5 Personal Branding Musts for 2025

These expert-backed tips will help you stand out, inspire trust, and amplify your impact in a noisy digital world. 

BY MARLI GUZZETTA, CONSULTING EDITOR, INC.

In this era of endless content, executives have never had more opportunities to establish a personal brand. 

And it’s not just beneficial for those leaders — employees and customers alike have come to rely on these executives to inform their perspective on business. According to a study by FTI Consulting, 92 percent of professionals reported being more likely to trust a company whose senior executives are using social media. And Brunswick Advisory Group found that 82 percent of readers consuming financial content expect leaders to communicate mission, vision, and values via social platforms. 

But the vastness of messaging possibilities can be overwhelming for busy executives looking to build their personal brands.

That’s why the Inc. 5000 Community hosted a week of personal branding workshops for all past and present Inc. 5000 honorees. Each session showcased the advice of an industry expert fluent in a particular platform. Whether discussing thought leadership articles, podcasts, or public speaking, everyone stressed a common theme: a strong personal brand isn’t about self-promotion — it’s about sharing value, solving problems, and inspiring action.

The following are a few of the expert insights and practical strategies offered for building and refining a personal brand.

1. Consistent posting — but with varying formats

LinkedIn has emerged as the most reliable platform for executive thought leadership, and on LinkedIn, consistency is key. It builds authority and keeps you visible, according to Jen Rotner, founder and CEO of Elite Creative, which includes a thought leadership arm.

Rotner emphasized the 99/1 rule: 99 percent of people consume content on LinkedIn, but only 1 percent are actively creating it. In other words, fortune favors regular creators.

“The algorithm rewards creators who show up often, authentically, and with variety,” said Rotner, who also advised that LinkedIn advantages posts from personal accounts, as opposed to business accounts.

By posting weekly and mixing formats — articles, personal stories, industry insights, and BTS content — you earn even more visibility from LinkedIn’s algorithm. Rotner added that features like Creator Mode, strategic use of novel hashtags, and consistent engagement (such as tagging and commenting) can significantly expand your reach and reinforce your authority.

2. Leading with your storytelling chops

Every effective personal brand exercise begins with a good story, and that includes public speaking. Ashley Stahl is the founder of Wise Whisper Agency, a speaker advisory firm that’s helped more than 100 clients craft signature talks and land a spot on large stages like TEDx.

She recommended beginning any speaking engagement with an emotional hook — a relatable, personal anecdote that captures attention and creates connection. “The opening story is 20-25 percent of your talk,” Stahl said. “It moves people before it teaches them.”

This story doesn’t have to tie directly to the topic; its job is to build trust and inspire emotion among audience members. From there, you layer in the big idea: a perspective or insight unique to your vantage, one the world needs.

But making that emotional connection up front is key to getting people to care — a practice that can scale to any other aspect of your personal platform.

Read all 5 Branding Musts And The Complete Inc. Article