In 2021, you are competing with the professionals of the entire world.

There are a lot of people who are qualified, hungry, and probably more experienced than you, in running for the opportunities you are after.

The only way to stand out is to build your personal brand.

YouTube is a good place to start.

Here is a 4-step plan to kickstart your personal brand on YouTube.

1) Make your channel trailer first. 

Share who you are and the kind of content you plan to post. Say what you think you’ll make. It is okay if you do something different. Make a new trailer then. 

2) Next, make 3-4 videos with anecdotes or personal stories. 

Here are some topic ideas:

• 10 things I learned as a (ENTER YOUR CURRENT ROLE)
• A day in the life of a (ENTER YOUR CURRENT ROLE)
• My dream job, what all it’ll have
• How I broke into (ENTER THE FIELD YOUR WORK IN)
• Why I got into (ENTER THE FIELD YOUR WORK IN)

This content will get people to KNOW you. Once they start knowing, you can add more value to their lives so they start LIKING  you. Once they know and like you, they will be ready to TRUST you. It’ll happen over time.

3) Post tactical and strategic content related to your chosen field.

Make videos where you share:

• What you know
• Your recommendations
• The trends you foresee for your industry 

4) Then, interview prominent names of your industry.

If you are doing this to get your dream job, start by reaching out to those who are responsible for hiring for the roles you want, or their bosses. Interview them on your channel. Start these conversations, one of two months into your YouTube journey.

What next after YouTube

Do more when you can. Add one channel at a time. LinkedIn can be next after you find your rhythm on YouTube. 

Build a portfolio site

Create a portfolio site, if you don’t have one already.

Don’t worry about creating an extensive portfolio site in the beginning. Start with a minimum viable site first. I wrote about it here.

Once you have your website ready. Post 2-3 long-form articles there, that showcase the best of what you know.

Launch a newsletter

Get permission from people you are connected with, and those who you think will be a good fit for the newsletter audience.

Tell that something on these lines:

“Hey, I am starting a newsletter focused on new trends in (ENTER THE FIELD YOUR OPERATE IN) and I’d love for them to be your founding subscriber and get their advice to make it well rounded. Is it fine for you, if I sent you a couple of emails a month?”

The newsletter can be a simple collection of stories that you find interesting. Plus, a paragraph on what clients/businesses should be doing – the kind you want to work with. The recommendations don’t have to be your own. Read what an expert recommends and share how your client can implement that.

It’s a lot to tackle. So do what you are comfortable with and what excites you and go from there.

A strong personal brand will help you stand out and make things easier for you in the mid to long run.

Good luck with your personal brand growth journey.