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The Influence of Self-Branding

Published on April 6, 2017, at 6:52 p.m.
by Briana Borcic.

Cameron Dallas, Taylor Caniff, Nash Grier, Jenna Marbles. You may recognize these names from your favorite social media platforms like Instagram, Vine, YouTube and Twitter, among others. What sets these big names apart from everyone else is their success in self-branding.

In 2011 Cameron Dallas started branding himself as a self-made model on Instagram. His branding did not stop there as he then quickly moved onto Twitter, YouTube and finally Vine. It wasn’t just about the possible fame, but the business and the strategy necessary for creating a name for himself.

Photo By Link Humans

According to a Psychology Today article, there are four key psychological elements that play into the art of self-branding.

1. Predictability – There is a sense of safety when things are predictable.
2. Consistency – We gravitate toward things that are consistent because our brain recognizes them.
3. Familiarity – Trust is built over time.
4. Longevity – To maintain leadership, you must build something sustainable.

Leadership plays a major role in self-branding. You must know exactly what makes you stand out from others and implement it into your brand. If what makes you unique are your talent and eye for cosmetics, then you should become an expert in that field. If you love traveling and exploring, then post unique pictures of your adventures and follow other travel bloggers, writers or photographers and try to network with them.

Photo By Disney | ABC Television Group

We all have something that sets us apart from someone else. The only thing standing in the way between you and Cameron Dallas is your willingness to make it known. To what extent are you willing to go to in order to self-brand? Not everyone may want to receive fame from self-branding and you don’t have to. The most important tool you can gain from successful personal branding is credibility.

The Huffington Post  mentioned some great tips when it comes to self-branding, such as being proactive, visible, relevant, passionate and flexible. If you follow this advice and really dig into what makes you unique as a person, consumer, health-enthusiast, yogi, world traveler or makeup addict, then your image will have more power than the person next to you who is just posting Snapchats of his Starbucks drink … unless of course he is a food blogger.

People like Cameron Dallas didn’t post a few pictures or share a few articles and become famous immediately; it took time. To date, Dallas has 18.7 million followers on Instagram, 10.3 million followers on Twitter  and over five million subscribers on YouTube . He has also been asked to model for Calvin Klein and sit front row at a number of runway shows.

Find your niche and use your social media as a tool to gain credibility. If your work ethic, leadership and consistency succeed, then you may also become a name like Cameron Dallas or Jenna Marbles. If your goal isn’t to stand next to these big names, then at least you have created a credible source for prospective employers to see.

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