Trevor Young social PR warrior from Zoetic Agency states that “your brand is what someone says about you, when you are not in the room”. So how do you promote your brand without being perceived as someone with an inflated ego and a grandiose ‘love me’ personality…a narcissist?

No one wants to be seen as a ‘socially destructive narcissist’. So here are some tips when you are on social media.

Don’t be a spotlight hogger: stop blabbering on just about yourself, adopt the 80/20 rule – share your accomplishments and achievements but only do this 80% of the time. Promote, congratulate and praise others, share their updates and comment on their posts 20% of the time.

Have an opinion or a point of view: which in turn will create a community. Beware – only do this if you have something valuable to say. “Content is the oxygen to your social media profile” Trevor Young .

Be genuine: don’t strive for perfection, perfection is unattainable and creates mistrust. Stop photoshopping your pictures, accept your flaws and laugh at your mistakes! Genuine people are not egomaniacal.

Become a thought leader: or an influencer online and an expert in your field. Speak the right language to your audience and your audience will listen.

Building a personal brand means communicating your passions along with others. It means having a mutual conversation, not dominating a conversation.

Most of all, be real!