Creating Impact with Your Personal Brand: Amrita Lal from LinkedIn Tells You How

October 08, 2024

Amrita Lal, Senior Client Solutions Manager at LinkedIn, is a seasoned expert in personal branding. Ahead of her session on October 25th at Marketing Kingdom Malta 4, where she’ll discuss "Unlocking Your Personal Brand: Empowering Employees to Shine Brighter", we caught up with her to dive into the fundamentals of personal branding, thought leadership, and the impact these can have both personally and professionally.

With registration closing this Friday, now is your last chance to secure your place at the event!

Q: What are the key elements of building a strong personal brand?

Amrita: Building a strong personal brand revolves around three key elements: credibility, passion, and goals.

First, credibility comes from showing how your skills, experiences, and actions align with your values. Whether you’ve gained those skills through life experience, certifications, or past successes, the goal is to be authentic and prove where you’re credible. It’s also important to recognise where you need to improve and take steps to build further credibility.

Second, you need to be clear about what drives you. What is your passion? Whether it’s something you care about professionally or personally, passion should always underpin your personal brand.

Finally, define your personal and career goals. Are you looking to secure a new job, grow your network, or learn a new skill? Having a clear focus on your goals will help shape your brand and guide your actions moving forward.

Q: How can employees position themselves as thought leaders within their organisation?

Amrita: It’s about striking a balance between your personal brand and the company’s reputation. You need to find your whitespace—the intersection of your expertise, passions, and what your community or industry needs.

Additionally, having a perspective is key. What unique insights or forward-thinking ideas can you offer? Thought leadership is about contributing to meaningful discussions in your industry, not just reacting to trends.

Also, consider how you’re engaging in digital citizenship. This means being active in online communities, engaging with your network, and sharing thoughtful content that aligns with both your personal values and professional goals.

Q: Can you share examples of individuals who have successfully built and leveraged their personal brand?

Amrita: There are so many great examples. Malala Yousafzai, for instance, is known for her fight for gender equality and education. Her personal brand revolves around her activism and courage.

Simon Sinek has built his brand around leadership and creating a more inspired world. Brené Brown focuses on vulnerability and empathy, while Steven Bartlett and Mel Robbins have built brands based on their insights into personal development and motivation. All of these figures have stayed true to their passions and values, which has made their personal brands so powerful.

Q: How can personal branding drive impact and influence within an organisation?

Amrita: Personal branding builds trust. People are more likely to trust other people than they are to trust brands. In fact, 90% of decision-makers say that recommendations from people they know and trust influence their decisions.

A strong personal brand can also boost brand recall by over 70% after ad exposure, compared to traditional media content. When employees share their expertise and thought leadership, it not only strengthens their own brand but also benefits the company by enhancing credibility, fostering trust, and driving engagement with audiences.

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting to build their personal brand?

Amrita: Start with the basics. Make sure you have a complete and professional online profile that reflects your expertise and passions. Follow industry leaders, colleagues, and peers who inspire you, and start thinking about the topics you want to publish about—whether they’re passion projects, industry trends, or your company’s values.

From there, start to build a voice by creating a content calendar. Experiment with different formats, whether it’s short-form posts, long-form articles, or videos. Focus on consistency—whether it’s posting once a week or once a month, the key is to stick to a schedule.

As you get more comfortable, engage more deeply. Participate in comment threads, engage in dialogue with your network, and don’t be afraid to share your personal perspective on company-related content. Over time, you’ll find that your personal brand will start to shape itself naturally.

Amrita will be sharing even more actionable insights on personal branding at Marketing Kingdom Malta 4 on October 25th in St. Julian’s, Malta. Don’t miss her session on "Unlocking Your Personal Brand: Empowering Employees to Shine Brighter."

Book your tickets here to join Amrita at Marketing Kingdom Malta 4 before registration closes this Friday!