Which platform should you build your personal brand on in 2021?

Another day, another social media platform, #AmIRite?

It can certainly feel that way, as I’ve witnessed the most social media resistant leaders dancing on TikTok, hoping to firmly plant their “influence flag” in this “new” domain. (“New,” said with air quotes as any Gen Z’er would laugh at me referring to it as such while asking where the hell we’ve all been for the last 2 years...)

Then, of course, there’s Clubhouse, which you’ve likely received a “special invite” to join from a friend who also received one. If you haven’t caught wind of the app, Apple currently ranks it as 24 on their top free apps chart. It’s an audio-based social networking site where established clubhouses comprised of thousands of listeners hang onto the speakers’ every word. Sort of like live podcasting—a real thought leadership dream.

Add on to that the meteoric rise in popularity of “OnlyFans,” which had 85 million users in late December, up 1,033% from the 7.5 million users it had in November of 2019. If you’ve never heard of the platform, I’ll keep this article PG and let you Google what kind of content is shared there...

Of course, you can’t properly assess your ranking in the social arms race without addressing fancy new functionality within already established social platforms. Think of LinkedIn newsletters (like this one), which you are undoubtedly receiving subscription requests to, LinkedIn stories, Instagram reels, and Twitter’s new “fleets” feature (pretty much the same thing as “stories” on LinkedIn or Instagram). 

But with all of these tools and features, what can feel like the pinnacle moment to build your influence can also feel equally overwhelming. Even the most sophisticated social media marketers are left asking, “How in the world do I capitalize on all of this if I ever plan to sleep, eat, and actually conduct business?”

It’s a good question, and we’ll unpack it together.

1. Define your purpose.

First things first, let’s Sinek it and start with why. WHY in the world are you creating content? As I often heard Marie Forleo share, “It’s better to be profitable than popular.” This saying is so important because I can’t tell you how many times a prospective thought leader reaches out to us admitting they have a huge following but nothing to show for it when it comes to revenue booked. 

It’s insanely easy to get caught up in vanity metrics and massive likes and comments. Heck, we all love to be a community leader, but if that community isn’t actually converting, we have a problem. So get laser-focused about what your goals are for social media. That will inform your strategy. Rank them too. A list of priorities may look like this:

1. Hire talent for our growing organization.
2. Become a known expert in my industry.
3. Build connections with potential leads. 

By outlining these and taping them to your computer or pinning them in your office, you’re less likely to fall prey to creating content for content’s sake. 

2. Pick your platform and get it right. 

In my experience, it’s easier to throw your momentum into one platform and learn the etiquette and features than to try and tackle two or three at once. Unless you have a very savvy system in place and, in all reality, a team backing you, it becomes very unmanageable. Here’s my quick breakdown of which platform to use based on the demographic you are trying to reach based on the goals outlined in step one:

• Facebook: Selling B2C products for older Gen X and Baby Boomers or B2B lower ticket offerings (think online course) to business owners in the same generations.
• Instagram: Product Marketing to millennials and Gen Z-ish. Why “Z-ish?” Because if you really want to go where the kids are hanging, you probably want to start with the next two first. 
• Snapchat: Which is great for the Z’s 
• TikTok: Which is also great for the Z’s but is now adding more generations to it as it swings into the “Early - Late” adopter stage of the “Diffusion of Innovation Model.” 
• LinkedIn: Performs insanely well if you want to sell B2B services and products to companies with larger budgets. 
• Twitter: If your target market is the media, or you’re a celebrity, comedian, or politician that thrives on the news cycle 
• Pinterest: If you want to gain subscribers or sell products to women/mothers

*I want to reiterate that this is a VERY high-level breakdown based on customers’ statistical and anecdotal experiences at Brandwise Media. 

3. Create Content Consistently 

Once you’ve determined the best social channel to distribute content based on your target audience, just commit to creating it frequently. And I mean FREQUENTLY. Algorithms favor consistency. Thankfully, the myth of the one viral post is becoming just that, a myth. Even if you do hit it “big,” you need consistent, valuable, entertaining, and/or informative content to sustain an audience and potential customers over time. People get really hung up on this part, which I can understand, but typically offer the following remedy: List out the top 20-30 questions your target audience has about whatever service, company culture, or product you are trying to push and start answering them through content. Creativity begets creativity. By starting here, you’ll start building your creative momentum. 

4. Determine which tools and strategies you’ll use in your selected platform.

There are a lot of tools available at your disposal within each app. Take LinkedIn for example. You can do short-form video, long-form articles like this, short stories, inbox campaigns. Get comfortable with one, then add another component of the platform to the mix. As you can likely tell, I find long-form writing cathartic, so I typically start here, then break it down into shorter form videos and status posts. 

5. Inhale and exhale.

In the shiny objectness of it all, I know you may get stuck in the analysis paralysis trap and feel you’re just not “ready” to start building your brand via social media. So a few coachable things to leave you with:

1. No one is ever ready, and you will find inspiration through action. At some point, stop over planning and start publishing. 
2. The more things change, the more things stay the same. I don’t care if you send content out through a telegram, a carrier pigeon, a video, or a Tweet; while the medium may change, the principle of knowing your audience and delivering value will always be the ticket to making it work.    

Still feel overwhelmed with it all? Shoot us a message here.