The Overwhelm of Omnipresence

In today's increasingly digital world, positioning yourself as a brand has become a common aspiration. Look, I feel I owe the last several years of my career to the art of personal branding. It's a gateway to various opportunities and meaningful connections. Recently, a conversation with a friend, who is aiming to establish his online presence, highlighted the challenge many face—choosing the right platform amidst a vast array.

During my journey of personal branding, I too was captivated by the idea of having a presence across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Each platform offers a rich landscape for engagement and brand growth, but the endeavor to maintain a consistent, high-quality presence on all quickly became an overwhelming task. The more I tried, the more I found myself stretched too thin, showcasing the harsh reality of the digital landscape.

The turning point was realizing that scaling back wasn't a retreat, but a re-strategizing act. I decided to focus my efforts on LinkedIn initially. My desire to write articles and create blog-like content found a fitting avenue on LinkedIn, further enriched by an already established network on the platform. The goal was simple yet impactful: build discipline through a structured posting and content schedule, laying a solid foundation for my personal brand.

Much like building a daily routine, constructing a personal brand requires a hefty dose of consistency. My research affirmed this notion. The strategy was to establish a presence on one platform before venturing into the diverse territories of other platforms. LinkedIn served as my training ground, the learnings from which I planned to carry forward as I navigated through the digital domain.

Having nurtured a substantial presence on LinkedIn, the horizon beckoned. The strategy was not about confinement, but mastering one domain before venturing into others. It's a choice between being a jack of all trades or a master in one, and my experience underscored the value of the latter. With a solid base on LinkedIn, transitioning to other platforms became less daunting, each new platform was an adventure, armed with insights gleaned from the previous.

The digital realm is tempting with its promise of omnipresence, yet the core of effective personal branding lies in quality and consistency. Starting with a focused approach on one platform, learning and refining, then expanding to others ensures a strong and consistent personal brand. It's a measured strategy, ensuring you are not lost in the digital cacophony, but emerge with a resonant and impactful personal brand.

Update as of Oct. 2, 2023

Ya boy is growing up! After a short tenure on LinkedIn and 17 articles later, I think it's time to expand those aforementioned horizons. I recently read a great article by Kyle Daigle titled 'Planning a Personal Retreat.' What intrigued me most, besides his excellent piece, was the simplicity and aesthetics of his blog post. After poking around a bit and reaching out to him directly to get his thoughts, I have decided to move my content from LinkedIn and grow my audience here.