How To Grow A Personal Brand

As an influencer, it’s easy to feel like your life isn’t interesting enough. You may not have a flashy Tesla, a house in Los Angeles, or tickets to next year’s MET Gala. Don’t worry, there is still hope for you.

When people describe my videos, they usually say it feels like a “fever dream.” But, that’s the beauty in it. My channel became much more successful when I stopped following the “relatable teenage YouTuber” formula. Want to know how I did it? Here are my tips on finding your unique online voice and building your personal brand online.

My first tip is simple: do not copy other YouTubers! You never want to be known as a wannabe (be the designer, not the cheap knockoff). If your subscribers can find your content somewhere else, they probably will. Being unique is your biggest asset for keeping a loyal subscriber base.

Don’t worry, I’ve made this mistake before. In my first viral video, I got accused of copying Emma Chamberlain, an extremely popular vlogger on YouTube. Unfortunately, I had fallen into a trap. Emma is known for her fast edits and effects, and I tried to replicate them. After that experience, I realized that it’s refreshing to form your own style. And it’s worked— no one has called me an “Emma Clone” since!

To find your unique voice, it’s important to ask yourself the following questions:

“How do I act around my closest friends?” or, if you don’t have many friends (like me), “How do I act when I’m alone?”

To form a relationship with your followers, you need to show your genuine self. For me, my sarcastic character perfectly represents who I am: unapologetic, creative, and sometimes naive.

At first, it might be difficult to find this personality. I suggest filming with your friends without the intention of posting. Once you become comfortable behind the camera, your creativity will begin to flow naturally. Then, you can begin to post videos that you are proud of!!

VIDEO IDEAS

If you are a new creator on YouTube, I suggest starting with a few "trendy" videos. As an unknown creator, it's important that you first hit the YouTube algorithm. Making “Day in the Life” or “Routine” videos is the best way to do so. It’s only a matter of time before you begin to pop up in people’s recommended page.

For established creators, it's important to divide your videos into two categories: videos for your current subscribers, and videos to gain new subscribers. This distinction is important. To gain a loyal subscriber base, produce content that is relatable and specific to them. If all of your videos are made with flashy thumbnails and titles, your current subscribers will feel ignored.

GROWTH AND CONSISTENCY

Keep your expectations realistic. For most, a successful channel doesn’t appear overnight. Some people have been posting for years and still haven’t found their niche, others post three videos and gain a million subscribers in a week. The process is tough, and it’s important not to compare yourself to others. Instead, create an upload schedule and stick to it religiously, eventually, your time will come.

After you grow your audience, it’s important to keep them captivated. You don’t have to post videos everyday, in fact, I suggest you don’t. Rather, upload videos that you are passionate about— that you enjoy watching. Remember, you’re your own biggest fan.

I have been on YouTube for over two years and I am still learning the ropes. Even if you make videos that don't get much traction, it is more important to be proud of the content you produce. So don't obsess over the views, the numbers will come with time. But hey, you can always trick people into thinking you're more successful than you are. It's not called lying, it's called manifesting.