We asked industry experts to share one piece of advice they’d give to someone who is concerned about privacy while building their personal brand online. How can they protect themselves? Here are their recommendations for maintaining a balance between a strong online presence and personal security.
- Separate Personal and Professional Data
- Establish Online Boundaries
- Control Your Digital Footprint
- Be Intentional With Shared Content
- Use Separate Professional Accounts
- Think Before You Post Online
- Control Your Online Narrative
- Use Encrypted Communication Tools
- Scrub Old Online Accounts
- Use a Business Phone Number
How to Protect Your Privacy While Building a Personal Brand Online
Separate Personal and Professional Data
Privacy concerns are valid when building a personal brand, but they should not hold you back. I always advise separating personal information from your public persona; use a professional address, a business contact number, secure passwords, and two-factor authentication. It is like this: the personality is the same, but the technical information is different.
Personally, everyone who contacts me via LinkedIn or email ends up in an organized thread I can track. If someone spams me, I block them. I also set my DMs to allow messages only from people I know: it filters out noise. You may lose a few leads, but it is worth it. According to a 2023 Norton report, 72% of people worry about how much personal data they share online, yet most skip basic security steps.
Limit what you share: highlight your expertise, not your private life. For example, Seth Godin maintains a strong personal brand without over-sharing, focusing solely on thought leadership. Stay vigilant—regularly audit your online presence, and remember, visibility does not require vulnerability.
Bhavik Sarkhedi
Founder & Content Lead, Ohh My Brand
Establish Online Boundaries
When I first started building my personal brand online, I was excited to share insights, connect with industry peers, and grow my reputation. But I quickly learned that oversharing can come back to haunt you—even in small ways. One day, after posting about a recent event I attended, someone I barely knew messaged me saying they had “figured out” where I lived based on a few small details in my posts. It was a wake-up call.
From that point on, I made one key change that allowed me to continue growing my online presence without exposing too much of my private life: I separated my personal and professional identities online.
Instead of using my personal email, I created a dedicated business email for networking and inquiries. My personal social media accounts became private, while my professional accounts focused purely on industry-related content. Most importantly, I stopped sharing real-time location details and removed old posts that contained personal information.
This small shift made a huge difference. I no longer worried about personal details leaking into my professional space, and I still maintained strong engagement with my audience. People saw me as an authority in my field, not as someone they could track through social media breadcrumbs.
You don’t have to share everything to build an impactful brand. By creating a clear boundary between personal and professional spaces, you can grow your influence without sacrificing your privacy.
Ahmed Yousuf
Financial Author & SEO Expert Manager, CoinTime
Control Your Digital Footprint
If you care about privacy while building your personal brand online, be intentional about what you are sharing and have control over your digital footprint. Leverage privacy settings on social media to limit who can see personal information, and keep public-facing content separate from private accounts.
To stay safe, never reveal sensitive information (for instance, your precise location, names of personal acquaintances, financial data). Secure your accounts using strong passwords, two-factor authentication (2FA), and a VPN. Finally, keep tabs on your online presence through periodic name searches and by adjusting privacy settings.
Creating a brand doesn’t have to mean compromising on privacy. Be selective about the content you share and keep personal and professional lives separate when possible.
Spencergarret Fernandez
SEO and Smo Specialist, Web Development, Founder & CEO, SEO Echelon
Be Intentional With Shared Content
The key to balancing visibility with privacy is to be intentional about what you share. Start by setting clear boundaries on the types of information you’re comfortable making public. Use privacy settings on social media platforms to control who sees your content, and consider creating separate accounts for personal and professional use. Be mindful of metadata in photos and documents that could inadvertently reveal more than intended. Regularly audit your online presence to ensure that your digital footprint aligns with your privacy goals.
You can be authentic and engaging without oversharing; focus on sharing insights and value rather than personal details.
Jose Gomez
Founder & CTO, Evinex
Use Separate Professional Accounts
Think of your online persona like a restaurant with a grand facade but a secure vault behind the scenes. To maintain privacy, create a separate professional account distinct from personal profiles. This way, your public persona shares only what reinforces your brand, while your more private life remains tucked away. Use pseudonyms or initials for personal interactions online so you’re not tied to everything you engage with. Adjust privacy settings carefully, allowing public access to content that builds your brand and keeping personal details visible only to trusted connections. This technique creates a barrier, shielding personal information while still promoting your professional image.
Will Yang
Head of Growth & Marketing, Instrumentl
Think Before You Post Online
If you’re building a personal brand online, you’ve got to be your own gatekeeper. I’ve seen too many people post something casual, thinking it’s harmless, and then it comes back to bite them years later.
My biggest piece of advice is to really think before you post. Just ask yourself, “Would I want my future boss or a client seeing this?” It sounds simple, but it’s amazing how many people skip that step. I’ve always kept my professional and personal stuff separate. It’s not about being secretive, it’s about being smart.
And every few months, do a search for your own name. You’d be surprised at what pops up. I’m always wary of sharing too much personal stuff, especially your location or anything financial. I also check my privacy settings on every platform, like, religiously. And if there’s anything I don’t like, I delete it. It’s about being proactive. You’ve got to remember, the internet doesn’t forget.
Once something’s out there, it’s pretty much permanent. It’s like that old saying, “Think before you speak,” but online. And honestly, I lean toward building my brand on platforms where I have some control. It’s a bit like owning your own land versus renting. It’s about being intentional and taking responsibility for your digital footprint.
Nirmal Gyanwali
Founder & CMO, WP Creative
Control Your Online Narrative
While building an individual brand, we have learned one thing: that it is not about hiding privacy—it is about control. Just because we are excluding ourselves, it does not mean that everything is to be public. We share clear boundaries, industry insight, and professional updates, but we keep personal details such as family, daily routine, and specific locations off our public platforms.
A small but powerful step is removing the metadata from the photos before we post. Most people do not realize that images can carry location data, which may be a privacy risk. Another habit that helps? Using a separate email and phone number for public interaction so that our contacts remain private.
At the end of the day, building a personal brand should feel empowering, not exposing. The key is to be intentional about what we share and keep control over what truly matters.
Vikrant Bhalodia
Head of Marketing & People Ops, WeblineIndia
Use Encrypted Communication Tools
Avoid discussing business deals, finances, or personal details over unencrypted platforms like SMS or Facebook Messenger—opt for Signal or ProtonMail instead. These platforms offer end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only you and the recipient can access the information. Using secure communication tools is key to maintaining privacy and protecting sensitive data from potential breaches. By choosing these safer options, you can communicate confidently while building your personal brand online.
Chris Aubeeluck
Head of Sales and Marketing, Osbornes Law
Scrub Old Online Accounts
Scrubbing old online accounts is essential for maintaining privacy while building your personal brand. Use tools like DeleteMe or simply Google yourself to uncover forgotten profiles that might be leaking personal information.
By removing or deactivating these accounts, you reduce the risk of exposure and regain control over your digital footprint. Regularly cleaning up your online presence helps you stay focused on building a secure and authentic brand.
Brooke Webber
Head of Marketing, Ninja Patches
Use a Business Phone Number
Using a dedicated business phone number is a simple way to keep personal information private while growing a brand. I rely on VoIP services like Google Voice to separate business communications from my personal life, reducing the risk of spam calls or potential doxxing. This setup also adds a layer of professionalism, making it easier to manage client interactions without exposing personal details. A small step like this can go a long way in maintaining both privacy and credibility.
Edward White
Head of Growth, beehiiv
