Last week the author of “Life's Not Always Written in Times New Roman: The Untold Stories of People Like You” and “Driven”, Riley DeLeon, came to my social media class to lead a conference meeting.
He talked about the various things that helped him to build a personal brand , although that is not what he initially set out to accomplish.
He says that transparency is the key. You have to know how much of your life are you willing to show. To him, transparency is organic. It’s possible that because he didn’t know that he was building his personal brand at the time, he was able to be natural and stay true to himself.
He showed himself on social media as a vulnerable person, an open book. Some people might disagree with that, but you have to be true to who you are from the beginning or the image you create will not represent your true self.
Consistency is very important too. Social media requires constant updates.. Also, your posts should have a common thread. Any themes that aren’t consistent with your personal brand will just turn into a sort of plot hole in your story.
He says that when you are just starting to develop your idea, it’s good to hear what investors have to say. This is important because sometimes what your initial idea of what your target is, may not be what you are really going for.
Although it’s wise to take their advice, you shouldn’t sacrifice your integrity. Let’s remember that honesty is an important part of transparency, so you should remain true to yourself.
In summary of what Riley DeLeon said to our class, he recognizes that there are many ways to construct a personal brand, but this is what he did, and it worked for him.