Your personal brand is all about the way you present yourself to the world, and it’s an essential tool in your utility belt of all the things you’ll use to build your professional success.
Your brand should communicate your unique strengths, skills, and values, and differentiate you from your competition.
But it’s also not set in stone. Just like any other part of your career or business journey, your personal brand can evolve over time.
So when should you take the time to review and potentially update your personal brand?
Let’s explore this topic in more detail.
You’re shifting career paths.
If you’re moving into a new industry or career path, it might be time to review your personal brand. Your brand should be aligned with your career goals, and if you’re moving in a new direction, your brand may need to evolve to reflect this change.
For example, if you’re transitioning from marketing to teaching, your personal brand should switch from being known for marketing to communicating your skills as an educator and your passion for helping students learn. This may involve updating your resume and LinkedIn profile to reflect your new career path and highlight relevant experience and skills. Perhaps it means that you also need to start creating more content that better reflects where you’re going, and not just where you’ve been.
Your target audience has changed.
Your personal brand should be targeted towards the audience you’re trying to reach. If your target audience has shifted, for example, you’re targeting a new age group or demographic, adjusting your brand to resonate better with this group may be your first step.
For instance, if you’re a personal trainer who has shifted focus from working with young adults to seniors, you may need to adjust your messaging and visuals to appeal to this audience. This might involve updating your website or social media profiles to highlight your expertise in working with seniors and showcasing testimonials from satisfied clients in this age group. And don’t discount the effect of a change of colours, fonts and graphics as well.
Your values or interests have changed.
As you grow and evolve as an individual, your values and interests may also change. In fact, it’s almost inevitable that they will. Your personal brand should then reflect where you’re at now to represent who you are and what you stand for accurately.
For example, if you’ve grown to become more interested in sustainability and eco-friendliness, you may want to incorporate these values into your public persona. This could include highlighting your efforts to reduce your carbon footprint or showcasing your work with environmentally-friendly businesses or organisations.
You’re not getting the results you want.
If your personal brand isn’t resulting in the outcomes you want, such as job offers or new clients, reviewing and potentially updating your brand is a good idea.
Look for areas where you might be falling short and consider how you can improve your brand to achieve your goals better.
For example, if you’re a freelance copywriter who isn’t getting as many new clients as you’d like, you may want to consider updating your portfolio to showcase your more recent work or improving your website’s SEO to make it easier for potential clients to find you. That’s just the beginning. I know a copywriter who changed her whole approach, renamed her business and got a new photo shoot. And she is doing great!
Your brand is a bit out of date.
Finally, reviewing your personal brand periodically is always a good idea to ensure it’s up-to-date and relevant.
Your brand should evolve as trends and technologies arrive to stay current and competitive. This can involve updating your website design or incorporating new social media platforms into your branding strategy.
For example, if you’re a graphic designer who hasn’t updated your website in several years, it may be time for a refresh to showcase your latest work and stay competitive in the industry. And why not consider showing your work on video platforms like TikTok and Reels to reach new audiences?
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