Hello, humans.
Simmba here.
I am a tuxedo cat, which means I already understand something many humans spend years trying to figure out:
You don’t have to try so hard to be memorable.
I have never attended a branding workshop.
I have never taken an online marketing course.
I have never created a content calendar.
And yet, somehow, people know exactly who I am.
I am Simmba.
I am a tuxedo cat.
I have white paws, a black coat, opinions about everything, and an extremely important job supervising my human’s activities.
So naturally, when I was asked what humans get wrong about personal branding, I had thoughts.
Several of them.
And yes, I expect compensation for this article in treats.
Humans Think Personal Branding Means Looking Perfect
This is probably my biggest complaint.
Humans seem to think personal branding means making everything look polished.
Perfect photographs.
Perfect graphics.
Perfect captions.
Perfect websites.
Perfect colour palettes.
Perfect everything.
Why?
I have walked directly across my human’s laptop while she was working and somehow remained a beloved member of the household.
Your brand does not need to look perfect to be memorable.
It needs to feel recognisable.
There is a difference.
People should be able to encounter your content and think:
“Yep. That’s them.”
That’s branding.
Humans Forget That Personality Is the Point
Personal branding contains the word personal.
I feel like this should require no further explanation.
And yet humans regularly remove all personality from their content because they’re worried about sounding “professional.”
Professional does not have to mean boring.
You can be knowledgeable and funny.
You can be strategic and conversational.
You can teach something while still sounding like an actual human being.
If your content could have been written by literally anyone in your industry, I have a question:
Why would someone remember you?
I certainly wouldn’t.
And I remember everything.
Especially where the treats are kept.
Humans Try to Copy Other People’s Brands
This one makes no sense to me.
Humans find someone successful and think:
“I should do exactly what they’re doing.”
Then they change their colours.
Their fonts.
Their posting schedule.
Their captions.
Their content style.
Their entire personality.
This is not personal branding.
This is becoming a very committed impersonator.
You can absolutely learn from other creators.
Study what works.
Understand their strategy.
Notice how they communicate.
But don’t confuse learning from someone with becoming someone.
I don’t need to become another cat.
There are plenty of cats.
There is only one Simmba.
Humans Think Their Brand Is Their Logo
Your logo isn’t your personal brand.
Neither is your colour palette.
Neither is your Instagram profile picture.
Those things can support your branding, but they aren’t the entire thing.
Your personal brand is also:
- What you talk about
- How you communicate
- What you believe
- What you stand for
- What you know
- What you consistently create
- How people feel when they interact with your content
- What people remember about you
A logo cannot do all that heavy lifting.
Even I know that.
And I spend approximately 70% of my day sleeping.
Humans Try to Appeal to Everyone
This is another strange human habit.
Humans often say:
“I want my content to appeal to everyone.”
No.
Please don’t.
If you try to speak to everyone, your content can become so broad that nobody feels like you’re actually speaking to them.
Know who you’re talking to.
Understand what they care about.
Understand their problems.
Understand what they need.
Then create something useful for them.
I don’t try to appeal to every animal.
I am specifically targeting humans who appreciate sophisticated tuxedo cats.
My niche is very clear.
Humans Think They Need to Post Constantly
I have observed my human’s relationship with content creation.
Sometimes she thinks she needs to post more.
More articles.
More social media posts.
More stories.
More everything.
I would like to formally recommend a nap.
Your personal brand doesn’t disappear because you didn’t post today.
Consistency matters, but consistency doesn’t necessarily mean producing content every five minutes.
It means creating a recognisable pattern over time.
Quality matters.
Relevance matters.
Your audience’s attention matters.
And frankly, your sanity matters too.
Humans Forget That Trust Is Part of Branding
A personal brand isn’t just about being recognisable.
It’s about being credible.
If you tell people one thing today and completely contradict yourself tomorrow because you think it’ll get more attention, people notice.
If you constantly recommend products you don’t actually believe in, people notice.
If everything you publish is designed to sell something, people notice.
Trust takes time to build.
And once you have it, don’t treat it like a disposable toy.
If you recommend something, have a reason.
If you have an opinion, explain it.
If you make a mistake, own it.
If you don’t know something, say so.
Humans appreciate honesty.
Well…
Most humans.
Humans Think Personal Branding Is About Them
Now this is ironic.
Personal branding is about you, but it shouldn’t be entirely about you.
Your audience needs to get something from the relationship.
Teach them something.
Help them solve a problem.
Make them think.
Make them laugh.
Give them a useful perspective.
Tell them something they didn’t know.
Your personality is what makes the content yours.
Value is what makes people want to keep coming back.
Think of it as:
Personality + Value = A Brand People Remember
I personally provide personality for free.
The value is currently under negotiation.
Humans Forget to Evolve
Your personal brand doesn’t have to stay exactly the same forever.
Humans change.
Interests change.
Careers change.
Skills develop.
Opinions evolve.
Your content can evolve too.
The goal isn’t to trap yourself inside a brand identity you created three years ago.
The goal is to create enough consistency that people recognise you while leaving enough room for growth.
I used to be smaller.
Look at me now.
Growth.
Development.
Excellent cheekbones.
Personal branding is basically the same thing.
What I Think Humans Should Do Instead
If you want to build a personal brand, stop asking:
“What should I copy?”
Start asking:
“What makes me different?”
Stop asking:
“What is everyone else posting?”
Start asking:
“What do I actually have something to say about?”
Stop asking:
“How can I look professional?”
Start asking:
“How can I become recognisable and trustworthy?”
And stop asking:
“How often should I post?”
Start asking:
“What is actually worth saying?”
Those questions will take you much further.
The Simmba’s Corner Takeaway 🐾
Humans make personal branding much more complicated than it needs to be.
You don’t need to manufacture a personality.
You don’t need to copy someone else’s aesthetic.
You don’t need to be perfect.
You don’t need to appeal to everyone.
You don’t need to post every waking second.
And you definitely don’t need to turn yourself into a walking advertisement.
You need to know who you are, what you know, who you want to help, and what makes your perspective worth remembering.
Be recognisable.
Be useful.
Be consistent.
Be human.
And if all else fails…
Get a tuxedo cat.
You’re welcome.
Quick FAQ
What is personal branding?
Personal branding is how you intentionally communicate your identity, expertise, values, personality and perspective so people develop an understanding of who you are and what you represent.
Does personal branding mean being an influencer?
No. Personal branding can be useful for entrepreneurs, marketers, freelancers, writers, creators, professionals and business owners. You don’t need to become an influencer to have a strong personal brand.
Does my personal brand need a logo?
Not necessarily. Visual elements can support your brand, but your voice, expertise, personality, values and consistency are much bigger parts of personal branding.
Should I copy successful creators?
You can study successful creators and learn from their strategies, but copying their identity or content style won’t create an authentic personal brand.
Do I need to post every day?
No. Consistency is valuable, but consistency doesn’t automatically mean posting every day. Focus on creating useful, relevant content that your audience can recognise as yours.
What makes a personal brand memorable?
A combination of a recognisable voice, useful expertise, consistent themes, personality, values and a clear understanding of the audience you’re trying to reach.