7 min Read

How To Build A Personal Brand for Business Owners in 2025

Why is personal branding a competitive advantage for business owners in 2025?

In a world of algorithm-driven noise, personal branding gives business owners a competitive edge in 2025 by building trust, visibility, and differentiation.

As we approach 2025 and reflect on the past year, the importance of building a Personal Brand for business owners has never been clearer.

The sentiment: “people buy from people” at the heart of personal branding, has become even more critical in recent years with the bombardment of messaging across social media platforms.

Looking at Google Trends the search term “how to build a personal brand” has grown 68% in the past year and 98% in the last quarter alone, Globally.

What is a Personal Brand?

A personal brand is the perception of how you are perceived in a particular industry, community or marketplace. A personal brand is based on your skills, experiences and achievements.

For founders and business owners, cultivating an authentic and impactful presence online, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn, can be the strategy they need to cut through the noise.

Drawing insights from Simon Gould, CEO of Sydney Digital Marketing, firsthand experience, this guide unpacks the why, what, and how of personal branding, offering actionable steps tailored for time-strapped business leaders.

Simon has been curating his personal brand for 7+ years online, from his early days on YouTube to more recently sharing weekly videos on LinkedIn to his 10,000 followers.

What is Personal Branding?

Personal branding is the process of defining and promoting what you stand for as an individual. It is the process of actively promoting your values and unique attributes that align with your true self.

Personal branding is more than a polished profile picture, a catchy tagline, or a virtual CV. Personal branding is how you communicate your unique expertise, personality, and values in a way that resonates with your target audience, industry community or marketplace. Think of it as digital word-of-mouth.

Consider this: 76% of millennials are more likely to buy from someone with an established personal brand. By authentically sharing your expertise, you position yourself as a trusted advisor and thought leader.

Why Personal Branding Matters for Business Owners in 2025?

Trends for 2025 suggest that a strong personal branding strategy will help you to stand out in the marketplace, connect with customers and drive more revenue. Here’s why:

Authentic Content Resonates: Audiences crave real connections. The era of highly polished, generic, corporate content is losing its halo. Craft an authentic personal brand by sharing relatable stories and genuine insights is gaining traction.
Employee-Generated Content (ECG) Drives Trust: Incorporating team perspectives into your content signals transparency and authenticity. Research shows that EGC is 25 times more likely to be shared than traditional brand content, amplifying your reach and credibility.
The Rise of Hyper-Personalisation: Gone are the days when you could post content without context. Customers now expect tailored experiences, with 62% demanding personalised interactions. A well-crafted personal brand allows you to deliver content that speaks directly to your audience’s unique challenges and aspirations.
Video Content is Unstoppable: Video engagement is skyrocketing, accounting for 34% of LinkedIn’s interactions. Introduce videos to humanise your brand, showcasing your unique opinion, expertise and values in a relatable format. Use videos to tell your story or share behind-the-scenes moments.

Actionable Tips for Building a Personal Brand on LinkedIn in 2025

Building your personal brand doesn’t happen overnight, but consistency pays off. This guide draws on our experience and focuses on LinkedIn personal branding that resonates, engages and converts. Follow these personal branding tips:

1. Find Your Niche

Remember the quote, “If you talk to everyone, you’re talking to no one”?

This is particularly important for a personal branding strategy. To cut through the noise you need to design content that builds your authority and credibility as a thought leader. Your niche should align with your passions, skills, and what your audience finds valuable. Ask yourself:

What problems can I solve better than others?
What unique insights can I share based on my experiences?

Pro Tip: Start with topics you feel comfortable with and feel confident sharing your opinion on.

2. Know Your Audience

Tailor your content to address your audience’s specific challenges and aspirations. Use tools like Linkedin Analytics and audience personas to refine your approach. Learn more in our step-by-step guide outlining how to build personas.

Pro Tip: Experiment with different content formats and posting times to see what resonates best.

3. Create Consistent, Valuable Content

Consistency matters. Don’t expect the phones to be ringing off the hook so to speak, from day one. You’re in it for the long haul and remember it takes 5-7 impressions for someone to remember your brand.

To grab attention share content that is:

Actionable: Teach something new or solve a problem.
Relatable: Share personal experiences and lessons learned. Share behind-the-scenes or thought-provoking questions.
Engaging: Use formats like polls, videos, and visuals to spark conversations.

Pro Tip: Batch create content to maintain consistency and high quality content.

4. Authenticity

People connect with stories, not perfection. For authentic personal branding, share vulnerabilities, the challenges you’ve faced and lessons you’ve learned.

Pro Tip: One of Simon’s most-shared posts was a video on personal branding. It resonated because it combined practical advice with a personal anecdote. Check out the video on personal branding here.

5. Join The Conversation

If you’re nervous about posting, start by engaging with other people and joining conversations on topics that you feel passionate and comfortable talking about. Plus engaging with your network, tells LinkedIn you are active and contributing on the platform.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to be controversial in your opinion.

Exceptional Services and Results! We’ve been working with Sydney Digital Marketing for the past six months, and we couldn’t be happier with their services. From the initial consultation to our finished website, they’ve consistently exceeded our expectations. Ben, Cedric and their team are knowledgeable, responsive, and creative. They’ve helped us overhaul our website, increase website traffic, and generate quality leads. The results speak for themselves! I appreciate their transparency, regular progress updates, and willingness to adapt strategies based on our business needs. If you’re looking for a reliable digital marketing partner, I highly recommend Sydney Digital Marketing.

I am based in Australia, and I must say that my experience with SDM has been quite impressive. We started our partnership on a slightly rocky note with an initial strategy that didn't quite hit the mark. However, what truly sets them apart is their adaptability and their prowess in data and analytics. Over the past six months, I've witnessed a remarkable transformation in our digital marketing efforts. Ben and his team has been relentless in their pursuit of better results. Month after month, they have fine-tuned our strategies, making data-driven decisions that have led to substantial improvements. Their expertise in data and analytics is truly commendable. It's as if they have a sixth sense for deciphering trends and opportunities in the digital landscape. This keen insight has resulted in a noticeable uptick in our online presence and, more importantly, our ROI. I can't stress enough how crucial their ability to adapt and refine their strategies has been in achieving our goals. Their dedication to our success is evident in the results we've seen, and I am genuinely grateful for their hard work. If you're looking for a digital marketing agency that doesn't just promise results but consistently delivers and evolves to meet your needs, I wholeheartedly recommend SDM. They've certainly earned my trust and loyalty. Keep up the fantastic work!

We engaged SDM for brand positioning and a go-to-market plan for Bright Environmental, and they exceeded our expectations. The team at SDM quickly understood our brief and grasped the nuances of our business and the market we operate in exceptionally well. Their passion for ensuring their work is on point is evident, and most importantly, their focus on generating sales quickly has made a significant impact on our business. The speed and efficiency with which they delivered the project were impressive, and their deep understanding of our needs was clear from the outset. Additionally, SDM walks the talk when it comes to exceptional digital marketing, as they do it for themselves really well. I highly recommend SDM and the team for their professionalism, expertise, and dedication to delivering results.

To Wrap Up

In 2025, personal branding isn’t just an asset, it’s your digital reputation. It’s how you stand out, build trust, and connect authentically with your audience in a crowded marketplace.

There is a huge opportunity for business owners and founders to be able to share the human side of their business. By prioritising authenticity, hyper-personalisation, and video-driven strategies, business founders can position themselves as industry leaders while creating genuine connections with their audience.

Remember: People buy from people. Your personal brand can humanise your business, inspire trust, and drive growth. Start today, stay consistent, and make your mark in 2025.

Personal branding is just one element of your branding strategy. Learn more about our ABC Methodology, and our unique approach to digital marketing that starts with focusing on Audience, Brand and Competition.

Ready to transform your marketing and expand your audience? Contact Sydney Digital Marketing today. Let’s create a strategy that captures the full potential of your audience, now and in the future.

Connect with Simon on Linkedin @speaktosimon.

Article by

Simon Gould

CEO / Founder / Dad

Founder and leader, Simon established SDM back in 2012. Since then, he has helped 150 clients (and counting) to achieve their digital goals.[…]

Frequently Asked Questions

What services does Sydney Digital Marketing offer?

Sydney Digital Marketing provides a full suite of services, including SEO, PPC, social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, and more, all tailored to meet your business needs.

What is the ABC strategy at Sydney Digital Marketing?

Our ABC strategy involves a deep dive into your Audience, Brand, and Competition to craft highly targeted marketing campaigns. This ensures your business stands out in a crowded market and achieves significant growth.

What makes Sydney Digital Marketing different from other agencies?

As a dedicated internet advertising agency, we focus on building deep, strategic partnerships that deliver transformational results. Our ABC strategy ensures a comprehensive understanding of your Audience, Brand, and Competition, driving customised, data-backed campaigns.

How do you measure the success of your digital marketing campaigns?

Success is measured through KPIs such as traffic, conversion rates, and customer engagement. We provide detailed, actionable reports that show how each element contributes to your business goals.

What industries do you specialise in?

We specialise in established businesses that rely on lead generation, particularly in professional services, technology, and e-commerce sectors.

How does Sydney Digital Marketing ensure transparency in its campaigns?

Transparency is central to our operations. We provide regular updates, detailed performance reports, and maintain open communication throughout the campaign.

How do I get started with Sydney Digital Marketing?

Contact us, a premier digital advertising agency in Sydney, to begin our ABC Discovery process, where we learn about your business and goals to craft a personalised strategy aimed at driving growth.

What is a ‘full-service digital agency’? What do they do?

A full-service digital agency does a lot, think SEM, SMM, SEO & Email Marketing. For us though, we do so much more, all of the above but also Brand Strategy, CRM Implementation, Website Design & Dev & everything in between. The pro of having a full service agency is consistency and cohesion across all of your platforms. It comes down to clarity of messaging, design, understanding and reporting.

Everything plays a part in your digital ecosystem, work with a partner who can put the pieces together to help you build a strong online presence. Offering you expertise and capability across the board and access to all the services you’ll need.

How do I choose the best digital marketing agency in Sydney?

When you’re looking for a new digital marketing agency, it can be hard to sift through those out there. It’s not about you asking the right questions, it comes down to how well the agency tries to get to know you and what you really want, this is how you know they’re in it for you.

It’s not an easy decision, but whether you’re a business owner or a marketing manager, see how Sydney Digital Marketing Agency can help your business decide in our blog here on how to choose a digital marketing agency.

How much do your digital marketing services cost?

Pricing is tailored to your specific needs and goals. We offer a range of service packages designed to provide the best value for your investment.

What results can I expect from your services?

Clients across Australia typically see increased website traffic, higher conversion rates, and sustained revenue growth. We focus on delivering measurable, long-term results through our comprehensive digital marketing services tailored to align with your business goals.

How do you ensure measurable results?

We utilise advanced analytics tools like Google Analytics and HubSpot to track performance and deliver detailed reports, ensuring every campaign is optimised for maximum ROI.

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