Chris Maho​​​​, senior account executive at The Romans: “Sharing my thoughts in articles like this was pretty much the foundation of my personal brand. I ensured I kept up to date with the comms landscape and let people know what I thought via the range of industry publications we have. If you ever feel shy or insecure about the value that you bring to publications (and in some form, the industry), remember that you are who you think you are, and contributions will help people see your line of thinking.

“It sounds basic, but being nice is very important. In my case, it was just about being myself because I am a social butterfly, but if you aren’t, that is equally fine. Being nice will help you connect with people across all levels, and when people mention your name, they will think of light. Working in a fast-paced industry like PR, building and sustaining relationships is a big part of your personal branding.

“Find out if industry peers are working on projects that will directly help get your voice out there, such as podcasts and networking events. You are helping each other, and you never know how far your voice can reach.”

Jessica Morgan, founder at Carnsight Communications: “I worked as a director in a London PR agency before setting up on my own in a completely new area. It was a challenge as I had a toddler and a baby at the time, but face-to-face events were important for me initially. I wanted to get out and meet people, so I looked for relevant events such as Bristol Social Media Week, Enterprise Nation Festival of Female Entrepreneurs and organisations such as Bristol Creative Industries to meet and connect with people. That came before LinkedIn as I felt the need to get out and meet people initially, which then generated some content for me to share online. I had my contacts in London but meeting new people in the flesh was my first step.”

Amber Ellis​​​​, senior account executive at CCG: “As a PR professional of three years, I firmly believe in the power of self-PR. It’s something I started doing early in my career.

“One of the most impactful things I found early on was keeping a personal record of my achievements, no matter how big or small. Ranging from positive feedback on my presentation skills to submitting a piece of content with no edits. Over time, this document became invaluable, not just for tracking my progress but for overcoming dreaded imposter syndrome. It helped me recognise my growth, push myself toward more ambitious opportunities, and ultimately played a crucial role in crafting my submission for the BME PR Pros Rising Star of the Year Award, which I was honoured to win last summer.

“Externally, I focus on building my network by consistently attending industry events. Actively engaging in these spaces has led me to establish key connections within the PRCA, which in turn opened doors for me to speak on two panel sessions last year. These experiences reinforced the importance of putting myself forward and seizing opportunities. PR is all about storytelling, and as professionals, we should apply that same energy to our own careers—documenting successes, networking, and advocating for ourselves.”

Tristan Van Den Berg, account manager at Spa Communications: “Being a young PR professional just starting out can have its challenges, one of which is that more experienced PRs can overlook your level of competency based on your age. That's where building a personal brand becomes your secret weapon. Many assume having a personal brand means having 100,000 followers, but it's not just being well known; it's being known for doing something exceptionally well that adds significant value to others.

“You do this by developing a skill set that makes you deserve recognition; this could be writing, utilising AI, media relations, and a host of other skills. You then need to package up the best practices you've learnt in a compelling format and distribute it to a platform where you know it's most likely to be interesting and add genuine value to the people who read it. If you do this consistently enough, people will start to associate you as a subject matter expert and begin to come to you when they want insight or help with your area of expertise. Be consistent, add value to others, and incorporate your own personality into your work. That's how personal brands are built.”

Dinara Omarova, director at Peach Perfect PR: “Starting out as a freelancer is always scary - the unknown for the next few months or years can be so paralysing! When instincts tell you to PR yourself to get more work, you start getting worried that advertising your services too much looks desperate and might put off your current clients. The key is to focus on the unique value you provide and hone in on that.

“Thankfully, I never had to send cold emails or tender pitches. Instead, I was lucky to be recommended by my clients to other people, and the ‘fame’ started to grow. Being authentic and good at your job usually allows Word of Mouth to do its job. When I get approached for work, it’s nice to hear that ‘my name came up first’ on the list of freelancers!

“But I also recently started investing in my personal brand on LinkedIn, talking about wins, PR trends and occasional jokes (why be boring and professional when you can be yourself and funny?). That helped me expand my network and grow as a thought leader in my space. Having a solid website with great case studies and recommendations also helps secure projects, so don’t underestimate it.”

Ruth Wilson, founder at Ruth Wilson PR: “When I first set up as an independent PR practitioner, I chose to use my own name for my company. I work alone so it made sense, as clients buy my experience and work directly with me at all times, whether it's on a project, a retained contract or a little bit of in-house strategic support. I had a logo created, built my website and was off.

“Using my own name helped build my business as I had a pretty good network: I’d worked in Newcastle, Manchester and London agencies for several years at that point. Social media was great as I could present my personality and my work and I’ve had a few pieces in the print and online media talking about trends, or client wins – I don’t mind putting myself out there, even though I’m used to promoting my clients, not myself.

“Thankfully my own brand name has worked really well for the last 13 years, I’ve only had a few people contacting me thinking I was the actress! The site has had a refresh along the way, but the logo, the company name and the ethos all remain the same - to provide creative, strategic, honest PR.”

Abi Spencer, founder of ASPR: “After being made redundant during the pandemic, I decided to go freelance. That quickly turned into setting up my own agency. That was five years ago, and today, I run a PR agency with a global reach. But I had to start from the ground up and ask myself ‘how would I be able to compete against bigger agencies?’.

“I decided to stick to my niche, retail technology. I know it so well and used this to my advantage. It gave me confidence to position myself as an authority to potential clients. I also focussed massively on relationships, not just visibility. I spent a lot of time building out my network and digging deep into what potential clients do and what journalists in my space wanted to know.

“So, rather than focus on building a personal brand, I focussed on demonstrating value. I used LinkedIn to share a mix of personal posts, PR tips and client successes, instead of just self-promotional posts. Over time, this has led to referrals, inbound inquiries and a strong reputation.

“My advice? Build your brand by knowing your niche and offering real value.”

Daniel Henry, media and communications strategist: “I pivoted from a 21 year career in journalism to PR three months ago, and am now a freelance media and communications strategist.

“I love scarves. In fact, on LinkedIn I’m known as ‘The One With The Scarf.

“People have asked me where the scarf thing comes from, and it comes from my previous career as a correspondent and documentary maker at the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky. During this time, my wife bought me a bright orange scarf and I’ve been adding to my collection ever since. When viewers started asking me about them, I knew I was onto something. Taking control of your personal brand matters, because it gives clients an idea of what you might do with theirs. I didn’t expect scarves to become part of my story, but I’m glad they are.”

Doug Hunter, So Content: "Personal brand is something I struggle with and don't really do. I comment, like, post some agency wins etc, but have taken the 'executive' decision not to do much more than that. It means that what people do see is me and not a tactic, so what personal brand I do have, at least I know it is authentic and honest, the real me.

“Potentially a reason or side to this is that I often consider us, the PR people, as like the photographer, behind the camera crafting the image, we are here to make other people the story, their brand is what we do, I am always wary of PR people that come across as wanting desperately to be the story themselves. It is probably to my detriment, but I'll get over it on a dog walk."