The online sphere is great for connecting with people but it can also be demotivating to see everyone’s ‘perfect’ lives when you’re struggling with the daily grind. But there is a way to beat the internet blues—by building a personal brand website that showcases your skills and talents.
Not so long ago, brand building was associated with businesses. Now, that concept has changed—people are becoming brands in their own right, portraying themselves as thought leaders, entrepreneurs and experts in their field. We all have our own gifts and skills, that we cultivate in unique ways, which is why we can market ourselves as singular entities, not parts of a whole. The process of marketing oneself as a leader in a field—also known as personal branding—acts as a massive confidence booster.
And how does one go about creating a personal brand? It generally starts with a strong website, as that is where you will host all your information and contact details. A good website, either created by you, or made using affiliate websites, will elevate your brand and get you the attention you deserve. And alongside that attention will come a surge of confidence that will propel you further in your career and help you achieve your dream goals. Let me outline how building a personal brand website is great for your confidence.
Defining Yourself
Before creating your website, you have to establish your domain name, which is when you get to define who you want to be and how you want to be seen by other people. Though a domain name generally is your own name, it can be anything that you feel encompasses your personality.
If you are planning to use your name as the domain name, it is best to purchase it as soon as possible. If you have a name that is very common, you can check online to see whether a website with your name is already in use, in which case you may have to amend the way you write your name, which is where your creativity comes in.
You can have a great deal of fun making up versions of your name that are still uniquely ‘you’, while setting you apart from others with your name. Alternatively, if you are planning to build a business, you can use your potential business’ name.
Having purchased your domain name, and found web hosting services, you will have begun the first step to building your personal brand—establishing yourself on the internet as an entity of note. This is great for your self-assurance because there is no greater feeling than seeing www.yourname.com in the search bar of your browser.
Standing Out from the Crowd through Web Design
Once you have your domain name, your will likely look into a content management system (CMS) to build your site. Most people use free blogging sites that spare them the hassle of creating code, which is what I suggest you do, as well.
The CMS you choose will have a host of themes available to you. This is the point where you need to slow down in your brand building journey. Take time to go through the list of available themes to see which one best suits your personality, and the image you want to portray. You want to stand out from the crowd and a great design will help you do just that.
Designing a site can be an enjoyable activity—you can try out a few themes to see which one you like best. Your choice of design will also help you refine the brand you are trying to establish; in case you are still in the process of deciding on the direction of your personal brand. Look how the example below showcases the authority of the speaker.
While themes make it easy to design your site, you may want to employ a web designer to help you create something more professional that better represents you. Your website should make you feel good when you look at it, so have fun with this process.
Once you have chosen your theme, or your designer has created your website’s layout, you can start creating content for your site.
Putting Yourself Out There
Imagery is very important in creating a personal brand website and you should use a number of high-quality images of yourself on your website pages.
Of course, not everyone has great pictures of themselves, and if you’re low on confidence, this could be a major hurdle. But your personal brand website is where you showcase yourself, and no matter how you feel, you deserve to be seen and recognized.
Think about organizing a photoshoot, which is a great way to boost your self-esteem. A photoshoot with a popular studio will give you the opportunity to pamper yourself—you get to dress up and look good and have your best angles captured forever. Remember to have photos taken that convey your personality—fun pictures if you have a bubbly nature. Outdoor shots if you’re the adventurous kind. The below banner shows how colorful this person’s nature is.
With a stack of great pictures of yourself, you can then begin populating your website. You don’t have to use all your images in one go—leave some to use later—but employ a few in strategic areas of your website. The about page, contact page, your primary sales or speaker page, should all have your image front and center.
Use banner templates to put together strong headlines with your images to create a good first impression for your website’s visitors. Seeing your face plastered across your site will deftly send away any negative feelings you may have had.
Building a Following with Great Copy
Your photographs show your audience who you are, and your written content will give them an idea of what you can offer. Write a strong introduction in the tone of voice that you are most comfortable with, similar to when you are in a public speaking setting. That is what people want to read about when they visit your site—you. But try to avoid being verbose or writing long paragraphs of text.
You also want to focus on what you can give your audience—though it is fun to talk about yourself, it won’t keep your audience’s interest. You want to build relationships with people online, as that will help you establish your brand which, in turn, will build your confidence. Thus, when writing the content, imagine yourself as the reader, and proceed accordingly. Below is a great example of captivating text.
As the internet is suffused with information, you should do some research about what kinds of keywords you could use to draw people to your site. This can be a challenging task so use this guide about how to attract leads to help you write.
For people lacking in confidence, it can be difficult to straddle the line between friendly and serious when writing content. But what you need to remember is that this is your personal brand website—people want to read about you and that is what will inform their decision to follow you.
Highlighting Your Unique Personality
You are a unique individual and your personality is exclusively yours. That is something that you can bring to everyone’s attention in every aspect of your personal brand website. This is your opportunity to write content like you are speaking one on one to your clients or visitors—so, the more genuine you are, the better. After all, you want your site to foster a culture of open communication.
On your about page, share anecdotes about your life or funny stories about things you’ve encountered. Even if people have been on the same rollercoaster you have, they haven’t experienced it the way you have and that is what will make people interested in your personal brand.
As I mentioned earlier, people visiting your site want to see you, and if they feel like they can have a natural connection with you, it will give them more reason to return. And the more visitors your site gets, the more positive and confident you will feel.
Showcase Your Brand
With a personal brand website, you have the opportunity to put yourself front and center on your own terms. It is a great way to not only establish your identity in a community but, with the right images and copy, can gain you positive responses, which will lift your confidence far more than any other activity.