5 Unconditional Brand Rules for 2024

It’s 2024 and there’s never been a better time in history to build your personal brand.

There have never been more opportunities to bypass gatekeepers and go directly to the consumer – your clients!

As you work on building your brand, I’d like to share five unconditional brand rules to follow to get you closer to your goals.

Ignore them at your own risk. 😉

#1 Be yourself because we’re craving authenticity.

In a world of over polished, air brushed and Face Tuned images and social feeds that are more smoke and mirrors than real life, we are starved for realness and relatability.

Consumers are savvier than ever and can smell insincerity and a hard sell a mile away. Bro marketing tactics are OUT for 2024 and vulnerability, authenticity and being of service are IN.

My personal mantras for this year are “Let it be messy” and “If it’s at least a B- it ships.” I invite you to try them on for size.

Don’t let perfectionism keep you from putting yourself and your work out there.

#2 Stop chasing vanity metrics.

If it’s not obvious by now, followers do not equal engagement, nor do they ensure a successful and profitable brand.

Stop worrying about how many more followers you think you need and start focusing on the followers you already have. There’s gold in your backyard that you are likely overlooking.

In the smoke and mirrors digital space (see #1 above) big numbers do not always equal raving fans. Better to have 1,000 raving fans than 10,000 bots.

Statistically, slow and steady growth is the best.

#3 Don’t rely on someone else’s platform to build your brand.

As the algorithm continues to shift on social, I’m watching many content creators who have relied heavily on one social channel scramble to find other ways to connect with their audience.

I’ve said this for years: the only real estate you own in the online space is your website – and your email list.

Social media channels are businesses that will ultimately charge to show your content to your followers, so it’s imperative that you find ways to own your following.

The best way to do this is to create an opt-in with something of value and collect email addresses (or phone numbers if you’re using text.) This way you’ll always be able to connect with your community no matter what the social channel du jour is.

#4 Focus on how you want them to FEEL.

At the heart of every great brand is a deep understanding of who they are, why they do what they do and who they’re doing it for. They are on a mission to connect and engage and put their customer at the center of their story.

Apple has mastered the art of storytelling and creating a lifestyle movement around their brand ethos of simplicity, innovative design, and early adoption.

Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ campaigns are famous for showcasing elite athletes who have suffered hardship or made sacrifices to get to the top and encourage the consumer to be the hero of their own story.

Both brands have mastered the art of the emotional connection.

Identify how your customer wants to feel and create that experience for them.

#5 There are no rules, so make up your own.

In many ways – especially in the digital space – it’s the Wild, Wild West. Everyone is winging it in one way or another, so you might as well stay true to yourself.

With so many bright shiny objects in an overcrowded landscape, it’s hard not to get whiplash and a case of comparisonitis.

Are there certain tried and true brand-building tactics that work well?

Absolutely.

But everyone seems to want the quick fix, the magic pill, the overnight success.

The reality is it takes time, effort, and consistency to build a compelling brand. You must be willing take some risks and try new things before you hit on the best strategy that works for you.

One person’s success on YouTube or a podcast is another person’s success with Substack or email marketing or events, and yet another’s on LinkedIn or Instagram or TikTok.

Building a compelling brand is not one size fits all.

The best marketing strategy is the one that takes your strengths, your goals and your audience into account and builds from there.