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What is personal branding?

In short

Personal branding is deliberately deciding what you, as a person, want to be known for, and showing that consistently: in your profile, your content, your website and on stage. The goal is that the right people recognise, remember and choose you.

Also known as: personal brand, building a personal brand, thought leadership, personal brand strategy.

Personal branding comes down to one question: what do people think of you for? Not your company, not your logo. You.

Why personal branding matters

Experts are rarely chosen on their list of services. Every coach coaches, every consultant advises. What makes the difference is how you think, what you stand for and whether someone already knows you before they need you. Personal branding makes sure that in that one moment, yours is the name that comes up.

How personal branding works

  1. Positioning. What do you want to be known for, and by whom? One topic, sharp enough that some people disagree with you.
  2. Your message. Your point of view, your stories and the words you keep using.
  3. Your profile and website. Whoever visits sees within a few seconds what you do and for whom.
  4. Content. The same story every time, told a different way each time. Posts, video, podcast, the stage.
  5. A next step. A webinar, a masterclass or a call your brand leads to.

Where it goes wrong

With being visible without being remembered. Posting every day, but a bit about everything. Thumbs-up from peers, silence from clients. Or the opposite: a beautiful profile and a dead timeline.

And the biggest one: a strong brand with no offer. People know you, think you’re smart, and have no idea what they can buy from you.

The OMB view

Personal branding isn’t a goal. It’s the dough. It makes sure the room already knows you before you step on stage, and that you’re no stranger when you invite someone to your webinar. But collecting followers is a hobby. A personal brand only pays for itself once it ends in a conversation. Want to know how we approach that? Have a look at personal branding.

Explained by Rubin Koot, Online Marketing Bakery. Updated 13 November 2026.

In the Sold-Out Recipe

Personal branding belongs to Dough: your offer and your structure. This is how the recipe works. Together the four steps make up event marketing the way we do it: a full room that also buys.

Related terms

Further reading

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Questions

Questions about personal branding.

Is personal branding the same as LinkedIn marketing?
No. Personal branding is about who you are and what you stand for. LinkedIn is a channel where you show that, for B2B often the most important one. Your personal brand also exists on your website, in your content and on stage.
Do I need personal branding if I have a company?
If you're the face of your company yourself, yes. Consultants, coaches and trainers are often chosen for who they are and how they think. Then your personal brand is the reason a client picks you and not someone else.
What is the difference between personal branding and visibility?
Visibility is being seen. Personal branding is being remembered for something specific. You can be highly visible without anyone knowing what to come to you for.
Does personal branding bring in clients?
Only if there's an offer behind it. A strong personal brand makes people trust you and come to you. An event, a call or an intake turns that into clients.

Your next event deserves a room that buys.

Book a free one-hour call. We find out where you're losing clients. If it's not a fit, we'll tell you.

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