How to grow your personal brand, according to an influencer

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With the biggest influencers in beauty on her books, Chloé Watts, CEO and founder of chloédigital, is sharing all her secrets on how to build a brand as an effective influencer. Time to listen up...

Making a name for yourself is a challenge. And one thing that can help if you want to have this kind of impact, is to establish a platform from which your voice can be heard. But of course, building this kind of personal brand is never easy. If there’s one person who knows how to do it, though, it’s Chloé Watts.

Tech company founder and CEO, Chloé Watts is a self-taught coder, launching chloedigital in 2014 when she spotted the need for bloggers and beauty influencers to hook up with outstanding tech partners. Now boasting some of the top names in the beauty and fashion business as clients - such as Jen Atkin (hairstylist to the A List), Coco Bassey, Whitney Eve Port, and Lydia Millen - Chloé offers the leading tech support and growth strategy membership for content creators.

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So you’ll want to hear her advice on how to build a brand of your own, no doubt...

How to grow your personal brand

Chloé has helped over 300 global influencers to manage, build and grow their personal brands and their sites. She loves to empower women, and has only succeeded further in this goal throughout the pandemic, as she’s helped influencers and other creators pivot, maintain and even thrive during such a difficult time.

In February 2021, Chloé launched CD World, a content hub for influencers and other creators looking for tools and knowledge on building a scalable and sustainable business. “It felt like the right time to create a hub where influencers receive tactical resources and access to tech and industry services, to help them scale their business,” she told Marie Claire earlier this year.

Here are her top tips on how to grow your personal brand, fast – that is, both to create and then nurture a community, either to establish a business or to campaign for change.

1. Start now on TikTok

"Beauty is a great space for TikTok with many brands and beauty influencers really honing their voice and therefore their audience. Jen Atkin is a great example of this, she has evolved her business to astronomical levels through adaptability and not being afraid to embrace social media fully. From hairstylist to Instagram and YouTube star - her content is now trending on TikTok and that’s because she isn’t afraid to show-up on new platforms and show her authentic self. Her brand picks up new audiences across each platform and with it her business grows. She is a master of understanding the necessity of building a loyal audience across many channels."

2. Invest in a website

"Even if you can’t afford the best site around in the early stages, a website is the start of building your own digital product and asset. You also have full creative control of your site and so your personal brand can shine through and set you apart. A site gives you the ability to sell products directly to consumers, package and sell your knowledge or book clients if you are in the service industry. You also have a platform to build an email list. My favourite asset of all."

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3. Utilise the power of your email list

"Harness the power of email. Social media is great for inspiring, sharing, generating conversation and engagement, but your business needs to be built on ownership. An email address from your community is worth more than any follow or like, in the long-term value of scaling your business. Email newsletter is also a great way to connect with your audience and again establish your brand and unique tone of voice. You can use email as a space to storytell, share knowledge and develop a unique perspective on your industry. So many big brands started with a weekly newsletter and their communities eventually turned into customers."

4. Learn and connect with digital resources

"Take time to use the virtual resources available now to stay connected and learn from the other women in your industry. Sharmadean Reid’s Beauty Stack is a great resource and at chloédigital our content hub, CD World, is a platform where young businesses can connect with brands, knowledge and tools to help them scale. There are also opportunities to connect with other entrepreneurs through the hub. You can join for free at chloedigital.world."

5. Be adaptable

"Whether you are a stylist, beautician or influencer, you need to own your knowledge and believe in the assets you have. This is an incredible time, where anyone can start and grow a digital brand. You really must shift your mind-set to being the captain of your own ship. My dad taught me about financial independence when I was younger, and that is why I launched chloédigital at 25. It does take confidence but I truly believe confidence is a skill not a given. You have to work on showing-up, trying new things and believing you have something to offer. Your knowledge will definitely be special to many people. So many of my influencer clients took their passion and have built seven-figure businesses from this; with focus, commitment and hard work - you can too."

To find out more about scaling a content-based business, join CD World and follow Chloé @chloeadelia

Maria Coole is a contributing editor on Marie Claire.

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