You, Inc: How to Build your Personal Brand

by Sarah Khogyani

The StartupMonthly team recently participated in Bubble Tank, an event hosted by Sarah Austin, which seemed to be a tasteful adaptation of NBC’s Shark Tank. A camera crew perused through the audience, capturing shots for their upcoming startup reality show.

The entire day provided great insight into the pitch operations of an early-stage startup company. But what mostly caught my attention was the heavy media presence, and how it influenced the entire event process. The camera followed Austin, filming every interaction she had. Photographers snapped away during each startup pitch. It was not only the cameras, but all of the smart-phones actively capturing key moments onto Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Not only does the event happen, but it also becomes documented in real-time. This event was the intersection of technology and community, virtual merged with physical, URL and IRL. Everyone there had an online presence, whether it was their own or their company’s.


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The assimilation of life and media resonates with me, and I’m sure many others. Anyone with a smart-phone shares a bit of themselves with the digital world, especially with the proliferation of online social media. The reality is: We, as individuals, exist online. Once you understand this, you can harness the power of your online identity in order to reach your career or personal goals. It’s about identifying your personal style and communicating it to the public. We have all of the tools and resources to do so.

So, how should you brand yourself? The following are some tips I’ve gathered from personal experience, insight, and research.

Google Yourself

Imagine you are another person, and google your own name from this perspective. What do you find? What do you think about this person from a first glance at their Facebook, Twitter, or Website? If you haven’t put any work into your personal brand, you might not be so content with the results. Nevertheless, the amazing thing about the Internet is that you can augment your content in whatever way you choose.

Identify Core Values/Talents

Firstly, find what it is that makes you unique. What are your strengths, skills, and values? Once you understand what your business or personal goals are, it will become a vantage point from which all your content will surface.Find your niche

Identify your target audience. Know who they are, what they think of you, and most importantly: what they want. Why should they subscribe or follow you? If you’re seeking a career as an entrepreneur, provide relevant articles, blog posts, and content for your audience. 

Use all platforms and stay consistent on all platforms

Keep your message clear and consistent, and communicate it across all media channels. The best way to do this is to have a recognizable logo, picture, or motto displayed on your blog, Facebook, and Twitter page.

Develop a personal style

Once you’ve identified your strengths and goals, begin to cultivate the manner in which you present it. You know what to say, now find out how to say it. Are you clever and funny, or straight-forward and helpful? Your writing style will help translate these unique personality traits. But remember: keep it authentic!

Attend events

Not all of the work can be done online. Networking is best way to build contacts and form relationships for your business ventures. Don’t forget to publicize these events on your media channels. Staying active will position you with more authority and credibility in your niche community.

For Startup events and information, follow @startupmonthly and meetup.com/startupmonthlysv

Author: This post is written by Sarah Khogyani, who works with Startup Monthly as a Marketing and PR Intern. She handles a number of inbound marketing campaigns.