If you’ve applied for a job or tried to get new clients recently, you’ll know it’s about way more than just a CV, cover letter or decent website. It’s about the whole package. It’s about branding and selling yourself — or personal branding as it’s known. According to data from Google Trends, interest in personal brands increased by over 60% between 2014 and 2024 in the UK alone.
It’s no surprise that interest has increased when 70% of hiring managers said they value a strong personal brand over a detailed CV in a recent LinkedIn survey. But what is a personal brand, and how can you boost yours to unlock your next big opportunity?
Well, you’re in the right place. We’ve put together everything you need to know about personal brands with some actionable tips on how you can make yours stand out using photos and videos.
We’ve included everything from the basics of what a personal brand is to the best ways to showcase yours with fantastic examples from professional photographers.
Ready to nail your personal brand?
*Featured photo by commercial and headshot photographer Martin Strivens, who is based in Worcestershire
You’ve probably heard of personal brands in the last few years, but even if you haven’t, you’ve definitely seen them online. That’s because everybody’s got a personal brand — even if you don’t want one or haven’t actively built one.
Anyone who’s active online has some form of personal brand. They’re made up of your social media accounts, websites, portfolios, articles… They all contribute to your unique personal brand. Even if you’ve not got a web presence, that’s a personal brand of itself.
Your personal brand is essentially how you present yourself to the world and how others perceive you from that presentation. It’s a narrative that you create around yourself to promote your skills, experience and values.
Essentially, a personal brand is a way to promote yourself as you would a product or service. And they’re not just for “professionals” — they’re for everyone from artists to accountants to zoologists.
But what’s the point of a personal brand?
The main purpose of a personal brand is to help you advance your career in some way. Whether it’s getting that new job, landing a new client or becoming a thought leader in your field. It takes time and effort to create a strong one. Unlike a CV, cover letter or even a personal website, it’s not a one-and-done deal.
But the benefits of creating one make it worth the effort:
In the last few years, we’ve seen more and more people focusing on their personal brands with the increase of remote work.
The old barriers to job opportunities have almost disappeared, and now you can live in London but work for a company based in Melbourne. That means that competition for jobs, clients and other opportunities is way fiercer than it was 10-20 years ago.
Having a distinct personal brand is a great way to stand out from your competition. It makes you memorable to employers, potential clients and your peers.
Think about the last time you were scrolling through LinkedIn. You probably saw a lot of posts, and for some of them, you thought, “Oh, that’s the guy that does…”. That’s the power of a personal brand. In the same way that you think of sports gear when you see the Nike tick, you instantly recognise what a person stands for when you see them.
Even if you don’t remember their name, you remember their brand.
Daniel Priestley talks about this in his book Key Person of Influence. He says that becoming highly visible and influential in your industry or field can dramatically boost your career and business success.
(We’ve linked to a handy summary article of Priestley’s ideas, but you can download his whole book here if you fancy a read.)
But Priestley’s ideas and the whole concept of personal branding don’t mean you need to be famous or become an influencer. It’s about being well-regarded in your niche, whether you’re a graphic designer, freelance accountant or even a baker. It’s about making sure people know what you’re all about straight away and remember you.
So, how do you build a personal brand that does that?
On the face of it, creating a personal brand sounds like a bit of a daunting task. You’ve probably spotted people with memorable personal brands on social media and worried you can’t compete.
But creating a strong personal brand isn’t all about creating a flashy website or posting on social media every 20 minutes. It’s about being strategic about how you present yourself and important about adding your personality to your brand.
Here are the key elements that good personal brands focus on:
Be genuine. People connect with real stories and real emotions. Your personal brand should reflect who you actually are — not someone you’re not or even someone you want to be.
Pretending to be something you’re not can be obvious and off-putting to your audience. Authenticity builds trust, and that’s vital for building a strong relationship and making a lasting impression.
Whether it’s the style of your communications, the quality of your content, or how often you post, consistency is key. It helps in creating a consistent brand image.
Think of it like your favourite coffee shop where the quality and experience are always bang on — that’s the kind of reliability you want for your personal brand. You want people coming back again and again.
Being visible means you’ve got to put yourself out there and be active in places where your target audience can find you. This could be on social media platforms, industry conferences, or even local community events, depending on your industry.
The more you show up, the more recognisable and influential your brand becomes. But it doesn’t mean you need to go over the top. Be as visible as you feel comfortable, and make sure you’re confident you can maintain it for consistency.
Engagement is at the heart of any personal brand. It goes beyond just getting your message across. It’s about creating a connection with your audience. You need to respond to comments, take part in discussions, and ask for feedback.
This two-way interaction strengthens your relationships and helps you better understand your audience, which means you can tailor your content to them.
This one’s easier said than done, but positioning yourself as an expert in your field by consistently sharing valuable insights and experiences is a great way to build authority. Whether you’re writing blog posts, producing videos or podcasts, or speaking at events, show your audience why they should trust you.
By providing valuable and relevant content, you build credibility, and you’ll find opportunities to work with others in your industry.
Knowing the key elements of a personal brand is a lot easier than including them all in yours. Unsurprisingly, a lot of how you show off the key elements is through what you say. Whether you’re writing social media posts, articles for your website or guest posting, how you make your point matters.
But before anyone reads anything, you need to catch their eye and that’s where photos and videos come in clutch.
Photos and videos work in a couple of ways to boost your personal brand. Firstly, they help your brand to stand out from the crowd and draw in an audience. Secondly, they help to reinforce the personality and values that you’re trying to convey with your personal brand.
For example, a well-taken professional corporate portrait for your LinkedIn profile instantly shows professionalism and polish, while a candid shot on your Instagram stories shows your personal interests and authenticity.
It’s important to remember when you’re using photos and videos for your personal brand that everything you share contributes to your brand. Try to make sure that any visuals you use line up with the message you’re trying to get across and work for your target audience.
The types of photos and videos you use will change depending on your industry and experience. If you’re trying to emphasise professionalism and expertise in a more corporate field, professional portraits and documentary photography work well.
But if you’re in a creative industry, you can be more creative and innovative with your shots. Behind-the-scenes shots and candid shots can give your audience a bit more insight into the work you do and, importantly, why you do it.
If you’re an entrepreneur or freelancer, you can use more personal visuals that give your audience personal stories and share your journey to help build a personal connection.
There are a huge amount of different visual styles you can use for your personal brand. Here are some of the best ones with some pointers on how to get them spot-on for your brand:
These should be high quality, well-lit, and reflect the values of your brand like this shot by headshot and portrait photographer Agenda Brown. They’re ideal for profile pictures on LinkedIn, your website, or any professional network.
Whether it’s you delivering a presentation, working with clients, or creating something, these photos show you in your element and convey your expertise and commitment. This shot by commercial and headshot photographer Bexphoto is a great example of how work-in-action shots can boost your brand.
These can make your brand feel more approachable and transparent, as in this shot by documentary and portrait photographer Deb Burrows. They are great for social media, where authenticity plays a big role in engagement.
For a more personal touch, candid photos like this shot by Irina Zakharova make you seem more genuine. These are really effective on platforms like Instagram or Facebook, where people value authenticity.
These can be tutorials, how-to videos, your thoughts on industry trends or anecdotes. This kind of content positions you as a thought leader in your field but also shows authenticity, like this shot by Ellamax.
When building your personal brand, you can experiment with different styles to see what works for you and your audience. The most important thing to remember is consistency, as it helps to keep your brand image cohesive.
Working with a professional photographer or videographer is a great way to guarantee consistency. When you hire a photographer, you can work with them to find a style that works for your brand. They’ll then make sure that all of your shots stick to that style, whether they’re headshots, documentary style or another style.
Whether it’s LinkedIn, your personal website, or your social media pages, having a set of high-quality, professional shots will instantly make your personal brand appear more professional, polished, and, ultimately, more trustworthy.
Building a personal brand is no small feat, but hopefully, it doesn’t seem as daunting as it used to.
Consistency and authenticity are the big things to think about, and the good news is that they’re easy to do because your personal brand is all about you. Stick to what drives you, focus on your skills and experience, and you’ll be set to stand out from the crowd.
If you’re feeling a bit inspired to give your personal branding a bit of a facelift, finding a professional photographer could be your next step. At Photographer For Hire, we make it easy to find a photographer that suits your style and can make your personal brand pop.
To get started, take a look through our photographer categories, such as corporate, portrait, headshot, and documentary. Take your time looking through over 200 fantastic photographers, and then get in touch with them directly through our site.
If you have any questions or need a hand at any point, get in touch with us and we’ll do everything we can to help.
Good luck with your personal brand. We can’t wait to see it!
