You Have a Personal Brand. But What About Your Reputation?

As we go down the social-media rabbit hole, we are bombarded with posts promising new ways to get likes and followers. As communication specialists, we know the real value lies in the relationships behind those numbers, and that storytelling and authenticity help us build them. But “authenticity” has become one of those words we use almost automatically because it sounds right. Build a personal brand. Show the person behind the business. Share our lives. Be relatable. Blah blah blah. Unfortunately, it has become a cliché. The irony is that while the word may be overused, genuine authenticity isn't practised nearly enough.

Perhaps part of the problem is that we've confused authenticity with disclosure.

Being authentic doesn't mean unrestricted disclosure.

You can be completely authentic and still have boundaries.

Recent social-media controversies have made me think again about the relationship between personal brand and personal reputation. What happens when the spotlight suddenly becomes brighter? When thousands, perhaps millions, of people know your name, opportunities emerge, and companies want to associate their brands with yours?

Positive attention can be incredibly valuable. Suddenly, you have a platform from which to connect, build relationships, share your message and create opportunities.

But increased visibility also brings increased scrutiny and vulnerability. The wider your reach, the greater the potential impact of what you say and do, both positively and negatively.

Having a platform doesn't mean you need to share everything. Private disagreements and deeply personal matters don't automatically belong in a public forum. And, before communicating publicly, we also need to be mindful of any legal, contractual or other obligations that may apply.

Authenticity can become risky when emotion overrides judgement.

We have all seen posts written in anger, frustration or hurt. They may be honest in the moment, but honesty and wisdom aren't always the same thing.

The difficulty is that social media can reward exactly this kind of content. Research has found that negative online content attracts more attention and is more likely to be shared. In other words, the posts that may pose the greatest risk to your reputation can also be the ones the online environment most enthusiastically rewards.

We need to be mindful of our personal brands and, importantly, our reputations. Our personal brand is what we consciously put out there, shaped by our values and expressed through what we say and how we behave. Our reputation is how others perceive that behaviour. It influences who hires us, works with us, recommends us, buys from us and is willing to put their own reputation alongside ours.

Social media has simply made those reputations more visible and more permanent. “Views are my own”, or it’s “my personal page”, may be a disclaimer. It isn't an invisibility cloak.

Deleting something doesn't necessarily make it disappear either. Screenshots and recordings survive.

Warren Buffett famously advises employees and managers to judge their actions by asking whether they would be willing to see them featured on the front page of a local newspaper written by an unfriendly reporter. The medium may have changed, but the principle remains useful.

Before you post, ask yourself: How would I feel if this became viral tomorrow? Am I upholding the values I've asked others to associate with me?

The Personal Repudometer®

For more than two decades, we have used our Repudometer® methodology at Reputation Matters to help organisations measure and manage their reputations. We pride ourselves in quantifying value. We also turn that lens on ourselves by measuring Reputation Matters' own reputation annually.

But perhaps we should occasionally take stock of our personal reputations too.

I'm not suggesting another measurement tool or turning ourselves into carefully manufactured brands. Rather, the Repudometer elements provide useful questions to guide our behaviour and the personal brands we build.

When in doubt about a decision or action, ask yourself:

• Purpose and values: What do I stand for? Do my actions consistently reflect those values? Authenticity is about aligning what I say with what I do.
• Governance: What are my boundaries? What remains private? How do I respond when angry, hurt or under pressure? Not everything needs to be public.
• Capability: Am I continually developing the knowledge and skills to deserve the reputation I want?
• Value: What do I bring to the table? Why would somebody choose to work with, hire or recommend me?
• Strategic alliances: Who and what do I associate myself with? Our friends, collaborators, sponsors and business relationships all contribute to perceptions of us. Before posting, ask: What would my clients, sponsors, business partners or the brands associated with me think of this? Association works both ways. Brands also need to be clear about their expectations when appointing influencers or ambassadors, including what the association represents and where the boundaries lie.
• Giving back: How am I using my skills, time, influence and platform for the benefit of others, rather than only myself?
• Internal communication: How do I speak to myself? Our inner voice influences how we show up in the world. Am I learning from my mistakes while also recognising my strengths and value?
• External communication: What am I putting into the world? Every post, comment, interaction and action contributes to how others perceive us. Over time, those perceptions become our reputation.

None of this means becoming bland, guarded or manufactured. Reputation management isn't about pretending to be someone you're not.

Quite the opposite.

It is about knowing who you are, understanding what you stand for, behaving consistently with those values and recognising that your choices create perceptions.

You don't need to curate a perfect life. You do need to take responsibility for the reputation you're building.

So, what reputation is your behaviour building for you?