[NEW INSIGHT] Personal branding for CEOs vs personal branding: what’s the real difference
Many executives assume that building a personal brand is simply about being visible. But that’s never the case, and it’s often why many campaigns fail.
See, executive branding is all about earning influence and recognition. And to do that, you need a structured approach that proves your expertise and delivers tangible outcomes.
What do we mean by this and how can you develop that structure? Read this guide to find out as we break down executive branding in detail.
With so much content out there online, whatever you produce has to be of a high standard to gain any chance of breaking through the noise.
We tell every executive we work with that they’re not the first and won’t be the last to invest in executive branding. Today, there are dozens of executives producing content every single minute to promote themselves and their company.
If you go into the mindset thinking whatever you post is going to instantly generate high engagement and transform your fortunes, there’s a good chance you’ll be disappointed.
After all, with so much content online, whatever you produce has to be of a high standard to gain any chance of breaking through the noise.
You also can't plaster content across every channel in the hope of reaching as many eyes as possible. Each time you produce content for LinkedIn, YouTube, your blog, or the media, you need to ensure it is properly tailored to the channel's preferences and its audience.
For instance, the LinkedIn algorithm favours long-form, novel, unique, and educational content. YouTube, meanwhile, prioritises short-form videos that drive high engagement.
Stakeholders want to understand the thinking, values, and leadership behind the organisation, not just its corporate messaging.
Above all, your executive brand gives you the opportunity to stand on your own two feet, and you must. Not only for your own benefit, but for your company’s.
Specifically, if gives you the chance to build a legacy that extends beyond your firm, helping you unlock new career opportunities, while your company's stakeholders get the chance to understand the thinking, values, and leadership behind the organisation.
At the moment, visible leadership like this is in demand.
So, while piggybacking off your company's announcements might seem useful, it's not a sustainable strategy to build your brand. You need to distinguish yourself wherever you can.
A relatively unknown founder or CEO would start by reaffirming why they founded or joined their business, establishing confidence in their ability to lead their firm.
An established executive might take a different approach by sharing lessons learned from key decisions or outlining a new direction for the company.
In any case, once you have this foundation, you open doors to greater brand exposure and stronger engagement with your audience, just as long as you take the right approach.
Though it might sound like an exaggeration, storytelling is at the heart of every successful executive branding campaign. It helps audiences understand your background, experience, aspirations, and beliefs, and ensure they follow your journey.
In which case, regularly updating bios, blogs, and professionally shot multimedia that highlight your progress and make your story relatable is imperative. So is connecting each piece of content to your narrative, in a way that makes your work interesting and easier to digest.
Essentially, you want to continuously spotlight growth, showing not just where you started, but where you’re headed and why it matters, so audiences connect at every touchpoint and important milestone.
In a way, this is no different to how businesses use storytelling to connect with their stakeholders. It’s why 55% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand with a compelling narrative than those without one.
So, don’t rush the process, and think carefully about how you want to present yourself.
Don’t be afraid to discuss the process. Unlike corporate communications, you have an opportunity to inject some personality into your content.
Now, of course, without tangible proof of progress, the narrative you want to tell won’t get very far. We live in a results-driven world, where data underpins everything we engage with.
Ignore this, and you won’t have a springboard for more opinion-based, left-field content to produce later on.
In which case, occasionally share measurable achievements, such as revenue growth, successful projects, client wins, product launches, or team milestones, to continuously reinforce credibility.
And don’t be afraid to discuss the process. Unlike corporate communications, you have an opportunity to inject some personality into your content and unpack jargon so a wider audience can appreciate your work.
For example:
As a tech founder, you might post about how new AI software reduced customer churn by 20%, attracting media attention and partnership inquiries.
Alternatively, as the CEO of a bank, you could blog about how a new financial literacy program helped 5,000 customers improve their savings, positioning your leadership as both innovative and socially responsible.
Though these scenarios are very basic, they help you picture the role you can play in elevating your company’s achievements, giving yourself kudos, and delivering more value to your audience at the same time.
For shareholders, this transparency is key.
Unlike standard marketing or corporate messaging, this isn’t about sales. It’s about earning credibility.
As we’ve alluded to, opinion-based content, such as executive thought leadership, should make up a significant proportion of your content.
Why? It allows you to highlight your expertise in a way that informs, inspires, or challenges your audience, keeping them engaged with your brand.
Unlike standard marketing or corporate messaging, this isn’t about sales. It’s about earning credibility, so you eventually become the most valuable voice in your sector.
With this in mind, consider these basic principles:
Only comment on topics you are qualified to discuss.
Connect your opinions to timely issues.
Stay original and don't rehash others' work.
Inject personality into your content through anecdotes.
Keep content punchy and aligned with your core message.
Ignore these principles, and that's when campaigns backfire.
Multimedia needs to be well coordinated, professionally shot, and edited, otherwise it can become a logistical and reputational burden.
Each channel has its own purpose, pros, and cons that impact the credibility you aim to build. So, it’s important to be aware of each before you start sharing content across them.
For instance:
Social media is great for sharing content at speed and with a wide audience. Yet, misuse it, and you risk appearing overeager or unprofessional, which can dent your following.
Blogs allow you to produce long-form content that can directly rank on Google and elevate your digital profile. However, it can also appear biased and contrived.
Multimedia injects personality into your content and makes complex subjects easier to understand. But it needs to be well coordinated, professionally shot, and edited, otherwise it can become a logistical and reputational burden.
Live events or webinars allow you to connect directly with your audience, showcase expertise in real time, and build credibility through presence. However, events require careful planning and rehearsal, as mistakes or poor execution can negatively impact your executive brand.
Media engagement positions you alongside the best leaders in your field. It also transforms your digital profile fastest depending on the size of the outlet. However, it can be tough to earn and must be managed with care to ensure coverage is beneficial.
Considering these complexities, it’s essential to take your time producing content for each channel, experimenting and refining before publishing widely to mimimise risk.
Don’t over-pitch. This can saturate your content and make journalists feel like you’re trying to “pocket” them.
We wouldn't be the first to say that media engagement is probably the most valuable channel for your executive brand.
On one hand, media coverage is earned and controlled by journalists and editors who manage outlets. Because of this, people often assume that if the press is covering you, you're a recognized expert in your field.
On the other hand, coverage in reputable outlets often leads to more coverage, strengthening your personal brand and the perceived credibility of your company, team, or initiatives, as your digital profile is shaped by multiple headlines.
In which case, it's worth exploring how you can perfect media engagement in detail:
Be selective of the journalists you pitch. For press releases, it’s often okay to spread your bets a little for wider coverage. But for opinion-based work, you need a targeted approach. This might mean working with one high-tier journalist for an exclusive story, or collaborating with several smaller outlets on self-contained stories linked to the same trend or theme.
Don’t over-pitch. This can saturate your content and make journalists feel like you’re trying to “pocket” them. While it’s good to have regular contributors, they don’t want their audience to perceive bias toward one person’s views.
Treat journalists as people with their own objectives. Pitch stories that are relevant to what they cover, and ensure it is clear, well-supported, and timely. If you give them what they need and treat them with respect, they will reciprocate.
Journalists are one of your most important stakeholders. Don't forget it. Too many executives do.
Before long, journalists, and even social media followers, will depend on you for insight whenever new developments linked to your field emerge.
Whenever you’re producing thought leadership content, you need to have an ambition that extends beyond your company's immediate objectives.
Ask yourself: what impact do you want to make?
Quite often, many of our clients aim to influence policy discussions, shape regulation before it’s finalised, or challenge outdated industry standards.
Why? By helping to steer the direction of an industry, rather than simply react to it, you position yourself as someone whose perspective matters. Someone whose voice is not only heard, but considered when big decisions are being made.
Before long, journalists, and even social media followers, will depend on you for insight whenever new developments linked to your field emerge.
Once you notice that regulations have shifted in your favour, as a consequence of your campaign, you need to squeeze maximum value out of the occasion.
Blog about it, mention it in media interviews, share long takes on social media, and treat it as a badge of honour. It shows others that you’re someone who’s highly regarded in your sector and taken seriously.
For any business, having leadership like this is gold dust.
Track media quality, not just quantity. Look at where you’re being mentioned, not how often.
Just like how your company uses data to inform its own campaigns, you need to do the same to measure your credibility and perception in the public eye.
How can you do this?
Track media quality, not just quantity. Look at where you’re being mentioned, not how often. Coverage in reputable, relevant outlets carries far more weight than volume alone.
Analyse message pull-through. Assess whether journalists are repeating your key themes, language, and viewpoints, or reframing them inaccurately. This shows how well your positioning is landing.
Monitor sentiment over time. Review whether coverage and commentary is becoming more positive, balanced, or authoritative as your thought leadership activity increases.
Assess share of voice against peers. Compare how often you’re quoted or referenced relative to other executives or organisations in your space, particularly on priority topics.
Evaluate who is engaging with your content. Look at the seniority and relevance of people interacting with or amplifying your insights, not just overall engagement numbers.
Track inbound opportunities. Measure increases in speaking invitations, media requests, partnerships, or policy discussions that reference your views or expertise.
Review search results and digital footprint. Regularly audit what appears when your name is searched and whether headlines, articles, and commentary reinforce your desired reputation.
Taken as a whole, this should give you confidence in your work and help you form healthy, repeatable habits that build your brand much faster than working without them.
With that in mind, don’t wait until the last minute to seek help. Otherwise, you’ll make costly mistakes that can be hard for any professional to reverse.
Media relations sounds all well and good, but how do you actually reach journalists?
This and a number of other reasons, including drafting content itself, is why you should consider working with an executive branding agency to create the credibility system you need to be successful.
Agencies work with hundreds of executives and media outlets annually. They understand various industries, know what makes a good story tick, and can take care of activity across every channel you’d want to present yourself on.
With that in mind, don’t wait until the last minute to seek help. Otherwise, you’ll make costly mistakes that can be hard for any professional to reverse.
When executed consistently and with intent, executive branding stops being noise and starts becoming influence.
For executives looking to stand out, attract opportunities, and be taken seriously in their sector, building credibility first is non-negotiable.
That doesn’t mean posting more content for the sake of it. It means proving your expertise, earning trust through action, and coordinating your visibility through a structured credibility system.
When executed consistently and with intent, executive branding stops being noise and starts becoming influence.