Think you can’t grow your personal brand while being employed? You absolutely can, and they may help you do it.

To build your personal brand online, you need to take a range of actions. These actions will make a strong impression on your audience and align with your goals. You may also want to support the growth of your company, team, or division. Can both really be done?

It’s absolutely important for you to build your brand, and in doing so it will provide a platform for your employer. Your personal perspective matters.

Let's keep it real, what really happens is you may be posting semi-privately on Snap, Facebook, or TikTok about your personal thoughts but not on LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, you share "professional" news and articles. Sometimes, you also share news from your employer. Your audience is not as big as it could be and your professional brand is not genuine. You also don't reach as many people with your employer-related posts.

This is the starting point for my journey to sharing more regularly. I get it. I’m addressing this concern and sharing how you can do the same here.

Your personal stories are powerful.

Let’s break it down quickly here — TL;DR

• Know thyself.
• Know your employer’s policies.
• Be smart; assume you are being monitored.
• Share authentically.
• Promote your company where topics align.
  

Listen, I know it can be hard to share your thoughts when you're busy with work and personal life. Rather than deal with it, you don’t post at all.

Let’s take a look at a better way:

Let’s get into how to grow your personal brand while tipping the hat to your company, step-by-step:

Step 01: Know thyself.

This seems dead stupid simple, right? Determining where you want to focus is important so your brand is known for that one thing.

Jot down the 3-5 topics that you could talk about for 45 minutes each with no notes or preparation.

These could be your flow state topics that just come naturally to you. Perhaps you are a runner. You have finished more than 30 marathons and can share your experience with everyone. You may be willing to go super deep on these topics by researching them further to highlight more insights as you study. Put pen to paper on these topics and park them.

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Step 02: Know your employer’s policies.

If you overlook this step, you could be stepping into a land mine by breaking a policy, or employee contract. You could be sending the wrong message to your company based on the contents of your post.

Check your company policies for information on what you can share online. I recommend checking these policies: non-compete, public relations, social media, and compliance. To understand your plan, talk to someone who knows about these policies. It's important.

If you decided to start daily posting on LinkedIn about a topic in which your company competes for business it could be a conflict of interest. The important thing is to avoid simple mistakes. Partner early to align your flow state topics with areas where you can freely express yourself.

Also, be aware of the "keywords" you can use to show that your posts are your own thoughts, not your company's.

Step 03: Be smart; assume your posts are being monitored.

Be mindful that you are writing publicly. What you say matters and sticks with you.

Look no further than comments made in the media or via a social post that has landed celebrities in hot water. I will not throw shade on an incident that they would rather it be forgotten, but I’m certain you can think of examples.

Take heed and post responsibly.

Step 04: Share authentically.

This is the fun part; be authentically you!

When you write about things you care about and share them, it can open doors for you. You can learn more about yourself when you become an expert in these areas. You may also make unexpected connections.

Be sure to layer your personality into your posts. We are living in the age of generated artificial intelligence content. Sharing in your authentic voice is powerful. I am not opposed to using AI for idea generation or to support your points of view. Your unique tone of voice, slang, or, dare I say, grammatically incorrect language may be precisely what the world needs to hear. Do you Fam!

Step 05: Promote your company where topics align.

When you put your authentic stories on display often online you will grow an audience that connects with you. And let me tell you, that’s powerful and personal.

Even a small audience of 1,000 people is powerful. You can share your company's products, services, events, and media with your audience. These messages will “hit different” because they came from you.

You can even share personal stories on experiences as an employee at your company that resonate with your audience. The skies the limit when you’re aligned with your company's brand because everyone wins.

Pro Tip: Talk to your family, friends, and followers about their experiences with your company's brand, products, and services. You may learn valuable insights to share with your internal team.

Say:Do — Take action by reviewing your company's social media policy. Find someone to discuss your posting strategy to start building your online personal brand.

Time to get after it. Your unique stories are valid and should be told.

You need to:

01: Know your flow topics,

02: Know your employer’s policies,

03: Be smart with your posts,

04: Share authentically and

05: Promote your company when it makes sense.

WHAT’S UP NEXT? 8 months ago I made a decision to write about my obsessions