Despite what you might read on social media and tech blogs, we are still pretty early in the personal branding era. Most people hide behind the face of corporations, not paying their personal image much attention. The vast majority of individuals still have employers or work in small, freelance gigs, making a few dollars here and there. How they appear online doesn’t come into the picture.
For this reason, the market for personal brands remains unsaturated. While there are millions of YouTubers and people trying to make a career on these platforms, the field remains open and many niches still need talented individuals to fill them.
Early Stages of Internet Uptake Globally
While Western countries built out their internet networks rapidly and quickly hooked everyone up, most developing countries didn’t. As such, internet usage as a percentage of the global population still isn’t where many people imagine it to be. It is only recently that the majority of the world has gained access to social networks and broadband, giving them opportunities to take part in the brave new world of personal branding.
For creators, this fact is an opportunity. Millions of new users come online every month, opening up the market tremendously, and giving everyone opportunities to thrive in the new economy.
Diverse Niches
Another reason why it is still early in the personal branding game is the diverse niches that are possible. Unlike conventional industry, creators can take their brands in any direction they want, finding unique intersections of interests to explore. As individuals explore increasingly diverse spaces, they set themselves up for unique content, interesting in its own right.
Changing Trends and Advancing Technology
We are also seeing rapid improvements in digital platforms causing social media to advance rapidly. New tools for expression in the digital personal branding game are continually emerging, giving creators more options than ever before. Many untapped opportunities remain, and those who can gain traction on a new platform early are those most likely to win.
Long-Term Growth
Building personal brands is also something that requires long-term growth. Many individuals are still in the early stages, meaning that the industry is a long way from maturity. While there are some established names in a few niches, it is by no means universally true.
Building Personal Brands Faster
Building personal brands can be a slow and laborious process. Social networks calibrate algorithms to make it exceptionally challenging for anyone to make big moves quickly. This includes even the most talented and entertaining creators.
However, help is at hand. FATJOE’s founder, Joe Davies, explains. “We know that there are a lot of solopreneurs and small businesses out there who would love to build their brands online, but they aren’t sure which tactics to use. The information available on the internet is all over the place, sometimes giving contradictory advice. What people need is a systematic approach to winning online and gaining sufficient traction for a viable business.”
That’s where FATJOE’s library of research articles is useful. As an SEO agency, the company wants to teach you how to improve your YouTube video rankings and get seen.
“We’re keen on helping our clients get going on platforms like YouTube and we provide plenty of free information on our site they can use to improve their efforts. The benefits of YouTube SEO are enormous. If you can understand the site’s suggestion ranking or get your videos to the top of search results when users type in related keywords, you’re onto a winner. Enhanced authority, more website traffic, and higher conversion potential are all up for the taking.”
Other Strategies
Of course, Davies understands the challenges involved in the personal branding game go beyond hacking the algorithm and dominating SEO. But these factors help. Many creators and businesses have fantastic content, but nobody sees it because it lacks proper optimization. Companies simply don’t understand how the rules of the game work, even if they have a good grasp on the type of content that is likely to engage and help users.
Search engine optimization may be especially critical for solo brands looking to dominate YouTube in the early stages. While the majority of users will simply follow the recommendation algorithm, highly motivated individuals will use the platform’s search functionality to tailor results. These users can then form a core following of subscribers who add “juice” to the algorithm, helping the creator’s videos get found.
“There are so many ways YouTube creators and personal brands can enhance SEO and visibility on the platform,” Davies says. “But most don’t know or understand all the tactics out there, leading to poor results. We want to put an end to that.”
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash – CC0 License
