The Power of Selective Visibility

Traditional marketing stops at luxury. In this industry, rules are different —success comes from building a brand with highly selective focus and exclusivity, rather than trying to be everywhere at once. The same principles apply to personal branding. It’s not about being everywhere; it’s about being in the right places, with the right message, for the right audience.

You Already Have a Personal Brand

Whether you acknowledge it or not, your personal brand exists. If someone Googles you, whatever they find—articles, social media, interviews—that’s your brand. If they find nothing? That’s your brand too.

Where to Begin?

The first question to answer when starting to build your brand selectively: What do you want to be known for?

Then, structure your answers around three key pillars:

• You – Your values, voice, and unique perspective.

• Your Work – Your expertise, achievements, and contributions.

• Others – Your network, collaborations, and the impact you make.

From there, the next steps would be:

1. Building your online reputation

2. Building your offline reputation

3. Deepening relationships

No Noise

Do not think that building a personal brand requires frequent publishing everywhere, such as on LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. I am an advocate for controlling your narrative and striving for quality rather than quantity. There is a rule in marketing: «The more people see you, the faster they will choose you». I would add to this important remark, «How people see you».

It might be questionable if it’s a daily posting on LinkedIn with information that chat GPT could easily find. Is your time that precious?

So, choosing wisely is important.

The Power of Selective Branding

Here are some examples of people who are very careful in their publicity yet they have very strong personal brands. And they were so, before becoming famous:

• Banksy

• Daft punk

• Georgio Armani

• Axel Duma, CEO of Hermes

• Anna Wintour

• Bernard Arnault

• Jim Simmons from Renaissance Technologies was very selective in his media appearances.

The thread line here - they are highly focused on their work and very selective with whom they’re talking to.

Final Thoughts

A personal brand isn’t about visibility for visibility’s sake—it’s about crafting a lasting impression. The most influential figures don’t chase attention; they command it through substance and strategic presence.

And this is a true art.

How to Start Building Your Reputation Online

Building and managing your reputation takes time, but the earlier you start, the stronger it will become. Today, I'll describe the strategy to begin with.

Two key elements of your online image:

1. Visual part: this includes photos and videos of you. It gives your image volume.

2. Opinions. It might be a public speaking engagement, your op-ed in the media, or any text you published. Second, what others speak about you. It might be your colleagues, industry peers, and, of course, journalists (PR basically).

I'll speak more about building a strategy based on your values in the next newsletter. The latter is important, as nothing attracts more than authenticity. This is why also "LinkedIn run clubs" by top executives are going viral.

Nothing beats charisma.

The power of visual content

When building your online reputation, visuals play a vital role. A professional photo or video can create an immediate connection. With the rise of video content across platforms like podcasts, social media, and LinkedIn, it’s easier than ever to showcase who you are.

Think of reading Principles by Ray Dalio without knowing his voice or face that we see on social media. Two different impressions. Visual and auditory cues help deepen the connection with an audience.

Why is this important? In my opinion, it's not only showcasing a person as vibrant as they are but also supports one of the laws of sales:

People do not buy your product; they buy you.

Here’s how to start building your visual content library:

- If you land a media feature, ask the editor if they can include a video version of the piece.

- Many podcasts have video versions, too, go there. Pitch yourself to your favorite podcast hosts

- If an article includes a photo, ensure it’s a fresh photoshoot and a high-quality image.

- Use LinkedIn to post your own videos and photos regularly

Building your reputation through publications:

Publications—whether they’re articles, op-eds, or thought-leadership posts—allow you to control the narrative about your expertise. Here’s how to approach this:

1. Start with your own platform: if you have a website, create a section dedicated to your opinions and insights. Then, share that content on social media. No website? Start with LinkedIn.

2. Pitching to the media: build relationships with journalists by following their work and pitching ideas that are relevant to their audience. When you establish yourself as a trusted source, it opens doors for future media opportunities.

At the beginning of sharing one's perspective publicly, especially with journalists, I saw many times that some C-executives might be reserved to express their opinions boldly. But in real life, successful leaders aren’t vanilla. They have strong opinions. Just know that this particular opinion you want to convey is financially beneficial for your business.

Don’t have a PR team?

If hiring a PR pro is out of reach, you can still make significant progress on your own. Here’s how:

- Work with your company’s PR team: If you have one, share your ideas and insights. PR professionals value initiative and can help you craft your story. We always look for a newsbreak or an idea to pitch.

- Do it yourself: Yes, it’s time-consuming, but pitching to the media or posting on LinkedIn is an investment in your long-term reputation.

Final thoughts

To end this newsletter, I want to thank all new subscribers and people who wrote me with supportive messages. This week during my morning run, I caught a quote from a podcast (unfortunately, I can't remember the name), which I like a lot and will share with you:

Building a reputation or a personal brand is much bigger than building a business. The only exit strategy is legacy.

Wishing you a great week,

Nina

Building a Powerful Personal Brand for Executives

What does it take to build a standout personal brand as a C-executive or business owner? It's more than just gaining visibility—shaping the narrative, aligning it with business or career goals, and opening doors to new opportunities on your terms.