Personal Branding: How Personal Do You Need to Get?

People often tell you to "be authentic" when you're building a personal brand.

Somehow that advice can turn into: share more of your personal life, be vulnerable, tell people what you're struggling with.

But authenticity isn't measured by how much of your life you make public.

Being authentic is about being recognisable as yourself, not making everything public.

Personal doesn't have to mean private

You can show personality through your humour, opinions, culture, interests, stories and the way you communicate.

For me, fried chicken has somehow followed me around the internet for years. 🍗

It's personal. It's recognisable. It doesn't require me to publish every private part of my life.

You might talk about a hobby, a family saying, a career change or an experience that shaped how you work. Those details help people understand the person behind the expertise.

Our guide to turning parenting and family moments into LinkedIn content has examples.

You don't owe the internet vulnerability

A vulnerable story can be useful when you genuinely want to tell it. Maybe it explains why you care about your work or helps someone feel less alone.

But "vulnerable posts perform well" isn't a good enough reason to publish something you'd rather keep private.

You can tell the story later. Or never.

Authenticity doesn't mean unlimited access.

For the boundary on the other side of this (when personal sharing tips into oversharing), see how to share personal stories on LinkedIn without oversharing.

What makes you recognisable?

Instead of asking, "What personal thing should I share?", try:

• What do people already associate with me?
• What stories do I naturally tell?
• What makes my perspective different?
• What parts of my personality show up when I speak?
• What am I comfortable keeping public?

You don't need to manufacture quirks for your personal brand. Notice what's already there.

Your turn

Look at your content and ask:

Could someone recognise me in this, or could anybody have written it?

If anybody could have written it, you might need more of yourself in the work.

That doesn't mean sharing more. It means being more recognisably you.

Explore 101 LinkedIn Content Ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions

How personal should I get on my LinkedIn personal brand?

Personal enough to be recognisable, not necessarily vulnerable. Humour, opinions, interests and the way you communicate can all make you recognisable without requiring intimate disclosure.

Does being authentic mean sharing more of my personal life?

No. Authenticity is about being recognisable as yourself, not about how much you make public. You can be authentic while keeping most of your private life private.

What's the difference between being personal and oversharing?

Being personal means letting your actual personality show through your content. Oversharing is publishing something you'd rather keep private just because vulnerable posts tend to perform well.

How do I find what makes me recognisable without manufacturing it?

Notice what already repeats: the stories you naturally tell, the phrases you use, the opinions you hold, rather than inventing quirks for your personal brand.

Not sure which brand direction is yours?
Take the free 2-minute Personal Brand Compass quiz → and find out whether you're an Authority, Rainmaker, Creator, or Professional. 🍗