Latest / The Marketing Career Podcast with Fexingo: Marketing Jobs, Skills, and Career Growth / How Marketers Build a Personal Brand Strategy That Works
Transcript
- Lucas: So you've probably heard that every marketer needs a personal brand. But the advice is usually vague — just 'post on LinkedIn' or 'be authentic.' That's not a strategy. Today I want to walk through a three-step framework that actually works, based on what I've seen from marketers who've used their brand to land roles or build influence. Luna: I love that because I think a lot of marketers secretly cringe at the phrase 'personal brand.' It feels self-promotional in a way that doesn't sit well. Lucas: Exactly. But the thing is, recruiters and hiring managers are looking you up. A 2025 survey from Jobvite found that 87 percent of recruiters check candidates' online presence before making a decision. So you can either let Google define you or you can shape the narrative. Luna: Alright, so what's the first step in your framework? Lucas: Step one: define your niche — but not the way most people think. Don't call yourself a 'marketing expert.' That's too broad. Instead, pick a specific problem you understand deeply. For example, one brand manager I know focused on B2B customer loyalty programs. She'd worked at a SaaS company that had a 95 percent retention rate, and she knew exactly how they built it. Luna: So she owned that intersection — B2B and loyalty — rather than just 'marketing.' That's smart. It makes her the go-to person for that topic. Lucas: Right. And here's the concrete payout: after she started publishing one article per month on that niche, she got a message from a VP at a competing firm. They said, 'Your content is exactly what we need. Are you open to a director role?' She wasn't even job hunting. Luna: That's the dream scenario, but I imagine most people don't see results that quickly. How long did it take her? Lucas: About six months. She wrote ten articles total — and one of them went semi-viral in the loyalty space. But the key is consistency around a tight niche. If she'd written about random marketing topics, that VP wouldn't have connected the dots. Luna: Okay, so step one is niche. What's step two? Lucas: Step two: choose your platform based on where your target audience actually hangs out. For most marketers, that's LinkedIn — but not always. If you're in B2C or creative fields, maybe it's Instagram or even TikTok. The mistake is trying to be everywhere. Pick one primary platform and go deep. Luna: I'd add that even within LinkedIn, there are different formats. Long-form posts, carousels, video. Did that brand manager use a specific format? Lucas: She used plain-text posts — no graphics, no carousels. Just a strong hook, a story, and a takeaway. The content was dense enough that people saved and shared it. She found that shorter posts got more visibility, but the long-form articles built deeper authority. Luna: Interesting. So she experimented and doubled down on what worked. That's the opposite of posting five times a day about random stuff. Lucas: Exactly. Which brings us to step three: create content that serves, not sells. The goal is to demonstrate expertise without being promotional. Share a framework, a lesson from a failure, or a fresh take on industry news. For instance, she once wrote about why most loyalty programs fail because they use points instead of experiences. That post got picked up by a trade publication. Luna: And by doing that, she's proving she can think strategically — which is exactly what directors need to do. It's almost like a live audition. Lucas: Exactly. And the beautiful thing is this framework works for anyone, regardless of seniority. A junior marketer can own a niche like 'email automation for ecommerce' and become known for it. Luna: I want to push back on one thing though — the pressure to post frequently. I see advice that says you need to post daily to grow. But that's not sustainable for most working professionals. What's your take? Lucas: I think frequency matters less than relevance. A weekly or even biweekly post that's insightful will outperform daily fluff. The algorithm rewards engagement, and engagement comes from value. If you post once a month but every post gets hundreds of comments, you're ahead of someone posting every day with zero traction. Luna: Good. So it's about quality and consistency at a pace you can keep. I've also noticed that the best personal brands have a clear point of view. They're not afraid to disagree with conventional wisdom. Lucas: That's a great point. The brand manager I mentioned — she explicitly argued that most companies overinvest in acquisition and underinvest in retention. That's a contrarian take in a growth-obsessed world, and it got people talking. Luna: And it likely reflected her actual belief. The thing about personal branding is it has to be authentic, otherwise it falls flat. You can't fake expertise for long. Lucas: True. But 'authentic' doesn't mean you have to share everything. It means your content aligns with your actual experience. If you've never run a loyalty program, don't write about it. Write about something you've done. That's where the credibility lives. Luna: So let's talk about the elephant in the room — time. How do you fit branding into a busy schedule? I imagine a lot of listeners are thinking, 'I barely have time to do my job.' Lucas: The trick is to use what I call 'content recycling.' Turn one big idea into multiple pieces. For example, every month, pick one project you worked on or one insight you had. Write a 500-word post. Then pull two or three sub-points from that post to use as standalone updates. That's three pieces from one idea. It takes maybe two hours a month total. Luna: That's smart — and much more manageable. What about the fear of being judged? Some marketers tell me they're afraid to post because they might say something dumb or get criticized. Lucas: That fear is real, but the antidote is to start small. You don't have to go viral. Just comment on other people's posts for the first month. Add value in the comments. That builds confidence and visibility. Then try a short post. The goal isn't perfection — it's progress. Luna: And if you do get a critical comment, handle it professionally. That actually boosts your credibility. People see how you respond and think, 'This person is thoughtful under pressure.' Lucas: Exactly. Alright, so to recap the three steps: one, narrow your niche to a specific problem you own. Two, pick one platform and master its best format. Three, create content that helps people, not sells them. Do that consistently for six months, and I'd be surprised if you don't start seeing new opportunities. Luna: I want to echo one thing you said earlier: let Google define you or shape the narrative. It's such a clear choice when you put it that way. Lucas: And this isn't just about getting a job. It's about building a reputation that follows you throughout your career. That's why we spend so much time on it here. Luna: Speaking of which — if these marketing career conversations have sparked something you've actually used, like a new approach to personal branding or a fresh way to position yourself, listener support is what keeps this show ad-free and independent. Lucas: Yeah, it's a small thing that makes a real difference. We keep it simple — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No perks, no tiers, just a way to say this matters to you. Luna: And it lets us keep focusing on frameworks like the one we shared today, without any sponsor interruptions. We're grateful for the people who chip in. Lucas: Alright, back to it. One thing I didn't mention — once you have a consistent brand, you can also use it to attract speaking gigs or consulting work. The same brand manager now gets invited to webinars and conferences because organizers know her niche. Luna: That's the flywheel effect. Visibility leads to opportunities which lead to more visibility. And it all starts with that first focused post. Lucas: Exactly. So if you're listening and you've been hesitating, pick one small step today. Maybe it's writing down your niche in one sentence. That's all you need to start. Luna: And we'd love to hear how it goes. You can find us on LinkedIn — Lucas and Luna from the show. Thanks for being here.