem and infuse more innovation within industries, which can set the pace for the future.”
Dhruvil Sanghvi, LogiNext
14. Making Your Business About the People
“Recently, I’ve done a spate of interviews about the start and growth of my company. When we schedule these articles to go out on our social media, they get a ton of engagement. I see that a lot of readers want to connect with the people behind the business, not a logo. A huge branding trend to take advantage of is telling your story and the story of your top officials.”
Brandon Stapper, Nonstop Signs
