Doug's Awesome Article On Personal Branding - and Whether You Should Do It
Updated 2/28/25
I wrote this article in October of 2022 and so much has changed since then that this one needed a refresh. The biggest change that relates to this is NIL and how it has changed the landscape of college sports in America, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Let’s start with what IS a personal brand exactly and whether you should have one. You can google “Personal Brand Definition” and you’ll get a bunch of them. So I just did it now as I’m writing this and the one I like best is from Sprout Social:
Personal branding is the process of defining and promoting what you stand for as an individual.
So should you have one? I say……
Probably, yes.
Who should and shouldn’t have a personal brand
Let’s start with who should (and shouldn’t) have one before we get into it. I think a personal brand is most important for those who see themselves as entrepreneurs or influencers. Gotta have it. And that includes athletes now for sure. For everyone else it’s optional, and if you work for a big company it might actually be risky to have one. Anything you’re putting out there personally that doesn’t square with your employer’s values or business plan can potentially ruffle feathers, and in Corporate America some companies have traditionally frowned upon endeavors that take away from you DOING YOUR JOB.
What’s the point of a personal brand?
Ventures you are involved with in any way may come and go. Businesses you own, teams you play for, bands you are in, charities or brands you support and work with, platforms you use….they will change. But YOU will remain, so it's a good idea to establish your position, your standards and your style with a personal brand so people can trust the things you support or launch. If you own a business that fails (has happened to me), create content for a business that gets sold (has happened to me), or part ways with a client whose content you’ve been creating (oh yes) for whatever reason and you have no content of your own then you’ll risk having no digital footprint to point to to help you land your next gig.
How do you go about starting one? Start by CLAIMING YOU.
Claim YOUR home on the Internet with an OWNED online asset - a website. You don’t own your profile on social media platforms for example. If you put all your eggs in other people’s baskets you’re vulnerable. If you have a huge following on TikTok but no website what would you have done for example when TikTok disappeared….if it didn’t come back? That would have sucked for you.
And if you’re an athlete think about this:
People are Googling you all the time - I just searched for a student-athlete on perhaps the most followed football team in the country. The results I got were from (in order) ESPN, Wikipedia, 24/7 Sports, Instagram, Sports-Reference.com, X, Rivals, Fox Sports, On3.com, MaxPreps, Facebook, a blog that covers his school, YouTube, the school newspaper where he plays, something called CFB.Fan, Sports Illustrated and at least a HUNDRED others.
NONE of them belonged to HIM.
Why should he not get a piece of that traffic? If he had a personal brand that was represented on HIS website he could rightfully appear in those search results and get that love. After all - it’s HIM they’re searching for. And on top of that HE gets first dibs on controlling the narrative of WHO HE IS! It’s insane to me that there are athletes that aren’t doing this, especially now that they are allowed to do it and make money off of it. They could sell their own merch, their own products and they could do affiliate marketing using their influence.
Next, go with authenticity and stick to it. Don't say what you think people will want to hear or merely be a trend follower. Say what YOU believe. People who are worth a damn can spot B.S. (they can spot A.I. too) and this is your PERSONAL brand we're talking about. No one else's. Be YOU. Once you’ve established this on a website, then focus on your social media which is a whole other discussion. Show up and build community around your brand where the people are hanging out and then drive them back to your website. Consistent quality content and engagement is the key. Show up and help. Be friendly, be social, contribute to the discussion and add value where you can. That’s the basic model - reach out to yours truly if you want me to help you (shameless plug)!
So what do you think? Thoughts? Anything to add? And do YOU have a personal brand you want to share? Put it in the comments below!
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M10 Social is owned by Doug Cohen in West Bloomfield, MI and provides social media training and digital marketing services from the Frameable Faces Photography studio Doug owns with his wife Ally. He can be reached there at tel:248-790-7317, by mobile at tel:248-346-4121 or via email at mailto:doug@frameablefaces.com. You can follow Doug’s band Vintage Playboy at their Facebook page here. You can also visit our other business Detroit Jerky at the website www.DetroitJerkyLLC.com!