How to Build Personal Brand That Sells (Without Chasing Virality & Attract Haters) 

Most people get into the content game because they see someone else go viral. And because almost all the advice these days is to“build your personal brand!”

So people start posting. They post every day. They jump on every TikTok trend. They post the “hot take”. 

But three months later, everybody just gets exhausted, has zero new clients, and their bank account hasn’t moved an inch.

The truth is, virality can backfire. And personally, after being through it all on social media, going viral isn’t something I “chase” these days.

Why, Naz? Isn’t that a good thing for your brand? 🤔

Virality, most of the time, won’t attract your ideal audience.

For instance, you can post something from your mind; if it resonates with a lot of people (your ideal audience), they will engage.

But once the content goes “viral,” it will not just reach the people who resonate with the piece; it will reach a wider audience that may not only disagree but could take the whole point out of context.

That’s why virality isn’t always really a walk in the park.

Things to stop doing for your personal brand

Before we talk about what to do to build your SOLID personal brand, we have to talk about what you need to stop doing immediately.  These are the habits that make you feel productive but actually keep you stuck.

1. Posting every day without a theme or clear direction

2. Chasing trends you don’t even like

3. DM’ing strangers “Hey, do you need…?”

4.  Refreshing your notifications 10x a day because you’re anxious about the “reach.”

Ask these 3 questions

If you want to create content strategically, you have to stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about the market. 

You should never hit publish until you are crystal clear on these three things:

• Who am I actually talking to? “Everyone” is not an answer. Are you talking to overworked managers? Stay-at-home moms starting a side hustle? Junior designers? Pick a specific human being.
• What problem do they want solved right now? Not the problem you think they have, but the one keeping them awake at 2 AM.
• Why should they trust me over others? What is your unique angle? Is it your 10 years of experience? Your specific methodology? Your “no-BS” personality?

If you don’t have these answers, you’ll end up creating random content that wastes your time and theirs.

Write your positioning statement

If you are offering a service or a product, you need a clear direction of where you’re going. I call this the Positioning Statement. It’s a simple formula:

“I help [WHO] go from [BEFORE] to [AFTER] using [WHAT YOU DO].”

Let’s look at an example. Imagine a professional makeup artist who wants to sell online classes. Her statement might be:

“I help professional makeup artists turn their skills into a consistent income through my online makeup business classes.”

This is your filter. Every time you want to post a thread, a photo, or a video, look back at this sentence. 

Don’t try to be everywhere just yet

One of the biggest mistakes I see solopreneurs make is trying to be on Twitter, Threads, IG, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and a Newsletter all at once.

Unless you have a team of five editors and a manager, this is impossible. You will burn out in 30 days.

Pick 1–2 main platforms. Where do your people actually hang out?

• If you’re B2B or corporate, LinkedIn is your home.
• If you’re creative or visual, IG and TikTok are better.
• If you’re a writer or a thinker, Twitter/Threads is where the magic happens.

Creating in-depth, high-quality content on one platform is infinitely better than scattering mediocre energy across five. Focus wins.

Set your content pillars to get you grounded

Stop waiting for inspiration to strike. Instead, use system for your content

Go back to your positioning statement and build Content Pillars. These are the 3–4 main topics you will talk about consistently. Using our makeup artist example:

• Core Topics: Makeup techniques, the business of being a MUA, your daily routine.
• Related Topics: Skin health, bridal industry insights, healthy work-life balance discussions.

Once you have your topics, you need to rotate through these four Types of Content:

1. BELIEF-SHIFT: This is the most powerful. You need to change how they think. (Example: “Why you don’t need expensive brushes to get a luxury finish.”)
2. PROOF: Show, don’t just tell. Show real results, testimonials, or stories.
3. HOW-TO: Teach something specific. Give them a “quick win” so they see you actually know your stuff.
4. PERSONAL: Show the human behind the brand. What are your values? What do you do on weekends? This makes you relatable.

Likes do not pay bills

This is the hardest part to swallow: Likes do not pay the bills.

Shift your mind from: “What should I post to get the most engagement today?”

To: “What would a future client need to see and believe before they feel safe enough to buy from me?”

Your content is a bridge. On one side is the stranger who doesn’t know you. On the other side is the client who trusts you with their money. Every post should be a brick in that bridge.

One day you’re showing your expertise (a brick). The next day you’re showing your results (another brick). The next day you’re showing your personality (another brick). Eventually, the bridge is strong enough for them to walk across.

Audit yout content before posting

Before you hit that “Post” button, run your content through this quick audit. If it’s missing even one of these, it’s not ready.

• One Main Idea: Does this post try to do too much? Stick to one message. If you have five tips, maybe that should be five different posts.
• Extreme Specificity: Don’t give “vague” advice. Instead of saying “Be consistent,” say “I spent 15 minutes every morning at 8 AM writing my drafts.” Specificity is what makes you stand out.
• Relevance: Is this tied to your positioning statement?
• The Next Step (CTA): What do you want them to do? Reply? Save? DM you? If you don’t tell them what to do, they will just keep scrolling.

Save this for the days you feel tempted to post out of panic. You don’t need more “content.” You need a clearer message and the patience to let trust build. 🫶