# Personal Brand Strategy > Creates personal branding strategies with positioning, platform selection, content pillars, and visibility plan. - Skill: `reaperinvest/personal-brand-strategy` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/personal-brand-strategy` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/personal-brand-strategy/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/personal-brand-strategy --- # Personal Brand Strategy ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Create a personal branding strategy with clear positioning and messaging - Select platforms and content pillars for building visibility - Design a visibility plan with speaking, media, and content tactics - Differentiate yourself in a crowded market through intentional brand building **DO NOT** use this skill for corporate branding, logo design, or social media content calendars. This is for strategic personal brand positioning — the foundation that drives all tactical decisions. --- ## Core Principle A PERSONAL BRAND IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT YOURSELF — IT IS WHAT PEOPLE SAY WHEN YOU LEAVE THE ROOM, AND STRATEGY MEANS DECIDING EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT THAT TO BE. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Who you are** | "What do you do and who do you serve?" | No default — must be provided | | **Current presence** | "Where are you visible today? (platforms, audience size, reputation)" | Minimal online presence | | **Brand goal** | "What do you want to be known for in 12 months?" | No default — must be provided | | **Competitors** | "Who else is known for this in your space?" | No default — must be provided | | **Unique angle** | "What experience, perspective, or approach makes you different?" | No default — must be provided | | **Time budget** | "How many hours per week can you invest in brand building?" | 5 hours/week | **GATE: Confirm the brief before proceeding.** --- ## Phase 2: Positioning ### Brand Positioning Statement ``` ## Positioning Formula [Your name] helps [specific audience] achieve [specific outcome] through [your unique method/approach], unlike [competitors] who [what they do differently]. Example: "Sarah Chen helps solopreneurs build $10K/month businesses through AI-powered systems and automation, unlike most business coaches who teach hustle-harder strategies." ``` ### Content Pillars (3-4 maximum) ``` | Pillar | What You Talk About | Why It Matters to Your Audience | |--------|-------------------|-------------------------------| | [Pillar 1] | [Topic area] | [Connection to their goals] | | [Pillar 2] | [Topic area] | [Connection to their goals] | | [Pillar 3] | [Topic area] | [Connection to their goals] | ``` ### Platform Selection ``` ## Platform Priority **Primary (80% of effort):** [One platform where your audience is most active] **Secondary (15% of effort):** [One platform for credibility or discovery] **Archive (5% of effort):** [One platform for long-form content — blog, YouTube, podcast] ## Why These Platforms - Primary: [Why this is where your audience hangs out] - Secondary: [Why this supports your primary platform] - Archive: [Why long-form content builds authority over time] ``` **GATE: Present the positioning, pillars, and platform strategy for approval.** --- ## Phase 3: Build ### Visibility Plan ``` ## 90-Day Visibility Plan ### Month 1: Foundation - Optimize all profiles (bio, headshot, links) - Publish 3x/week on primary platform - Engage with 10 accounts in your niche daily - Write one long-form piece for your archive platform ### Month 2: Expansion - Continue publishing 3x/week - Pitch 2 podcast guest spots - Comment on 3 high-profile posts daily - Collaborate with one peer (co-created content or live) ### Month 3: Authority - Continue publishing 3x/week - Submit one speaking proposal - Publish one original research piece or framework - Pitch one media outlet or industry publication ``` ### Content Framework ``` ## Weekly Content Mix **Monday:** Teaching post — share a framework, process, or how-to **Wednesday:** Story post — personal experience, lesson learned, behind-the-scenes **Friday:** Opinion post — take a stance on an industry topic **Monthly:** One long-form piece (article, video, or podcast episode) that anchors your expertise ``` ### Brand Assets Needed ``` ## Essential Brand Assets - [ ] Professional headshot (consistent across all platforms) - [ ] Bio in 3 lengths: one-line, paragraph, full page - [ ] Brand colors and fonts (even minimal consistency helps) - [ ] Email signature with title, links, and headshot - [ ] One-page speaker sheet or media kit (if pursuing visibility) - [ ] Link-in-bio page with key destinations ``` --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### 1. Brand Audit Checklist ``` ## Cross-Platform Consistency - [ ] Same headshot on all platforms - [ ] Bio tells the same story (adapted for each platform's format) - [ ] Content pillars are consistent (not random topics) - [ ] Tone and voice feel like the same person everywhere - [ ] Links point to the right destinations - [ ] Contact information is current ``` ### 2. Metrics to Track ``` ## Monthly Brand Health Check - Follower/subscriber growth on primary platform - Engagement rate (comments and shares, not just likes) - Inbound inquiries (DMs, emails, referrals mentioning your content) - Speaking or media opportunities received - Google search results for your name (are you showing up?) - Brand mentions or tags by others ``` ### 3. Annual Brand Review Every 12 months, reassess: - Is your positioning still accurate and differentiated? - Have your content pillars evolved with your expertise? - Is your primary platform still the right one? - What worked best and should be doubled down on? - What should be dropped? --- ## Example 1: Marketing Consultant Personal Brand ``` Positioning: "Helps B2B SaaS companies generate leads through content marketing that actually converts" Pillars: Content strategy, SEO for SaaS, Conversion copywriting Primary: LinkedIn (where B2B buyers live) Secondary: Twitter/X (for industry conversations) Archive: Blog (SEO long game) ``` ## Example 2: Business Coach Personal Brand ``` Positioning: "Helps first-time solopreneurs earn their first $5K month without burning out" Pillars: Offer creation, Simple systems, Mindset shifts Primary: Instagram (visual storytelling for early-stage entrepreneurs) Secondary: YouTube (searchable how-to content) Archive: Email newsletter (deepest relationship building) ``` --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Trying to be known for everything** — a brand that stands for everything stands for nothing. Pick 3 pillars maximum. - **Copying competitors** — studying them is smart, mimicking them guarantees you are always second. Find your unique angle. - **All platforms, no depth** — posting everywhere but engaging nowhere means you are invisible everywhere. Go deep on one. - **Inconsistent presence** — posting daily for 2 weeks then disappearing for a month kills momentum. Consistency beats intensity. - **Avoiding opinions** — vanilla content is forgettable. Take stances. Not everyone needs to agree with you. - **Focusing on vanity metrics** — 10,000 followers who do not buy is less valuable than 500 who do. --- ## Recovery - **User does not know their unique angle:** Ask "What do you believe about your industry that most people disagree with?" That contrarian view IS the angle. - **User is on too many platforms:** Identify the one platform that generates the most business results. Cut everything else for 90 days. - **No audience yet:** Focus on engaging with established voices in the niche. Comment thoughtfully, share their content with added insight, and build relationships before broadcasting. - **User has imposter syndrome:** Start by sharing what they have already done, not claiming expertise they feel unqualified for. "Here is what I learned" is always authentic.