There are FOUR powerful stories every freelancer or business owner should tell in order to build their personal brand and attract their best customers online.
In this blog, I’m breaking them down for you!
Hey, Posse! What’s up? It’s Alex. Coming at ya this week with another tutorial about one of my favorite topics ever: BRANDING.
Personal branding, to be exact…
But first, let me call out a massive misconception right out of the gate:
❌ “Personal branding is only for influencers or content creators.”
Nope, thanks in part to AI, personal branding is for ANYONE with a pulse.
Turns out, being HUMAN is a quality people now check for when connecting with people online (crazy times we are living in people).
And, the truth is you already have a personal brand, whether you like it or not…
And guess what? NOT posting anything or staying a “ghost” online is also a personal branding choice, so you might as well have some control over the way you’re perceived (or you may just be accused of being a bot).
But this is not about creating endless content for the sake of creating content. That model of building your personal brand is soooo 2022…
Content is out, and sharing stories is in.
Why? Because in this age of AI, where content is dirt cheap and distrust is the default — CONNECTION is the most valuable currency we have as online marketers, freelancers and business owners.
Remember, people don’t do business with strangers. They buy from people they KNOW, LIKE and TRUST…
And that is truer than ever today now that the internet has become a minefield of fake and automated everything.
The good news is this creates a HUGE opportunity for you to serve up a fresh dose of BIG human energy and attract your dream clients who are out there looking for you right now.
The more you CONNECT with your audience – by sharing your insights, experiences, and wisdom through storytelling, the more likely they are to trust and invest in you.
And that brings me to another huge misconception about personal branding that I hear all of the time:
❌ “You need to be an expert or have extensive experience before building a personal brand.“
This is simply just NOT TRUE.
Building your personal brand is NOT only for “influencers or gurus”.
And it’s DEFINITELY NOT about creating “educational” content that makes you look like an expert even when you’re not. In fact, most people can see right through that anyway. It’s forced, cringey and awkard.We’ve all seen it.
But I come across people with incredible personal brands EVERY SINGLE DAY who are not claiming to be experts at anything…
They are simply passionate about something and have a unique perspective – and yes, in many cases, yes, they have something to sell – which is usually a service of some kind.
Personal branding is NOT about “faking it till you make it”… it’s about authentically highlighting your unique insights, skills, and experiences – REGARDLESS of where you are in your career (whether you’re just starting out or have a full client roster).
And the BEST way to do that is through storytelling. I love this quote from Jonathan Gottschall’s book – The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human
He says: “We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.”
Stories resonate with us WAY MORE than any fact or useful tip ever could…
Stories create feelings of trust, compassion and empathy.
Stories CONNECT us to each other.
So as you work on building your personal brand this year…
Stress LESS about always making sure you have a perfect listicle or educational post, and start thinking about the stories you could tell!
Here are FOUR TYPES of stories you can – and should! – tell to build your personal brand…
#1. Where I Came From
Your origin story should paint a clear picture of who you are and why you do what you do.
More specifically – your origin story is all about the EVENTS that shaped and molded you (aka your personal brand!) into who you are today.
It’s so much more than simply giving a dry and boring bio about yourself…
Let’s look at some popular examples of origin stories that most people are pretty familiar with…
SUPERHEROS.
Think about your FAVORITE superhero, how did they get their powers?
What was their life like before this defining moment? What is their personal struggle? What is their weakness? Who is the villain? What are they on a mission to achieve?
Superhero origin stories do something very powerful. They humanize the superhero and make this better, faster, stronger person seem somehow relatable.
These origin stories make us empathize with the superhero. They reflect OUR OWN struggles, losses, and hardships back to us…
And ultimately – give us hope that WE can also discover our strengths and achieve our greatest mission!
Let’s look at Batman’s origin story…
Bruce Wayne might not be a very relatable character at first glance – he inherited a massive fortune from his parents and can basically do whatever he wants.
But when you examine his origin story, he becomes a lot more relatable. A wealthy boy who was orphaned when his parents were brutally murdered by street thugs.
Their murder was the defining moment in the origin of Batman – when Bruce Wayne dedicated his life to fighting crime. BUT he does this because he’s seeking revenge, not necessarily because he wants to help innocent people.
This story is one of the “anti-hero” – a character who does the right thing… but is not always the shining example of perfection that superheroes are typically seen as.
Which makes Batman a lot more interesting and relatable.
Or what about my personal favorite superhero – Storm?
Storm is the descendant of an ancient line of African priestesses. When she was five years old, a bomb destroyed their home, and her parents were killed.
She survived but was buried under rubble near her mother’s body. This traumatizing event left her orphaned and with severe claustrophobia. For a while, she worked as a thief and picked locks – whatever she needed to do to survive.
It wasn’t until years later, after feeling a strong urge to return to her ancestors’ homeland, that her power to control the weather became apparent, and she was eventually recruited into the X-Men.
Superheroes are not perfect.
They stole, cheated, made questionable moral judgments, “did what they had to do” for a while. They struggled to come to terms with their power and didn’t always use it in the best ways. This is what makes them so relatable.
In YOUR OWN story, there are likely many imperfect moments…
Mistakes, lessons or wakeup calls that might feel a bit hard to share, but make you so much more relatable.
Don’t shy away from sharing truthfully about HOW you came to be where you are today.
Alright, the next type of story to build your personal brand…
#2. What I Care About
These are the stories where you’re sharing about your PERSONAL VALUES, INTERESTS and BELIEFS.
89% of customers favor brands that share their values.
And this is true whether or not those values are related to “what you do.”
Even if your values and beliefs are completely UNRELATED to what you do… they are still an important part of WHO YOU ARE.
Everyone has characteristics, drives, desires, values, and fears – these are the things that make up your personality.
They shape the things you say, the things you do, and the way in which you do them.
One of the things I’m most passionate about is dogs. I am a PROUD DOG MOM to my stinkerdoodle – Tater.
She went through a traumatic accident two years ago and it DRASTICALLY impacted everything in my life – including my business.
Every time I share a story about Tater, whether it is just about her most recent physical therapy appointment, us snuggled up on the couch, her rehab and how I take care of a dog with special needs…
Or even just a meme of basically how obsessed I am with her…
These stories ALWAYS have great engagement.
And they have absolutely nothing to do with my business.
But it’s an important part of who I am.
My audience wants to understand who I am – who I REALLY am – as a whole, complete person. THAT is what makes them feel connected to me.
And it’s going to make your audience feel connected to you too.
Alright, the next type of story to build your personal brand…
#3. Who I Help
Out of all the story types on this list, this one is probably the most obvious!
Customer stories are your chance to SHOWCASE your brand — and more specifically, what you can do and how you can help…
Through the eyes of SOMEONE ELSE.
Aka – your past and current customers.
Social proof is ALWAYS more believable and persuasive.
Hearing OTHER PEOPLE talk about how great you are and how amazing your product or service is, is way more effective than if you were just talking about how great you are and why you’re so amazing. LOL. I mean, obviously – right?!
Research shows 72% of customers say positive reviews and testimonials make them trust a business more, and 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
But aside from increasing believability…
Humans just LOVE to hear stories about other people.
Because, again, we relate to them.
Just like with your origin story…
We can picture OUR OWN story or circumstance in the story of the customer we’re reading about. Our needs, desires, and pains are reflected back to us through what the customer was going through.
And when we see this customer eventually found a WAY OUT of their struggle and reached success with the help of you, your product or service?
Well, that’s almost enough to make anyone want to buy.
To make these stories as powerful as possible, you really want to highlight the BEFORE/AFTER transformation of your customers…
Paint a detailed picture of the struggles they had before. These are likely many of the same struggles other people are dealing with…
Then highlight what their life looks like NOW – after getting your help.
Keep these stories focused on the CUSTOMER and their transformation.
Of course, you can mention that it was your product or service that helped them…
But the point is NOT to sell or promote here…
That almost makes sharing the story feel less authentic and less true…
All you need to do is share the story.
And let the story do the selling for you.
Alright – the last type of story to grow your personal brand…
#4. What I (Really) Do
A question my friend Jen Kem always asks when meeting someone new is…
What do you do? And what do you really do?
What do you do? Is the elevator pitch canned response you give to someone at a networking event…
What do you REALLY do? Is the underlying mission or reason you do it. It’s the unspoken sense of purpose behind your work that keeps you going, even when things get hard.
What do I do? I teach rad humans the copywriting, marketing and branding strategies they need to start and grow their businesses.
What do I really do? I show rad humans that their message matters and their words can change the world. I empower them to use their VOICE and creativity to create the life of their dreams, build a lucrative business AND make an impact on humanity with the type of marketing that today’s businesses need and today’s audiences crave.
This goes far beyond your values and interests or what your skills/expertise are…
These stories should also touch on the greater purpose of your business and the impact you hope to make…
They are meant to get people FIRED UP. 🔥
You want people to read these stories and feel a STRONG desire to support you – because they support and believe in the mission you’re working towards.
I tell these types of stories all of the time.
My followers and customers KNOW that I’m passionately fighting against douchey marketing tactics that are manipulative, scammy, and severely outdated.
I’ve made it my mission to teach empathetic, honest and effective strategies…
So you can grow your online business without “the ick” often associated with selling and marketing in general…
So I often share stories about what’s NOT working or what I’m sick of, along with stories of GREAT messaging and branding I see online…
Now notice how ALL of these are just STORIES?!
They don’t sell. They show and tell.
Now, if the thought of showing up online and sharing your stories with the world TERRIFIES you a lit…
Maybe you’re just starting out, introverted, awkward or just straight-up repulsed by the idea of showing up online…
I get, you are NOT alone, that’s why I’m hosting my upcoming Personal Brand Bootcamp for freelancers and business owners.
You’ll learn how to confidently claim your corner of the Internet, position yourself as a trusted connection in the right social circles, and attract premium clients who NEED your services more than ever right now.
Whether you’re just starting out, looking to grow your side hustle, or already fully booked, I’m going to prove to you why building your personal brand is your most brilliant business move in 2025.
And you’ll walk away with the exact blueprint you need to confidently build your personal brand in 2025!
You can save your spot for that at the link right here.
And while you’re down there, make sure to download my FREE Brand Voice Checklist.
This will really help you start to get clear on who you are and what you stand for – so you can create amazing stories to build your personal brand.
I hope you found this helpful.
Now tell me… what type of story will you tell first?
Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!
