Personal Branding through Instagram

By

Kohut Nikoletta

University of Debrecen

Institute of English and American Studies

Supervisor: Máté Gergely Balogh

Debrecen, Hungary
 NYILATKOZAT

Alulírott Kohut Nikoletta

a Debreceni Egyetem Bölcsészettudományi Karának hallgatója ezennel büntetőjogi

felelősségem tudatában nyilatkozom és aláírásommal igazolom, hogy

Personal Branding through Instagram

című diplomamunkám saját, önálló munkám; az abban hivatkozott nyomtatott és

elektronikus szakirodalom felhasználása a szerzői jogok nemzetközi szabályainak

megfelelően készült.

Tudomásul veszem, hogy diplomamunka esetén plágiumnak számít:

•szó szerinti idézet közlése idézőjel és hivatkozás megjelölése nélkül;

• tartalmi idézet hivatkozás megjelölése nélkül;

• más szerző publikált gondolatainak saját gondolatként való feltüntetése.

Alulírott kijelentem, hogy a plágium fogalmát megismertem. Tudomásul veszem,

hogy plágium esetén diplomamunkám visszautasításra kerül.

Továbbá felelősségem tudatában nyilatkozom arról, és aláírásommal igazolom,

hogy a Debreceni Egyetem Elektronikus archívumába (DEA) a

http://dea.lib.unideb.hu/dea/handle/2437/85081 címre feltöltött diplomamunkám

mindenben megegyezik a benyújtott papíralapú és/vagy CD formátumú

dolgozattal.

Debrecen, 2023 év május hó 7 nap

Kohut Nikoletta s.k.

aláírás

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 4

CHAPTER 1: THE CONCEPT OF PERSONAL BRAND AND ITS POPULARITY ON INSTAGRAM ............................... 6

1.1 Examination of the Definition and Functionality of Personal Branding ................................................... 6

1.2 Personal Branding in the Era of Social Media .......................................................................................... 8

CHAPTER 2: ESTABLISHING A STRONG PERSONAL BRAND ON INSTAGRAM ................................................... 10

2.1 Strategic Approach for Developing a Personal Brand and Captivating Narrative on Intagram .............. 10
2.2 Implication of Instagram Features for the Purpose of Establishing a Personal Brand ........................... 13

CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................................... 17

WORKS CITED AND CONSULTED ..................................................................................................................... 19

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 INTRODUCTION

“Nowadays, the term "brand" is not only limited to companies that sell goods or services. Kim

Kardashian, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump are all brands, just like Nike or McDonald's” (Altman).

In basic terms, a personal brand consists of a certain reputation and a level of fame within a certain

field, which creates a unique image. This uniqueness allows individuals to turn themselves into a

brand with the potential to be marketed or remain in people’s memory for a long time. Therefore, not

surprisingly, Brenna Collins states that “personal branding has been an effective tactic in the

workforce for the past few decades” (1). Nearly every expert has already created and sold his or her

personal brand. For instance, people are buying Rihanna’s make-up products (Fenty Beauty) even

without trying them first. In fact, they are not so much interested in the product line rather than the

story and values Rihanna represents. Consumers purchase goods and services based on personal

branding to feel a sense of connection, trust, and familiarity with the individual behind them.

Before the social media revolution personal brand was considered a prerogative of celebrities.

In today’s digital age, one can successfully form a public perception not only in real life but also on

social media platforms such as Instagram, Tik-Tok, and YouTube, which have become an essential

part of many people’s life. Once Bill Gates said, “If your business is not on the Internet, your business

will be out of business”. Nowadays the same is true for professionals in various areas as the personal

brand became a critical aspect of online presence. Therefore, in my thesis, I intend to conduct an

analysis of the concept of personal branding, as well as its creation process on the social media

platform, Instagram. The first chapter of the thesis will focus on providing an in-depth examination

of the concept of personal branding, its historical evolution, and the benefits it offers. Additionally,

there will be discussed the reasons behind the increasing popularity of personal branding on social

media platforms and how it can influence profit-making opportunities online. This section will also

include up-to-date examples and case studies to support the central argument. In the second chapter

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of the thesis, I aim to discuss the specific steps involved in creating a personal brand on Instagram.

The discussion will draw from multiple disciplines such as cinematography, psychology, marketing,

and law, in order to provide a comprehensive guide to building a personal brand. Furthermore, the

chapter will provide a detailed description of the features available on the Instagram app and how they

can be used to build a personal brand.

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 CHAPTER 1: THE CONCEPT OF PERSONAL BRAND AND ITS POPULARITY ON

INSTAGRAM

While the idea of personal branding first emerged in American business literature during the

1930s, it did not receive significant attention until the 1990s. The business world in this decade was

characterized by “rapid technological change, the rise of the services sector, and the emergence of the

global marketplace all combined to keep the economy moving” (Encyclopedia). With the rise of

competition in the business world, personal branding emerged as a significant advantage. This is due

to the widely accepted notion that “people prefer to do business with people”, thus emphasizing the

importance of establishing a strong personal brand. Subsequently, individuals became aware of the

broader applications of this concept in advancing their status in various domains. Although the concept

of the personal brand originally emerged in the marketing field, it has now become pervasive across

diverse areas.

1.1 Examination of the Definition and Functionality of Personal Branding

There are several definitions of personal branding, but the definition formulated by Shepherd

(2005) is widely regarded as the most precise. According to him, personal branding refers to “varied

activities undertaken by individuals to make themselves known in the marketplace”. In such a case, a

person becomes its own producer in the hope to gain other resources in return. The main objectives

that individuals strive to achieve through personal branding are widely varied but commonly include:

 Finding new positions

 Improving CV

 New connections

 Profits

 Community creation

 Awareness raising

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  Differentiation from competitors

 Raising trust

 Recognition

“[personal branding is] understanding what is truly unique about you ... and using that to differentiate

yourself and guide your career decisions. Through unearthing the true you and consistently and

constantly living your personal brand, you attract what you need to achieve your goals without having

to ‘wrestle with the universe’ to acquire it” (Aruda 2009). The capacity to influence individuals and

inspire trust is the hallmark of a potent personal brand. An individual with a robust personal brand can

influence their audience to make specific decisions, take certain actions, or even alter their worldview.

Anyone can create a strong personal brand by unlocking their potential and continuously developing

their expertise and skills. One must never forget that personal branding plays upon a person’s

exceptional qualities and the uniqueness it may bring to the market. Therefore, words, style, and even

image matter. So, it can be argued that personal branding even encompasses an individual’s approach

to the work. For instance, a professor may merely state that they teach students, or choose to describe

the unique teaching methods and how it shapes future specialists (Petruca 389). Such efforts align

with the tenets of personal branding, which involve establishing a distinct identity and promoting

oneself to stand out in a competitive environment. “One can do a very good job, but if he does not

know how to create a personal brand, he will benefit much less from what he does than his brand-

aware fellow” (Petruca qt. Jim in 389). A strong personal brand does not have to resemble a “fake

persona” created for marketing purposes. While social media is often the primary avenue for personal

branding, it is essential that the brand image presented aligns with the individual’s authentic

personality. Failure to achieve such consistency may make all efforts ineffective. Donald Miller in

Building a Story Brand states that “the essence of branding is to create simple, relevant messages we

can repeat over and over so that we `brand` ourselves into the public consciousness” (22). Therefore,

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the core basis of a personal brand is a combination of a message mixed with a certain reputation and

image, then shown to an engaged audience.

1.2 Personal Branding in the Era of Social Media

In today’s digital age, social media platforms enable individuals to quickly share information

with thousands of active users, therefore making it one of the most efficient tools for establishing a

personal brand. The user-friendly interface makes it accessible to a wide range of people, as it does

not require any specialized programming or design skills to create a profile and engage with others.

Additionally, the variety of features social media platforms offer such as comments, direct messages,

videos, photos, etc. help users to efficiently communicate with the target audience. Most importantly

the majority of social media platforms are free, consequently accessible to a broader demographic.

These platforms offer opportunities for creators to monetize the attention their persona is getting.

The increasing popularity of personal branding on social media is associated with the variety

of money-making opportunities it offers. I will discuss the prevalent online revenue-generating

strategies on Instagram, given its popularity as a platform for content monetization. It is worth noting

that the platform invested $1 billion to encourage creators as well as to give them “new ways to earn

money for the content you create on Facebook and Instagram” (Meta). However, monetization of the

personal brand requires a well-thought-out plan. Therefore, one has to plan ahead in what way he/she

wants to profit from a blog as attracting and engaging the target audience are a demanding and

complex process. There are several ways of monetizing one’s personal brand on this social media

platform. Influencers commonly generate revenue through selling ads, which can be done through

stories, posts, and videos. Another prevalent approach is to become a brand ambassador or create

partnerships with brands. Additionally, the creator has the ability to offer unique content through

Instagram subscriptions and participate in affiliate marketing programs. Selling online courses or

services such as copywriting, nutrition, or digital marketing consultations is also a viable option. A

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contrasting strategy for gaining profit from one’s Instagram account is social commerce. Although the

personal brand is not a requirement in this sphere, it can rapidly increase income and reduce the

duration of recoupment. E-commerce is a new, continuously developing, way of buying directly from

social media platforms. There are five most popular types in 2023: drop shipping, whole selling,

private labeling, manufacturing, and white labeling. Based on the evidence presented by personal

branding on the social media platform, Instagram offers various revenue streams, including ad sales,

e-commerce, and so on. However, the fundamental question is the development of a successful

personal brand from the ground up and leveraging it for personal use.

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 CHAPTER 2: ESTABLISHING A STRONG PERSONAL BRAND ON INSTAGRAM

While in the first chapter, I examined the concept of the personal brand and the benefits it may

offer, in the second chapter I would like to focus on the process of building a personal brand on

Instagram as this platform is one of the most popular among the younger generation between the ages

of 18 to 34. However, it is crucial to mention that in recent years Statista recorded significant growth

among the older audience falling between the ages of 35-54, which is approximately 25% of all

Instagram users. Moreover, this platform also gives its users the most monetization opportunities as

well as tools; for example, paid subscriptions and reels, stories, guides, and so on. As Instagram does

not charge any usage fees, everyone has the opportunity to create a successful personal brand,

however, it is not an easy process.

First of all, one has to understand the rules by which this social media platform plays. Among

constantly changing algorithms and interface tools, the most significant lesson is provided by Tristan

Harris, former Google design ethicist, in the film Social Dilemma (2020). He states that “if you’re not

paying for the product, then you are the product” (00:13:23). The product is not the human being

itself, but the attention and time spent online. Therefore, mastering the skills of engaging and

connecting with the target audience is of utmost importance. To achieve this objective, the process of

establishing a robust personal brand can be distilled into five essential stages, analyzed below.

2.1 Strategic Approach for Developing a Personal Brand and Captivating Narrative on

Intagram

The initial step is identification, which means deciding what values, character traits, and

ideas one wants to communicate through the content. It is crucial to tailor the content to the desired

image, which aligns with the individual’s personal and professional aims. For instance, showcasing

quality time spent with family can help establish a sense of trust and reliability with the audience.

On the other hand, highlighting professional accomplishments and innovative problem-solving can

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position an individual as a valuable as well as responsible industry expert. To create a strong

personal brand, it is essential to view the content as a narrative that not only consistently conveys

the brand’s core message but also showcases different aspects of the influencer’s personality. A

well-crafted story alone can captivate attention for hours, even despite the short focus span human

beings tend to have. This underscores the importance of developing a compelling story that

communicates a clear message, reflects the creator’s personal values, captures viewers’ attention,

and provides insight into the creator’s personality, private challenges, and expertise.

In order to create an engaging story, it is important to study the techniques used by the

cinematographers. They are known for their ability to maintain a high level of human attention,

making their experience a valuable source of inspiration for content creators in any field. Pixar

Animation Studio is one of the most popular and respected film studios worldwide. According to its

experiments, a 3-act story spine works most effectively. In such a narrative structure, Act 1 sets up

the context for the whole story. Viewers are introduced to the main character and his everyday life

to learn how his world works. Towards the end of Act 1, usually, an inciting incident or simply a

conflict is shown to set the rest of the story in motion. Act 2 can be characterized as a chain of

disrupting events that prevent the hero/heroine from reaching his dream. As the speaker notes “story

without conflict has no shape, no pacing, no momentum” (Pixar, Story Structure: Act 2, 00:01:09).

At this stage, all problems are established with the aim to give the main character opportunity for

development. At the midpoint of Act 2, the point of no return appears a decision that prevents the

hero from going back. Similarly, at the end of Act 2, a low point takes place which is the situation

when everything seems to be lost, or on the contrary, the character gets what he wanted but it does

not bring satisfaction. Act 3 is the climax of the tension, the final test for the character before

achieving the ultimate goal. After comes resolution showcasing the character development.

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 The absence of a main character and challenges in a story is simply boring. Thus, the second

step involves identifying one’s expertise as well as coming up with a purpose, an ultimate goal. This

aspect is pivotal in the storyline as it helps to clarify the strengths, and intentions of the protagonist

(influencer, in this case), enabling the audience to relate to the theme and issues on an intimate

personal level. After formulating the ideas to be conveyed, the next step is to analyze whether one’s

external appearance aligns with those ideas. Everyone judges the book by its cover at the initial

stage of forming an impression. By stating the Kelley v. Johnson case as an example Elizabeth M.

Adamitis claims that “an individual’s personal appearance may reflect, sustain, and nourish his

personality, and may well be used as a means of expressing his attitude and lifestyle” (195).

Furthermore, psychologists strengthen this claim by announcing that “appearance matters not only

when our reactions to a face are arguably relevant to our choices, but even when those choices

should be driven by more objective information” (Zebrowitz, Monteparte). Instagram is a visual

platform, where appearance is not narrowed down to personal style, facial expression, mannerisms,

and tone of voice, but also includes the style of the feed, quality of photos, color scheme, etc. By

reflecting on one’s external appearance, individuals can make adjustments as necessary to ensure

that they are presenting themselves in the best possible light and projecting the desired image to

their audience.

The fourth step entails shifting the focus from the author of the blog to the target audience

and their needs (fears, issues...) to create a unique selling proposition (USP). USP is the answer to

the potential followers’ and customers’ questions about why the influencer is the best in the field

and how the service can solve issues. In other words, an influencer takes up the role of a guide,

identifying and addressing the topics that will trigger the needs of the target audience. Bloggers

should realize that their followers do not care about them at all, they rather want to solve their

personal problems under their guidance. So, it is crucial to provide them with a systematic approach

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to working out the issues. Daniel Miller argues that “when we identify the stones our customers can

step on to get across the creek, we remove much of the risk and increase their comfort level about

doing business with us”, as a result, the likelihood of followers being engaged and potentially

purchasing from the influencer increases.

The last step in transforming a follower into the loyal one is the implementation of the call-

to-action strategy. “Bodies at rest tend to stay at rest, and so do customers. Heroes [viewers] need to

be challenged by outside forces” (Miller 87). The influencer has to lead the potential buyer to the

purchase with clarity. Daniel Miller recommends two types of calls-to-action: direct and transitional

(Miller 89). A direct call-to-action strategy may include a clear and concise message such as “Buy

now”, while during a transitional call-to-action, the follower is offered a free product at first to build

the confidence in the quality.

2.2 Implication of Instagram Features for the Purpose of Establishing a Personal Brand

After setting up the essence of one’s personal brand, the next step is analyzing how the

interface tools of Instagram work and what benefit can they bring. Instagram is a visual platform,

where the packaging of one’s account (bio, profile picture, feed, etc) is a business card. Consequently,

potential followers' first impression is formed based on it. I would like to conduct a detailed analysis

of each component individually.

The profile picture is the first cue that communicates one’s identity and profession to potential

followers. A high-quality photo with a distinctive marker for one’s profession can assist in standing

out from the crowd and being remembered. For instance, a make-up artist can take a photo featuring

their brushes, thus creating a meaningful association that helps to encode the message and converts

the experience into a memory. After scrutinizing the profile picture, the eyes of the potential follower

move down to the bio. On Instagram, a bio refers to a short (150-character) text located at the top of

a user’s profile that provides the main aspects of a person’s values, life, and job. Bio is the first
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opportunity to let followers understand if you share the same interests and intrigue them. The bio

structure depends on the message and type of the blog. Regardless of this, it has to include a name,

relevant keywords about the user’s interests, contact information, and call-to-action. Overall, the bio

should be explanatory, engaging, and reflective of the blog’s main idea. It has to provide potential

followers with an understanding of what the blog is about and stimulate them to interact with the

content. Instagram highlighted the absolutely central role of the bio and profile picture by saying that

“your Instagram profile image and bio can be associated with you and are public to everyone, on or

off Instagram, even if they don’t have an Instagram account. Keep in mind that this information can’t

be hidden and remains public...” (Instagram).

Once the potential followers have viewed the profile picture and bio, they will scroll down to

examine the feed. In the context of Instagram, a feed is a place “where you can visually tell your brand

story, showcase products and inspire people to connect more deeply with what you offer” (Instagram).

Typically, feeds are composed of several photos, videos, and reels. The feed should look like a unified

image to “fill in” the key meanings and convey the values of the influencer. To reach this the most

important rule is aspiring for balance in frames, color, details, tones, and types of content. The human

brain has an affinity for geometry, perceiving it as both safe and pleasing, consequently, such

cognitive tendency should be considered to create an optimal feed layout. Maintaining a balanced feed

in frames means taking content from different angles and distances while ensuring that distinctive

colors are distributed evenly. In terms of color management, there are 3 options: no accents, one accent

color, or several accent colors. However, the more colors one uses the harder it is to maintain a

harmonious layout. Balance of tones is created by careful alternation of the light and dark photographs.

Similarly, the rule of the balance of details suggests that minimalistic and detailed photos are

recommended to be equally spread out. It is also important to mix up the types of content to avoid

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overloading the feed. The “feed trends” change quite often, currently it is fashionable to appear natural

and minimize processing.

Stories is a special Instagram feature that allows one to post photos or videos (60s max), and add

captions and emoji to them. The key characteristic of this content type is that it disappears after 24

hours. Stories are an important tool in building up a personal brand due to the fact that users are more

interested in them as they are not stored permanently. Utilizing Instagram stories can lead to increasing

the level of audience engagement, loyalty, and trust level. This is due to the authenticity and

immediacy of the “on-the-go” recording format which generates a genuine interest in the content being

shared. Stories can be compared to everyday small talk, therefore serve as a tool for maintaining a

continuous connection with the audience by enabling the influencer to frequently remind the audience

of his/her presence. Furthermore, unique features like polls, links, music, and other interactive

elements that allow to directly communicate with the audience can only be found in this content type.

Therefore, stories are used for the following purposes:

 Stand out among competitors

 Increase engagement

 Communicate with followers

 Showcase oneself/business in a favorable way

The foundation of building a personal brand through stories begins with the development of a

unique design concept. A design concept is the incorporation of unique graphic, textual, and image

elements that make the brand or an individual recognizable. Similar to how the Louis Vuitton

checkered pattern is a trademark of the luxury fashion house, on Instagram, influencers chose some

specific colors, fonts, graphic elements, or filters to stand out among others. Another effective

approach is anchoring which is associating oneself with a certain phrase, movement, action, or other

relevant element. For some it comes naturally, others can come up with an anchor. This can be

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achieved by consistently using an anchor for at least two weeks and after a while, the audience will

begin to associate it with the influencer.

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 CONCLUSION

The first chapter of the thesis discusses the concept of personal brand highlighting that

uniqueness and individuality are the core values of this notion. Thus, one has to be ready to shed light

not only on the positive side of the personality but also on the issues and mistakes to be perceived as

authentic. Words, style, and visual image are the essence of personal branding that has to be aligned

with the main message of the blog. It is crucial to pay attention to how an individual present himself,

his job, expertise, and so on. Social media platforms, especially Instagram, become the most efficient

tool for establishing a personal brand if one is able to curb their rules and algorithms. The chapter also

talks about the great variety of benefits a personal brand provides. Moreover, it offers a description of

the current (2023) monetization strategies such as selling ads, affiliate marketing, Instagram

subscription, etc.

The second chapter aims to provide a step-by-step guide to creating a personal brand on

Instagram. The insights and recommendations offered in this chapter can assist individuals in

significantly reducing the time needed to establish their media personality. By gathering information

and techniques from various disciplines it offers a unique view on the creation of personal brand. The

strategy’s main insight is viewing the content as a book. Consequently, it points out the need of

developing a well-structured 3-Act story to capture the attention of the target audience. It also urges

the potential influencers to clarify their ultimate goal and obstacles to create an understandable story

frame for the followers, then it urges to focus on the visual image, starting from personal appearance

all way to the feed, stories, and reel design. The final step in creating a successful personal brand I

switching the focus from the influencer to the audience and their needs to create a unique selling

proposition and call-to-action. The chapter emphasized the importance of understanding and

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leveraging Instagram features such as bio, profile picture, feed, and stories by providing a detailed

analysis of the account examination process by a potential follower.

In conclusion, the concept of personal branding has become an essential aspect of modern life

and is not going to lose its popularity in today’s quickly developing digital world, with the ability to

bring numerous benefits both in personal and professional realms. The emergence of social media

platforms has played a crucial role in it. For instance, Instagram emerged as the best platform for those

who aim to build and monetize their personal brand, thanks to its user-friendly features, a huge amount

of active users, and constant improvement. Establishing a personal brand is not easy, yet certainly a

rewarding process, which requires consistent effort and maintenance. Moreover, Instagram’s potential

for reaching a wide audience makes it an indispensable tool for those who aim to dominate within a

certain field.

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