While much ado is paid to company branding, little is said about personal branding. Like it or not, you do have a personal brand, and if you’re active online, especially on social networks, your brand (generally defined as “how others see you”) is largely affected by your online presence.
 

As the year comes to a close, now is the perfect time to evaluate your brand and ask yourself if it’s what you want it to be. When people search for your name, what comes up and do you like what you see? Your answer may help you determine next year’s resolutions or goals.

Here are four things to consider as you hone your brand in 2024.

1. Be authentic. Building a personal brand isn’t about creating a persona; it’s about simply being yourself and sharing authentically. Don’t ever try to fake it with your digital community and social networks—people can spot a fraud a mile away.
    
2. Make your interests clearly known. Are you passionate about mentoring teenagers? Advocating for the elderly? Rescuing animals? Your personal brand isn’t just about what you do from 9 to 5; it’s about your interests and passions, both work-related and not. Those are the things you should post, tweet, write and talk about.
    
3. Stay active. Sharing content consistently helps build your credibility. You can do this several ways: Share posts from your personal blog, share content (retweets, Facebook shares, repins, etc.) that pique your interest, share links to articles you like or join online discussions related to your interests.
    
4. Pay it forward. This might sound like an oxymoron, but personal branding isn’t just about you—it’s also about building relationships. Social media gives you an opportunity to engage with people in a meaningful way and share your expertise, experience and connections with others who can benefit from what you offer.