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The Power of a Strong Personal Brand | Personal Branding for Leaders

Imagine walking into a room where everyone already knows your name, what you stand for, and why they want to work with you. That’s the magic of a strong personal brand. It supports you in positioning yourself as an industry authority, attracts the right clients, and fuels your success.

But getting there isn’t just about posting on social media or having a sleek website; it requires strategy. And that’s where a brand strategist comes in.

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What Does a Brand Strategist Do?

A brand strategist is like the architect behind a brand’s identity, messaging, and market positioning. Whether you’re a business leader, entrepreneur, or industry expert, your personal brand is what sets you apart. A brand strategist helps you clarify your unique value, craft a compelling narrative, and build an authentic brand that attracts the right audience.

For those focusing on personal branding for leaders, a brand strategist ensures your message aligns with your expertise and leadership goals.

But what does a brand strategist do in practice? Let’s break it down into 7 areas.

The Role of a Brand Strategist

A brand strategist works behind the scenes to develop a cohesive and effective brand strategy that aligns with your business goals. Here are the key areas they focus on:

Personal Brand Photography of Jo Davidson Female Leadership Coach

1. Defining Your Brand Identity

Your brand identity isn’t just about logos and colours. It’s about how people perceive you. If you’re wondering ‘what does a brand strategist do?’ When it comes to helping you to define your identity, they assist in facilitating developing:

  • Your core values and mission.
  • A unique positioning in your industry.
  • Your brand voice and messaging.

For those invested in personal branding for leaders, a strategist ensures your brand reflects credibility, influence, and impact.

Behind the Scenes Case Study 

Take a look at how I transformed Jo Davidson’s Female Leadership Coaching brand in just a day. A clear strategy and powerful storytelling helped her elevate her authority and attract high-profile clients.

2. Understanding Your Target Audience

Knowing who you’re speaking to is just as important as what you’re saying. A brand strategist researches your audience to understand:

  • Their needs and pain points
  • All about their motivations and decision-making process
  • How to position your brand as the perfect solution

If you’re still asking, ‘what does a brand strategist do?’, understanding audience behaviour is a key part of the answer. This is especially important in personal branding for leaders, where effective audience connection drives authority and trust.

Learn how I help leaders like you create impactful personal brands here.

Explore My Personal Branding Strategy Service
A retro-inspired roadmap infographic titled 'Where to Find & Build a Target Audience' highlighting key strategies like social media, content creation, networking, and conferences for audience growth.

3. Crafting Your Brand Story

Your personal brand is built on storytelling. A strategist helps you develop a brand narrative that communicates:

  • Why you do what you do.
  • Your journey and expertise.
  • The value you bring to your audience.

This is a crucial element when answering ‘what does a brand strategist do?’ because storytelling shapes your entire brand perception. Leaders who embrace personal branding for leaders use storytelling to differentiate themselves and build authentic engagement.

If you’re unsure whether your brand strategy is working, these key indicators will help you identify areas for improvement.

5 Signs You Need to Work on Your Brand Strategy

4. Creative Anchoring: Bringing Strategy to Life

A strong brand strategy is more than just a plan—it’s the foundation for all creative decisions. This is where creative anchoring comes in. If you’re wondering ‘what does a brand strategist do?’ in terms of creativity, they ensure that every visual, verbal, and experiential element aligns with your core strategy. This includes:

  • Selecting the right design elements that reinforce your brand’s message.
  • Ensuring tone and storytelling remain consistent across platforms.
  • Translating strategy into engaging creative assets like visuals, video, and web presence.
  • Project Management of Creative suppliers.

For professionals leveraging personal branding for leaders, a strategist helps translate strategy into an authentic, authority-building visual presence.

A confident female leader presenting to a team, illustrating personal branding for leaders and the role of a brand strategist in authority positioning.

5. Positioning You as an Authority

Thought leadership is a crucial part of personal branding. A brand strategist guides you on:

  • Content strategy for LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube.
  • Leveraging speaking opportunities and PR.
  • Establishing credibility in your field.

So, what does a brand strategist do? They ensure your positioning is strong, authentic, and influential. Personal branding for leaders is about owning your expertise and establishing yourself as a go-to voice in your field.

The clarity I gained from this process was invaluable!

Jackie Wilson BrickHouse clarity and confidence

The concise, wise guidance and re-framed picture of my brand that I gained from this process was invaluable and oh-so rapid. I can finally see what I need to prioritise in my limited schedule to build my brand authority as a content strategist.

Jackie Wilson

6. Where Does the Marketing Bit Come In?

Many people confuse branding and marketing. While marketing is about promoting your brand and generating leads, branding is about shaping perceptions and building trust. A solid brand strategy ensures that your marketing efforts are effective by giving them a clear, consistent foundation. Without branding, marketing is just noise. 

7. Developing a Brand Growth Plan

Branding isn’t a one-time task—it’s an ongoing process. A brand strategist creates a roadmap for:

  • Building visibility and engagement.
  • Maintaining consistency across platforms.
  • Growing your brand over time.

For those focused on personal branding for leaders, a long-term brand strategy ensures sustained influence and career growth. If you are thinking about building a long-term working relationship like this with the right brand strategist for you and your goals this post will help you with that.

A Related Read

Discover the step-by-step approach I use to build powerful personal brands.

My Personal Branding Framework & Way of Working

Why You Might Need a Brand Strategist

If you’re feeling stuck in your brand-building efforts or unsure how to position yourself effectively, a brand strategist can provide clarity and direction. You might need a brand strategist if:

  • Your brand feels inconsistent or unclear.
  • You’re struggling to stand out in a crowded market.
  • You’re not attracting the right clients or opportunities.
  • You want to elevate your authority and grow your impact.

If you’re specifically looking into personal branding for leaders, a strategist helps ensure that your brand positions you as a respected and trusted expert. You can jump inside my mind as a Brand Strategist in this post.

What’s Next? Take Action on Your Brand Strategy

Now that you can answer the question ‘what does a brand strategist do?’, what’s the right next step? Here are two options for you:

Download My Free Personal Branding Checklist

Get an immediate picture of the current state of your Personal brand. When you can picture clearly what is and isn’t working, you are on the right track towards strengthening your brand with focus.

    Let’s discuss your personal brand and how we can elevate it.

    With over a decade of experience in personal branding around the world, I’ve helped countless leaders refine their brand presence and establish their authority. Let’s work together to create a brand that truly represents you. The very best place to begin is with a free, wheelin’ no-obligation chat.

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