Episode 321: The 3 Elements of Personal Branding

I am talking about all things voiceover and creative entrepreneurialism.

Hope you are having a fantastic Wednesday. 

Let's jump right into today's topic, which is branding. 

And I want to sort of unpack the essence of what branding is because we are drawn in to people who do this for a living. 

People who create brands for actors. And I just want to get it out into the open.

That if you don't have a catchy tagline, if you don't have a palette of colors, if you don't have a logo, it's okay. 

You don't have to have those things in order to be a successful actor business person. 

If you do have those things, that's amazing. 

And if you want those things, you can absolutely have them and incorporate them into your business.

However, you don't have to have them in order to be successful. 

But let's just talk about the entire branding package, what it is, why it is, and all of those things. Let's get into it. 

So if you follow me on my sub stack, thank you by the way you will remember I wrote a post called brand and it's been resonating with so many people.

And if you haven't read it yet, I encourage you to go check it out. 

It's packed with insights and things that I'm going to expand upon today. 

You can go and find it on the actor's index on a sub stack, but grab a notebook, grab a cup of coffee, whatever helps you focus. 

And let's talk about what branding really is and how you can develop yours without all of the bells and whistles that we often get tempted to buy into. 

So first things first, when you hear the word branding, most of us automatically do think of logos and colors and catchy taglines. 

And yes, those are part of branding, but they're not the whole picture. 

Branding is the perception people have of you. 

It's the emotional connection you create with your audience, clients, your community, your colleagues.

It's the way people feel when they hear your name, see your work, listen to your work or engage with your content. 

So for example, if you think about your favorite brands, whatever they are. Why do you love them? Chances are it's not because they have a cute logo or it's not because they use your favorite color.

It's related to the way that they make you feel or how they impact your life. 

That is the magic of branding. 

So personal branding is a huge part of my journey as a voiceover actor and coach because when I first started out, I thought branding was just about “looking professional.”

But over time, I really realized that it is so much deeper than that. 

It's about communicating who you are, your personality, your values, what makes you unique, what you care about, and how you continue to care about others, and what their problems are and their pain points are and how you can help to solve those issues.

So for me, my brand is all about being sassy, trying to be witty, clever, telling it like it is while delivering professional and polished work. 

It's in everything I do from my TikTok series, like the voiceover actor help desk, to the way I write on my sub stack to how I'm talking to you now. 

And most importantly, it's authentically me, you know, like nobody else is going to see those things or listen to those things and think that it's coming from something else. 

And that is something that I have spent a lot of time crafting. And you can too. 

I don't have a logo. I don't have a color palette. I don't have any kind of catchy phrases that people associate with me.

And that's okay. It's okay to not have them, and it's okay to have them. 

The key to personal branding is consistency. 

So it boils down to what people need to know about what to expect from you, whether it's your tone of voice. 

The way you show up online, the day that you show up online, or the kind of work you deliver, consistency continues to build trust.

So what makes a strong brand? There's kind of three parts to this, and I've already sort of talked about the visual identity which includes or could include your logo, color palette, overall design. Aesthetic, whatever it is, even as an individual person in my, you know, internet life, I'm Astoria redhead, I have red hair. I live in Astoria, so that's sometimes part of my visual identity is that name and those things. Right? 

But you're sending out emails to potential clients, your visual branding. Could make a statement about who you are. 

Second is your tone of voice and how you communicate. It's just as important, you know, as the visual aspect.

Are you formal and polished? Are you casual and conversational? Your tone should align with your audience and your goals. 

And then lastly, it's your values and your mission. What are the things you stand for? What's your why? 

You know, people connect with brands that have a purpose.

For me, my mission is to help creatives and voiceover actors succeed while staying true to themselves.

That's what drives everything I do on the coaching side of things, right? But of course, branding isn't all sunshine and rainbows. 

One of the biggest challenges is staying consistent. 

While evolving, your brand has to grow with you. 

You don't want to lose the core of what makes you just because you change something or become something in addition to what you already are.

And another challenge is standing out in this very, very, very crowded marketplace. 

Every part of the entertainment industry, you're going to hear somebody say, Oh, well, it's oversaturated, saturated. Of course it is. 

In the voiceover world, there's so many talented people, but what makes them different isn't just their voice, it's their personality and expertise and all of the other things that make them unique.

And just because there's lots of people who do these things, not everybody gets the same jobs all the time. 

There's room at the table. 

If you want to do this, there's room for you, but you can't copy someone else's success. 

You can't just show up and not have who you are and what you bring to the table together, right, which is another thing that sort of, I think, really gets in people's minds and forces them almost into imposter syndrome if you don't know who you are. 

And you don't understand what you bring to the table, you're going to start to spiral in who am I, why do I claim this certain brand identity, why am I this person, why can't I be like that, why am I not doing this, am I not good enough, am I not right enough, you're going to spiral.

We never want to be in that place because the truth is your uniqueness is your superpower, and you need to own that shit, identify it and own it. 

Okay, so if you're if you're really ready to start branding or refining your brand, the key kind of things to keep in mind are who are your audience? Who are you trying to connect with?

What do they care about? Authenticity. 

I know we're kind of sick of this word, but don't try to copy someone else's brand. It's just not gonna work for you. 

Just be authentic to who you are. Whoever that person is, zero in on that and then stay consistent from your social media to your email signature.

Everything should feel cohesive. 

Then ask for feedback. Ask for feedback. Sometimes other people see things about a brand that we don't. 

Sometimes there's something going on with what you're putting out into the world that may just not be hitting the mark. 

And it's because there's a disconnect. Sometimes you need to ask for feedback and then evolve strategically as you grow, let your brand grow with you too.

As you start to develop new skills, put them out into the world. You don't just have to be a niche person, a niche brand. You can develop those things. 

Just don't stray too far from your roots. 

And remember, branding isn't a one time thing. If you don't like something, you take it down and you add something else.

You can change. It's yours. You get to decide, but be patient. 

Don't just throw something up out into the world and then pull it back in automatically because you're scared. 

Give it some time. 

Okay, let's recap. Branding is about connection, authenticity, consistency. 

Whether you're a voiceover actor, a creative entrepreneur, or just somebody who wants to make an impact, your brand is your story.

It's who you are. You cannot separate those two things. 

So if you want to talk more about this, if you want more brand insights, definitely check out my sub stack post brand and while you're there, subscribe so you don't miss any of my future posts.