I frequently talk about building your “expert personal brand.” The reason why I emphasize the word “expert” is to help delineate between being viewed as a thought leader and being viewed as an influencer.

So, why don’t I just refer to it as “thought leader” vs. “expert personal brand?”

Because if you lean too heavily into only building your brand around expertise, you build a one-dimensional brand, and you risk becoming commoditized and competing on knowledge alone.

While that’s not necessarily a “bad” thing, it is a disadvantage when it comes to building an engaged audience, increasing your earnings, and being able to pivot your professional focus in the future.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into 5 common-sense business case studies for leaning into the “personal” piece of your expert personal brand.

1. You’ll Create Authentic Connections🤝

When you infuse your expert brand with your personality and passion, you create an authentic connection with your audience. People want to engage with real human beings, not just faceless experts. By being true to yourself, you attract like-minded individuals who resonate with your values and vision. This deep connection leads to loyal followers who become your biggest advocates, spreading the word about your brand and driving growth.

Think about how business is frequently conducted. Before the advent of online networking (and still to this day), we found trusted advisors and service providers through like-minded networks. Perhaps you found your business coach through your local JCC. Deals were done over handshakes on hole 9. Someone in your daughter’s karate class recommended a wonderful accountant. Because of your shared values, you trusted those recommendations. So, do the same thing online.

2. You Can Pivot Your Business Naturally🔄

Emphasizing your personality means you have more room to pivot when you’re ready to switch up your offerings. This is important because if you’re like most personal brands I know, your offerings evolve as you evolve.

Take Graham Cochrane, for example.

Graham has a 7-figure personal brand business whose evolution went a lil something like this:

 1. Musician 🎸

 2. Sound engineer 🔉

 3. Podcaster 🎙

 4. Podcasting expert 🤓

 5. Online business expert 💻

All the while, Graham was upfront about his personal values — his family, faith, and love of Tampa (where he resides). This allowed his audience to naturally flow with him when his offerings changed. Even if his focus changed, he was still the same, ole’ reliable (and successful) Graham.

Imagine if Graham’s whole personal brand was built around being a musician. The pivot to an online business expert would feel more jarring without those consistent personality pillars in place.

3. Boost Engagement and Reach🚀

When you blend your personality and passion into your content, something incredible happens – you capture attention and boost engagement. People are drawn to your enthusiasm and authenticity, leading to increased engagement and wider reach. Your content becomes more shareable, sparking conversations and attracting a wider audience. This organic growth translates into more visibility, which in turn leads to new opportunities for collaborations, partnerships, and even media coverage.

True story…

I followed a Stanford professor who has sold thousands of books, is at the top of her field, and has a robust online following. Yet her posts’ engagement rate rarely reflected how credentialed and whip-smart she is. I felt like I was watching Michael Jordan play basketball in an empty stadium. Something just had to be done.

So I reached out and said, “Your stuff is good, like really good, but there’s no personality. Try a personal story.”

Shortly thereafter, she posted a status about how her co-author and her almost ended their 20-year friendship over needs not being met (a topic their book covers).

When I tell you it was like someone flicked the engagement light on, I mean they really did. Just that one post shot up to over 100 likes, 21 comments, and 3 reposts.

💡 Remember, when you blend your teaching with personal stories, you’re engagement always goes up!

4. Imposter Syndrome Starts to Shrink📉

When I started building my expert personal brand online, the only thing I could expert in was being a 23-year-old millennial who became a marketing manager in one of the nastiest economies ever (2009 — IYKYK). I was scared, confused, and slapped with the reality that life was no longer college courses but instead the unknown experience of adulting. Oof, they really don’t prepare you for that fresh smack of reality in our educational system. I felt like I had a quarter-life crisis.

So I started blogging and sharing LinkedIn statuses about my trials and tribulations as a new manager. I wrote about my passions for the “brave new corporate world of social media” (I know, doesn’t that feel like eons ago), and I was candid with my overall angst about all of it.

Wouldn’t you know, my following shot up each time I did? Suddenly, that little voice that said, “You have nothing of value to say hear,” was quieted by the feedback I was getting online. My imposter syndrome started to shrink as I realized that you don’t have to be “good enough” to share more about your experience. You are the resident expert on you, after all!

5. Creativity and Consistency Goes Up🎨

When you embrace your personality and values, you start to embrace content that reflects that. For so long, I thought I had to be on Twitter (now X). But I always felt stuck. I simply don’t excel at “mic drop” bursts of snarky thoughts, and I prefer nuanced, long-form content over snappy quips. For years, I burned energy trying to make it happen for me. But then I realized an obvious and profound insight. I don't have to create content that doesn’t reflect my personality.

Instead, I started videoing and writing long-form blogs, and my consistency and creativity shot through the roof. Stop trying to fit yourself into a prescribed content box, and start building your content ecosystem around your natural delivery style!

The Recap:

Remember, building an “expert personal brand” can’t happen without the “personal” piece. Otherwise, you fall victim to just being another talking head. You are so much more than that! So, if you’re ever in doubt about the power of opening up your brand to include more of “you,” then remember that bringing in more of your personality is just good business.

Looking for a community of high-income experts growing their personal brand online?

Join our Brand Inner Circle Community. For $250/month, you’ll get access to weekly 90-minute writing labs led by yours truly, monthly Q&A, networking, and content prompts galore.