Have you ever wondered how your audience perceives you? Over time you formed a certain image of yourself, so-called “brand image.” You might not like how your customers perceive you, because you haven't been strategic about your brand. That's ok, I’m going to teach you how to steer your brand image in the direction you want. 

Ask yourself: What are you known for? Personally, I’m known for taking complex things and breaking them down, so even a 5-year-old could understand. That’s what I’m going to do with questions like “What is a brand?”, “How do I create and grow my brand?”, and more.

Here is a surprise for you: it’s not about your social media following as everyone thinks. It’s more than that. Although, you will gain a large following anyway, if you apply these essential strategies. Strategies, that will help you increase customer loyalty, create a positive business image, and ultimately grow income.

What is a brand?

Brand is a gut feeling about product, service or an organisation. It’s the reputation. Brand is not what you say it is, it’s what your customers say it is. Brand means reputation and how others perceive you. What is branding then? Branding is an impression management. It’s the effort you take to change how others perceive you.

You might think you don’t have a brand because you don’t have a logo. But a logo is just a small part of the visual identity, and the visual identity is only a small part of the overall brand identity.

Still think your brand is fine just because you have a logo and a few social media posts from a designer? What you really need is a brand strategist, not just a designer. Design comes last and should be guided by strategic research.

Brand strategy helps you create a strong, impactful brand identity. In turn, this identity ensures consistency in all aspects of your communication — both verbal and visual. Moreover, a brand identity is a powerful tool for managing your brand image and positioning it effectively in the minds of your audience.

Why do you need a brand?

You have to understand that digital products are created by developers, but brands are built in the hearts and minds of people. A strong brand helps you connect with your customers. If you compete solely on price and technical features, you risk becoming a commodity. A well-designed brand will help you win customers and move away from competing on price. You’ll no longer need to justify your pricing as much — you’ll compete on an entirely different level.

Apple is a true genius when it comes to branding. From the early days, they positioned themselves as the brand for creative minds. This doesn’t mean that only creatives buy Apple products, but every creative I’ve met loves them. One of the signs of a successful brand is that customers form an emotional and often irrational attachment to it. People literally camped outside the Apple Store to get the latest iPhone! Occasionally, I consider switching to a more privacy-focused phone, but I’ve owned iPhones for years. I’ve gotten used to them and formed an attachment to the brand.

Products without a developed brand are commodities. Take two pairs of socks with no logos on them but made from different materials. People will compare the quality and decide which one is cheaper to buy. That’s how Walmart operates —they sell products for what they are. Now, take a pair of the same socks and add a Nike logo. Suddenly, the price goes way up. Nike doesn’t sell you cotton socks; they sell you a version of a better you. They sell you motivation and confidence.

Have you watched this ad above? Now where do they mention about the good quality of fabric or price? Do they even mention the product they sell? There is no mention of that, because Nike brand is built differently. 

Personal branding benefits

A strong personal brand unlocks a world of opportunities, helping you stand out, get hired, and attract business partnerships. It establishes your expertise, making you a trusted authority in your field. It builds meaningful connections with your audience. We live in a world, where attention is a valuable currency, a compelling personal brand ensures you’re noticed and remembered.

The most successful marketing strategy is a word of mouth. Businesses understand that and want to associate with influential personalities. Collaborating with influencers helps them draw attention to company's products or services. For example, one of the largest network security companies Cisco had a collaboration with David Bombal.

Corporate branding benefits 

When you are a commodity, the only thing that matters is price. In a world where large companies dictate the price, competing solely on it has become significantly harder. We live in the age of abundance, and most people seek a transcendent experience. Companies that provide this are able to charge more.

I repeat: If you are competing with others solely on price, you have no brand. Companies like Louis Vuitton can charge crazy amounts of money for their bags because they’ve created a strong brand — one that others want to be a part of and associate with.

Have you ever wanted a cool t-shirt from a conference you've attended? Have you ever taken a sticker from your favorite company and put it on your laptop? That’s the power of branding. We associate with brands because we want to be like them.

How to create personal brand

A personal brand is not about bragging about your achievements or gaining millions of followers, as many people think. It’s about making a meaningful connection with your audience. Contrary to popular belief, you can still be successful without a huge following. Just find your niche and provide value. In return, they will give it back to you.

NetworkChuck's example of a personal brand clearly shows the power of a loyal audience. Over time, he educated many people and became popular in the cybersecurity space. This allowed him to go beyond tutorials and start selling coffee. He leveraged his personal brand to open a new stream of income. Even though he has 4 million followers compared to MrBeast's 331 million, it still enables him to sell his product. Don’t underestimate the potential of niche markets. As they say, the richest are in the niches.

Define your audience

Understanding your target audience is the foundation of any successful project or business. Start by identifying who they are: their demographics, interests, pain points, and goals. To gain deeper insights, immerse yourself in the spaces they frequent and observe the conversations happening there. Try to pick up on common concerns, questions, and needs. Whenever possible, talk directly to your audience at networking sessions and various events.

The best understanding of your audience comes from being a part of it. Take Molly White, a software engineer and critic of the cryptocurrency industry. She wouldn’t be able to report on Web3 without her technical expertise. In turn, a tech-savvy audience wouldn’t engage with her content if it weren’t for her background in Computer Science.

Define your value

You have unique experience and knowledge that make you different. Think about how to teach your skills and help someone overcome the problem you once had.

Value + personality = good personal brand.

Leverage social media platforms to create content around your area of expertise and display your thought leadership. People get to know you through your content. The fact that you consistently show up for your audience creates a sense of familiarity. Sometimes, familiarity is a crucial factor in deciding whether people want to work with you. We tend to trust people we know.

A good example of a personal brand is Alex Lozano. He is the founder of Cibergy, lectures at Barcelona University, and regularly posts OSINT cheat sheets on LinkedIn. People really appreciate his well-organized roundups of the best OSINT resources.

Find your way of providing value. Personal brand is more about remembering who you are, rather than creating. Self-awareness and self-acceptance will guide you on your path to forming an authentic brand.

Have a story

Your brand needs a good story. That story should not be artificially created; it should be recalled. Remember and understand who you are in order to craft an authentic story. Who are you? What makes you, you? These things make you unique.

Your story must be easy to understand, memorable, and simple to share with others. Write it down and include it in the "About" section of your profile. It will help you connect with your audience and build trust.

Here are two stories. Compare them and tell which one is more compelling:

1. I have earned a degree in Intelligence. I'm an OSINT Professional with 10+ years of experience. I help companies transform complex data into actionable intelligence and drive strategic success.
2. I'm a veteran of the Royal Navy & Military Intelligence. After serving in operations across the globe, I left the military and joined the corporate world. I self-trained in cybersecurity, levelling up my skills, creating new opportunities and making new friends.

The second story is a story of Gary Rudell, and it sounds better because this story is unique. It expresses his personality and establishes an emotional connection with the reader.

Have you heart of ZachXBT? He has short, but memorable bio section: "Scam survivor turned 2D investigator". His story has an element of vulnerability, and overcoming an obstacle – an essential elements of a great story. It's a true story and his account is full of expert investigations. Investigations even a seasoned law enforcement agent might not be able to perform. Yet, ZachXBT learned it all by himself. He didn't keep it to himself, though; he openly shares his process.

The image above is an example of how ZachXBT shares his investigations. No generic content only pure value. That's how you should create content as well.

Showcase personality

Do people know anything about you beyond your professional achievements? Do you let people into your life? If you do, they will form an attachment to your personality. I know it's hard to open up, especially in the Information Security and Intelligence fields. A personal brand can still be built without compromising your privacy.

You don’t have to compromise your Operational Security (OPSEC). Share as much as you are able to, but do it authentically.

We don't know much about Master OTW, one of the most famous hackers, but we know he is a great educator who has created many books and courses. He has shared some details about his personal life in interviews. He is open about his values, and that's enough for people to join him on his mission. A personal brand can be expressed in many ways, so find yours.

How to create corporate brand

Corporate branding is the strategic process of shaping and promoting a company's overall image and reputation. It goes beyond just products or services, focusing on the core values, mission, and personality of the organization. It is the practice of shaping how the company is perceived by customers, employees, and stakeholders.

Why do corporate brands fail? They create generic content. Personal brands are more original, unless they're trying to sound too corporate. How many departments does a social media post have to pass through before it's posted? By going through HR, PR, and legal departments, that piece of content will be stripped of any personality, emotion, and originality. It will become too generic for your specific audience.

The bigger your company is, the more restrictions you will have. Smaller companies that target a niche audience are more flexible in their marketing. Do you know Terminal shop? You should SSH into their shop (use command line) to order coffee. Definitely not for everyone, but it's very original. Also, their brand personality is funny. Here is one of their ads:

I don't mean you have to throw stuff in the face, I'm just giving examples to help you think outside the box. Be different — it will help you stand out against the competition.

Create your audience persona

Develop a deep understanding of your audience’s needs and emotions. Understand who they are and create a detailed audience persona. The audience persona should include information on what the audience likes, dislikes, and the problems they face. With empathy, you will be able to define and deliver what people truly need.

Create your brand persona

Brands need to have a personality to resonate with their audience. Businesses on their own are emotionless entities. Brand strategists purposefully inject human characteristics to connect with their audience on a human level. You should use human traits such as beliefs, values, vision, and personality to be more relatable.

Define your brand's purpose, it's the reason for existence beyond generating revenue. We trust people who believe what we believe. Similarly, brands that clearly express their values can resonate deeply with their target audience and build significant trust.

For example, one company that joined the #osint4good movement is OSINT Industries. Most of their training sessions are conducted with law enforcement, governments, and non-profits. They don’t just use #osint4good as a slogan; they put it into action. As a result, investigators respond positively to their efforts:

In addition to the tool, OSINT INDUSTRIES is an activist against child abuse and promotes the tool to authorities such as Interpol to be used to investigate pedophiles, this company has all my respect since I learned this. – OSINTGuardian

Have an authentic personality 

People want to buy from people. They prefer to buy from someone they like and trust, even if it’s someone inside of a business brand. No one likes to buy from a sterile and emotionless corporation. 

People don’t follow corporations, they follow personalities. - Yo Santosa

That’s right — people want to know who is behind a business. We are social creatures and care about individuals, not faceless corporations. Corporate brands can leverage the power of personal brands. In fact, a personal brand can make or break a business.

Still think people prefer corporations over individuals? Consider how Elon Musk was once widely praised, but as he began expressing controversial opinions, the sentiment shifted. Some people started selling their Teslas, placing stickers that read "Love Tesla, hate Elon Musk," and even vandalizing other owners’ Teslas.

As emotional creatures, we don’t connect with emotionless brands.

Leverage storytelling 

Storytelling was a main method of passing the information for millions of years. It's in our DNA, so we naturally gravitate towards good stories. I have already covered elements of a good story in the personal branding section. To give you a general idea of how it might look, here’s SEON’s story:

The story above highlights the challenges the founders faced, the turning point, and the successful outcome. Your story might be different, but it should be uniquely yours. Share your story and immerse the reader in it. It will establish a connection with your audience, make you memorable and will set you apart from the competition. The branding benefits are enormous.

Evoke emotions

The world’s biggest companies bring in celebrities and characters you like to sell better. Take Coca-Cola, for example — they essentially branded Santa and created a strong association with Christmas. I mean, drinking Coke because it’s Christmas… Doesn’t make sense, right? But we do, because they tap into something more powerful than logic – emotions.

Brands that connect on a human level succeed. The more you infuse your messages with emotions, the stronger the connection you will form with your audience.

Understand your audience’s journey and their underlying desires. From there, you will be able to identify the emotions your audience is experiencing and how to evoke them.

The ad above is engaging, evokes emotions and delivers "you are safe with us" message. No need for you to hire Hollywood, there are many ways to create an engaging content.

Provide value

I've already covered the value part in the personal branding section. In fact, techniques I described for growing personal brand can (and should) be applied for corporate branding.

Here is a hard truth: no one goes online just check your business. In fact, most people don't care about that corporate page you have created. Yeah, they don't... unless you provide the reason to care.

SOCRadar's X account with mostly corporate content has a couple of reactions on average, provided they have 4580 followers. The company also has the second account, which regularly shares OSINT tools – Daily OSINT. Having 40400 followers, it's almost 9 times bigger than their corporate account. People find more value in content from Daily OSINT. Provide content that people want to drive growth.

Design visual identity 

A brand identity system is a strategic tool that communicates the characteristics identified in the brand strategy. The system includes elements like logo, color palette, typography, and image style. They should be aligned with the brand's personality, tone of voice, and overall strategy. The logo only is not enough, you have to holistically design your visual identity. All visual elements should be in harmony and tie nicely with the brand strategy.

Create your merch as a promotional strategy. Having visual identity done you can design merch that is consistent with your brand. You can do many things: hats, t-shirts, stickers... there are too many options, pick the ones that will be well received by your audience.

Improve your personal brand

That’s a comprehensive article and a lot to take in, right? Branding is a complex topic, but it becomes much easier with mentorship. Join the OSINT Team, and I will personally guide you on your journey to building a successful brand — for free. You will be a part of a skilled team and contribute your knowledge to educate our audience. If writing is not for you, we can collaborate in other ways, as we have projects that will help you establish yourself as an authority in this industry. Send us an email, you can find it on the support us page.