Why It’s Time To Build A Personal Brand Online
We have officially wrapped up yet another school year, and we are knee-deep in summertime shenanigans over here!
For my family, that means a lot of time spent at the softball fields. If you follow me on LinkedIn, you may have seen me post about our current era of parenthood and how it's driving home the importance of building an online presence and personal brand.
To recap, our 15-year-old daughter has aspirations to play college softball. If you've ever immersed yourself in travel softball, you know it's highly competitive. It's not the only one, but it's an experience that is unique unto itself. (IYKYK) But that's a topic for a different day.
In the last three weekends of college showcase tournaments, I have become extremely aware of the importance of creating an online social presence that gives recruiters and coaches alike an inside look at who your athlete is before they have a chance to reach out during an open contact period.
That means I've now taken on the role of social media manager for my 15-year-old's social channels and her softball team's channels. Not to mention, I've also become the unofficial consultant on all things social for the team's families that aren't social media savvy. Believe it or not, that is quite common. But feeling as though I can help these girls learn how to utilize social media to help them achieve their goals is a thrill I wasn't expecting.
I'm getting a unique, front-row seat to show the next generation that social media is more than who's following who, who has the longest snap streak, and who viewed your story. Social media is what makes my life as a solopreneur possible. It's how I've connected with humans, agencies, and brands to find work, close deals, get new clients, make AMAZING connections, and learn more than I ever thought possible from only my computer or phone.
It's given me limitless access to create and curate a life that works for me. One where I control the narrative. One where if I lose a contract or feel a bit panicked about my income, I have the power to leverage the community I've built to change my fate. One that gives me the freedom to be at the ball fields for an 8 AM game, the first of three, on a Friday without asking permission or burning a PTO day.
Here are a few tips I've given them, and I know they apply to anyone looking to build an online business because college recruitment IS an online business.
Choose the platforms you build on wisely. Build where your audience lives. Are you more of a B2B business? Build on LinkedIn. My daughter and her teammates? Instagram and Twitter. Instagram is a great place to show who you are and what you can do via video. TikTok is an option, too, but more coaches and programs are active on Instagram. Then we have Twitter. It's where all of the coaches live, and it's prime season for them to announce what showcase tournaments they're attending and encourage players to drop their schedules so they can come to watch.
Optimize your bio. It's more than just putting your name. Bios are keyword-friendly these days. You need to include that term if you want found for something specific. Ex: "Softball Class of 2027," "UGC Creator," "Solopreneur." Ok, you get it.
Show who you are, not just what you do. If you've been around here, you know this about me; if you're new, let me tell you that I hate the advice of "Niche Down." Do you want to show that you're an expert in your field? Absolutely. Do you need to do it so heavily that you are devoid of any personality outside your "niche"? NO. Show who you are. Post something that has nothing to do with what you're selling or building authority in. Maybe it's the books you read for fun or your obsession with churros… (it's me, hi). But the idea of building on social media is to be social! So teach and show what you know, but don't forget to be human.
Keep it simple. Don't stress yourself out by overcommitting to creating too much content. Nothing grinds my gears more than advice that says, "Post one reel a day and 5-10 stories for 30 days straight!" Post what you can realistically commit to doing consistently, and then go from there. Currently, I can do 2-3 LinkedIn posts a week, 2-3 Reels, and my newsletter. I try to double that when I'm less busy on the home front. It ebbs and flows, and yours will, too. It's ok!
Repurpose across platforms. Post the same message across all platforms, but make a few minor tweaks to post in a way that is native to the platform—one message to post to all of your accounts takes away a lot of pressure.
Becoming a solopreneur and building an online business means branding yourself online. It doesn't have to be scary; you just have to start. And the more you do it, the easier it gets. If someone had told me the first time I watched my daughter throw a softball that in just a few short years, we'd be in the thick of attempting to get her recruited to play in college, I would have told you that was insane. But thousands and thousands of reps later, here we are. And creating and publishing your knowledge online is no different. Flex and stretch those muscles as much as you possibly can. The payoff will be worth it.
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From The Archives:
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The Guide To Monetizing Your Knowledge In 2024
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How To Know When You're Ready To Leave Your 9-5
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