Why Doesn’t Everyone Have A Personal Brand? Unraveling The Mystery

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Given today’s economy where anything seems to be possible, it’s a mystery why more people don’t have personal brands. After all, aren’t we all supposed to be striving for the stars? 

But when you look into the issue, you usually discover that it’s the practical things that get in the way the most. A lot of people would love to sell themselves in a unique way online, but technical difficulties or effort requirements get in the way. 

The purpose of this post isn’t to lambast people who don’t have personal brands. Instead, it’s to take an honest look at some of the reasons why many individuals don’t have their own brands and some possible solutions. 

Lack Of Awareness

First off, many people just aren’t aware of the concept of a personal brand. It’s relatively new in the zeitgeist and only really started appearing five to ten years ago. 

This lack of awareness means that a lot of people just go through life doing what they’ve been taught to do. The idea of being creative with one’s time and energy simply doesn’t occur to them.

Getting around this requires simply educating people about the concept of a personal brand and telling them that it’s not just something reserved for celebrities. Anyone can have one, and become famous by pursuing one in their field. 

Privacy Issues

Another common concern is privacy. Most regular people don’t want everyone on the internet to know who they are – something that’s perfectly understandable. 

Again, though, this is something that people can get around. One option is to use an alias. It’s completely normal on the internet to go by another name and avoid revealing who you are. 

An even better approach is to never show your face. It sounds strange, but many people have had serious success using this tactic. 

The Effort Involved

There’s also the effort involved in setting up a personal brand. The first few months usually require you to work around the clock and exhaust yourself with constant messages to people on social media and online meetings. 

The time is also a factor. If you have a full-time job, you often find yourself working evenings and weekends, which isn’t ideal. Many days and weeks turn into nothing but endless work that seems to go on indefinitely. 

There isn’t usually much way around the work involved. However, the best advice is to remind yourself that whatever you are going through is finite. It won’t last forever. 

Difficulties Achieving Professionalism

Challenges in achieving a suitable level of professionalism can also enter the picture. Many solopreneurs struggle to get off the ground because they can’t convey a sufficiently expert online persona. 

“We see a lot of people wanting to set up companies and personal brands who don’t feel confident with the level of polish they communicate online,” professional services company YourBusinessNumber explains. “A lot of people worry about the basics, like having a business phone number or somewhere for customers to send mail.”

“But it turns out that there are solutions. Professionals can turn to inexpensive services for just about everything they need for the impression they create to match the quality of their services.”

One option, of course, is for those looking to set up professional brands to use virtual assistants. These outsourced experts can manage schedules and take calls, acting as a barrier between the personality and their customers, filtering where necessary. 

Another option is to use professional design and marketing agencies that enable individuals to put their best foot forward. It’s all doable. 

Negative Connotations

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In some cases, people don’t set up personal brands because of the various negative associations with them. Often, they can be perceived as being superficial or inauthentic. 

This issue is more serious because it relates to the entire philosophy around a personal brand. It is the ultimate mark of an individualistic society. 

Even so, it still has an important function. Personal brands direct consumers to relevant professionals to help them with the challenges they face. If they don’t know who to go to, they can’t benefit from their services. 

Lack Of Skills

“Developing a personal brand also requires having a long list of skills,” YourBusinessNumber says. “Usually, only the most curious and expert people create these personas online.”

The number of skills depends on the arena the person wants to compete in, but they can be extensive. For example, building a personal brand requires social, technical, marketing, computer, writing, planning, media, and photography skills. It may also require accounting, finance, and engineering skills.

Given this long list, the number of people who can start a personal brand immediately is small. Highly intelligent individuals can pick it up quickly, but it may take the average person several years to get to grips with everything. 

Again, there’s no clear way around this problem aside from hard work and determination. 

Satisfaction With Life

Then there’s the fact that many people are simply satisfied with their lives as they are and don’t need to go to the effort of building a personal brand. They are happy to continue on the same trajectory and don’t want to rock the boat. 

This reason for not starting a personal brand doesn’t need a solution. But anyone in this position should ask themselves whether they are satisfied or simply coasting. Often, taking on new challenges in life can be the catalyst for a more fulfilling existence. 

Fear

Finally, many people fail to set up a personal brand because of fear. They worry about what will happen if the world’s eyes are on them and everyone is watching what they do online. 

Fear is a real concern for many people, particularly individuals who are attached to what others think about them. 

Ultimately, developing a personal brand requires living with a sense of abandon. People need to be willing to throw themselves into the proverbial fire to make it work. Not everyone will like what you’re doing, and some will disagree. But often that is the price of success. 

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