How To Write A Personal Brand Statement (With Examples)

Whether you’re looking for a job, trying to expand your business and reach new clientele, or searching for career opportunities as an independent contractor, writing a powerful and engaging personal brand statement can help you reach all your professional goals.

A strong personal brand statement that communicates your values, skills, and abilities is the foundation for building a solid and versatile personal brand that will carry you through your professional career.

Key Takeaways:

• A personal brand statement is 1 to 3 sentences that uniquely sum up your values, skills, and expertise.

• Write a personal brand statement by first picking your audience and medium, then brainstorm, write a rough draft, and edit.

• Emphasize your unique value in your personal brand statement.

• Personal brand statements are helpful for standing out and networking.

What Is A Personal Brand Statement?

A personal brand statement is a one-to-three-sentence catchphrase that sums up your values, what you do, and your unique skills and abilities in your field of expertise. The most impressive personal brand statements read like slogans and work to capture the essence of your resume in just a few short lines.

That means writing a personal brand statement that’s short, catchy, compelling, descriptive, and unique all at the same time. Crafting a personal brand statement is much like writing a professional bio, in that it should communicate your personality, skills, and experiences.

A well-written personal brand statement is short and to the point and works to give prospective clients or employers an idea of what you offer and how you can benefit them.

How To Write A Personal Brand Statement

Writing a personal brand statement is much like writing a vision statement, or a mission statement or slogan for a business. Typically, the branding message should be a short elevator pitch highlighting your professional skills and strengths or a unique value proposition.

To write a personal brand statement:

1. Pick your audience and medium. Before you write your personal brand statement, you need to know who it is for and how you are going to share it. Your personal brand statement could be for potential employers, clients, or peers to network with, or all of them combined. By knowing who you want to speak to, you will be more targeted in your words.

   Equally important is knowing how you are going to share your personal brand statement. Will you share it on social media? Will it go on your personal website? Will it be supplemental material for your portfolio or resume? The type of medium shouldn’t change the statement too much, but again, knowing what you plan to do with your personal brand statement helps you focus.

2. Brainstorm. Before you get to writing, brainstorm your values, your goals, your skills, and your experiences. Don’t worry so much about form or relevancy, the point is to get everything that makes you “you” onto paper. Once this is done you can have some more separation and look at yourself from a new perspective.

3. Write a rough draft. Write a rough draft of your personal statement. It is OK if it is longer than three sentences. The rough draft will help you focus in on your qualities you wish to define your personal brand statement.

4. Edit and get feedback. Here is the tricky part. You need to bring your rough draft down to something easily consumable. Pick your most important quality you want to define your personal brand statement. Be efficient and honest with your words to make it unique to you. Ask for feedback from your peers. It can help if you can find someone who is similar to your target audience, such as a professional mentor or former boss.

With this in mind you are on the right path to coming up with your own personal brand statement.

Tips For Writing A Personal Brand Statement

If it’s your first time writing a personal brand statement, we’ve got you covered. Many of the rules you follow when writing a traditional resume can also be applied to a personal brand statement. However, there are a few specifics you’ll need to keep in mind to write a perfect personal brand statement.

Here are the top five tips all professionals should follow when crafting a strong brand:

1. Understand your brand. Before you set out to write your personal brand statement you need to understand your brand and think about what you’re aiming to accomplish in your professional punchline.

   To understand your brand you should think about your core values, what your most desirable skills, abilities, and qualifications are, what audience you want to appeal to in your personal brand statement, and what sets you apart from your peers. Having a strong brand identity will help you find career success.

2. Appeal to your audience. No matter what industry you work in, it’s important to think about your audience when crafting your personal brand statement. Knowing your audience will help you tailor your branding and marketing strategies and craft a message that resonates with career professionals and reaches your target network.

3. Emphasize your unique value. The best personal brand statements highlight an individual’s unique abilities and strongest selling points. By emphasizing your unique value your personal brand statement will serve to help you stand out and articulate your passions and motivations.

4. Be consistent and clever. Being consistent and highlighting your skills and services in a catchy way is essential in clearly communicating your brand. Ensuring that your personal brand statement is consistent with your actual values and professional abilities and is written cohesively and cleverly will help you stand out and build your brand.

5. Pay attention to your tone of voice. Your tone of voice can be very important when building a strong brand. Depending on what you aim to accomplish in your personal brand statement, you may want to use a casual, professional, or straightforward tone of voice.

   Using an acceptable tone of voice will help your craft powerful branding that differentiates you from your peers and resonates with your target audience.

Why Is a Personal Brand Statement Important?

An effective personal brand statement can set you apart from the competition, help people recognize and remember you, help you network and find opportunities for career development, and grow your audience or client list.

Whether you’re a job-seeker, freelancer, entrepreneur, or employer, having a personal brand statement is an important element of branding and marketing and can be essential in finding and maintaining professional success.

Personal branding is also a great way for established industry professionals to find opportunities to participate in speaking engagement and professional networking events since the majority of professionals with a strong brand identity have an established online presence.

Personal brand statements are the perfect platform for showcasing your knowledge on a specific company or your industry expertise and can be displayed as an objective statement on your professional resume or your website, portfolio, or LinkedIn profile.

If you’re looking to get hired, land a big job interview, get a promotion, expand your professional network, and increase your likelihood to find overall career success, writing a powerful personal brand statement is essential.

13 Inspiring Personal Brand Statement Examples

When it comes to powerful branding and the brand development process, a little inspiration can do a long way. Here are 13 inspiring personal brand statements from established professionals across a wide range of occupational industries.

1. Marie Forleo. Marie Forleo, the host of the award-winning show MarieTV, keeps it light and simple with her personal brand statement. It reads:

   Hi, I’m Marie. An entrepreneur, writer, philanthropist, and an unshakable optimist dedicated to helping you become the person you most want to be.

2. Nick Loper. Nick Loper, an entrepreneur and business coach, uses attention-grabbing words to connect with and draw in customers. His personal brand statement is short but striking. It reads:

   Let’s build job-free income.

3. Selena Soo. This marketing and publicity strategist’s brand statement is genuine, professional, and direct. The statement reads:

   I’m a publicity and marketing strategist who helps experts, authors, and coaches go from ‘hidden gem’ to admired industry leader…and even a household name.

4. Adam Cobb. As a fitness and nutrition coach, exercise, a healthy diet, and a spiritual awareness are at the core of Adam Cobb’s life and career. He reiterates that in his personal brand statement, keeping things clear and concise. The statement reads:

   Move well, eat well, think well.

5. Irene Koehler. Working as a personal branding coach, Irene Koehler knows a thing or two about personal brand statements. She keeps hers short, punchy, and powerful. It reads:

   I transform accomplished women from unknown to unforgettable with a strategic, trustworthy personal brand.

6. Darrell Franklin. As the head of industry at Google, Darrell Franklin lets his leadership skills and industry expertise shine in his personal brand statement. It reads:

   Innovation is in my blood…I seek to find ways to adapt when needed and disrupt when possible. For the past 15+ years, I have been at the forefront of digital evolution and transformation as an intrepid business strategist, thought leader, and functional operator, and called on to develop solutions and technologies that have enabled stronger customer engagement, retention, and loyalty.

7. Jessi Fearon. This personal finance and budget blogger gets right to the point in her personal brand statement. It reads:

   Real life on a budget.

8. Tony Robbins. Tony Robbins is known for his inspiring self-improvement books and speeches. He’s almost equally as known for his personal brand statement. The statement is crisp and motivational, reading:

   Transform your life.

9. Larry Kim. Larry Kim, CEO of MobileMonkey, Inc. and founder of WordStream, Inc., recognizes the importance of diversity and creativity. The marketing expert has set himself apart from his peers through a unique, fun, and nontraditional approach to a personal brand statement. The statement reads:

   Be a unicorn in a sea of donkeys.

10. Brittany Berger. Content marketer Brittany Berger knows how to stand out from the crowd. Her personal brand statement peaks interest and grabs attention by challenging popular and traditional ideas. The statement reads:

    Create less content. (It’ll be fine! I promise!)

11. Chandler Bolt. Chandler Bolt is an author and the founder of Self-Publishing School who, through a clever, motivational, and relatable personal brand statement, inspires his clients to publish their first book. His statement reads:

    Hi, I’m Chandler Bolt. Six-time bestselling author and founder of Self Publishing School. There’s a book inside you, And my goal is to help you find it and go from blank page to bestselling author — even if you’re busy, idea-less, or bad at writing like me.

12. Ann Handley. This best-selling author and digital marketing expert uses a casual tone in her personal brand statement but gets straight to the point to capture interest and increase her marketability. Her statement reads:

    Empowering ridiculously good marketing.

13. Andrea Perez. After an impressive career, Andrea Perez, global vice president and general manager for Nike’s Jordan Women’s brand, knows she’s valuable as a consumer marketer. Her personal brand statement exudes confidence and professionalism. It reads:

    I’m a modern, fearless, digitally-driven, and globally savvy brand/business leader with over 15 years of experience representing two of the most exciting, influential consumer brands in the world. I live for opportunities to deliver game-changing, digital and physical global marketing programs that deepen consumer connections, accelerate revenue, and drive brand growth.

Final Thoughts

Writing a short, strong, and catchy personal brand statement is the perfect way to convey your value as an industry professional and showcase your personality, passion, skills, and values. Summing up your experience and abilities in a personal brand statement or tagline can lead to various opportunities for professional growth.

By following the tips and examples provided in this article you’ll be one step closer to establishing your brand appealing to potential customers, professional connections, and employers.

Author

Elsie Boskamp

Elsie is an experienced writer, reporter, and content creator. As a leader in her field, Elsie is best known for her work as a Reporter for The Southampton Press, but she can also be credited with contributions to Long Island Pulse Magazine and Hamptons Online. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Stony Brook University and currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee.

Expert

Matt Warzel, CPRW, CIR

Matt Warzel a President of a resume writing firm (MJW Careers, LLC) with 15+ years of recruitment, outplacement, career coaching and resume writing experience. Matt is also a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing Focus) from John Carroll University.