This post is provided by Jason Dirkham.
The world is a very different place from what it was six months ago. Back at the start of the year, we were all enjoying ourselves pretty much without a care in the world. But things have changed, and the current situation is turning us all into unwilling entrepreneurs. We know that if we’re going to thrive in the current job market, we have to somehow set ourselves apart from everyone else.
That’s why personal branding using social media is booming right now (if it wasn’t before). People are trying to make a name for themselves via top platforms, chronicling lockdown life, and offering services they would have once given in person over the internet. All of a sudden, these platforms have become surprisingly important.
Getting personal branding right, though, is more of a challenge than you’d think. Social media branding is one of the most misunderstood aspects of digital marketing. It’s not about awareness per se or advertising. Instead, it’s all about creating a kind of digital persona that people can relate to – an archetype.
What’s An Archetype?
Time to get technical: what’s an archetype?
The concept goes back to ancient times, but the Swiss psychoanalyst developed the modern theory. The idea is that in every society, there are canonical personalities that represent particular types of people. For instance, you might have somebody like a hero – brave and strong, always looking to protect the weak. Or you could have a person who sets themselves up as a wise sage, always ready and willing to take on life’s most challenging questions. On top of that, you might have the “magician” – something who seems to be able to just make things happen – a Steve Jobs or Elon Musk-type person.
These archetypes, Jung said, were with us all the time to a greater or lesser degree. And what’s more, everyone in society has a kind of shared consciousness about them. We intrinsically understand when somebody is a hero or a wise sage or a magician. We don’t need somebody to explain it to us first.
What’s This Got To Do With Personal Branding On Social Media?
It turns out that this concept is incredibly important to branding on social media. Adopting an archetype for your business is one of the most powerful things you can do because it instantly appeals. Wearing glasses for all your Facebook videos doesn’t just help you see better; it also makes people believe that you’re a great intellectual, able to provide them with the wisdom they need to live their lives better.
All in all, Jung identified four main archetypes, and people later expanded the list to twelve, based on his original definition. You can do your own research on these to find out which one fits your brand the best. You can also check out which brands associate with which archetypes on social media to get a feel for which would suit you the most. Once you take on a particular persona, you’ll be able to appear to your target audience better.
